Card Catalog Indexes at the State Library

A blast from the past…

Writing by Regina Fitzpatrick

Does it surprise you to hear that the State Library still has some original card catalogs? You know, the big wood furniture with tiny drawers and typed cards that help you to find library materials and other information?

The Writers’ Project of America and the State Library

Although the full card catalog for the State Library collection is no more (you can find our current library catalog online), the State Library has maintained some special card catalog indexes.

The Writers’ Project of America, a Great Depression era federal government project was designed to create a written history of the United States.

Using Library resources, WPA workers created indexes, including:

• A listing of New Jersey legislators and elected officials beginning in colonial times
• Revolutionary War soldiers Killed in Action
• An index of pictures or photographs included in the State Library’s book collection

Some of these card catalog indexes have over 20,000 entries, while others take up one drawer or less.

What can these resources tell me?

The contents of each index are unique. The Pictures in Books Index is organized alphabetically by place and includes a picture description, a book title, author, page number, and call number, to help you locate the picture in our collection.

Other indexes don’t name their sources for compiling the index, but include basic information such as a name, relevant dates, and perhaps a geographic location.  Some entries may include notes that provide additional information, such as a spouse name or physical description.  Our Heraldry Index will even specify whether a surname indexed has its own crest!

Elisha Lawrence-Legislators and Elected Officials Card Index

The sample above, taken from the New Jersey Legislators Index, is a card for Elisha Lawrence. We know from this card that he served on something called the Council from 1780-1783, again in 1789-1792, and in 1795. Monmouth is listed. How do we learn more?

Researching the Index Card

Journal of the Legislative Council

Elisha Lawrence served on the Legislative Council, which existed from 1776-1844. How do I know this?  On the card the first date is 1780. The Law Library has a Legal Research page, which lists resources relating to New Jersey legislative entities.  I checked the listing of legislative bodies in place in 1780. The Legislative Council, established in 1776 by our first State Constitution, matches the date range I need. The 1780 Journal of the Legislative Council of New Jersey lists Elisha Lawrence of Monmouth County as a member.

The Journal is a record of attendance, votes, and responsibilities delegated to various members.  These volumes are an excellent resource to better understand what Elisha Lawrence did while he served.

1776 Constitution

I guess that the date ranges on the card refers to terms of service on the Council. To find the term limits of legislators, I could check a couple of sources: either the 1776 Constitution of New Jersey, or the 1779 Legislative Council Journal. I would check the 1779 Journal to see if there are election results that may also indicate term limits.  I know the 1776 Constitution is a pretty short document, so that will be my first stop.

The 1776 New Jersey State Constitution sets elections for Legislative Council. From Article Three:

That on the said Second Tuesday in October yearly [beginning in 1777] & every Year forever…the Counties shall severally choose one Person to be a Member of the Legislative Council of this Colony, who shall be & have been for one whole Year next before the Election an Inhabitant and Freeholder in the County in which he is chosen…

Book: History of Monmouth County, New Jersey by Franklin Ellis

How can I access these indexes?

The indexes are available at the State Library for in person use.   Most are on the 4^th Floor of the State Library next to the Genealogy Section. Ask at the Reference Desk if you need any assistance locating the indexes.  Library staff members are working to transcribe the index cards, and we hope to make the content available online in the future.

Why are these resources valuable?

The card catalog indexes focus on a single topic, based on items that were in our collection (and may still be!).  These are fantastic gateways to build your knowledge about a subject or person referenced. If you find an entry of interest in the Card Catalog indexes, please visit the Reference Desk on Level 4.  Librarians can help you verify the card information using our existing collections.  For information regarding index titles, please e-mail the Reference Desk at refdesk@njstatelib.org. You can also submit a question via our Ask a Librarian Form.