The online index Inquire Capitalism is a searchable database with over 500 entries of companies in United States that have, in some way, dealt with their historical archives or pursue a project to write a history of the company whether online or in print. The database seeks to grow in the coming months to include at least all entries mentioned in the German Historical Institute resource “Business History in the United States: A Guide to Archival Collections” (Snyder, 2010) and Hagley’s finding aids (https://findingaids.hagley.org/). As research continues, the entries from these resources also become updated and complete, including all digital initiatives that archives have conducted and scholarship on the company.
While my presentation will introduce the audience to the online database and the options that it offers to researchers and companies as well as the challenges that have come up as we produced what is available at the moment, I also focus on how business historians are key in making archival and finding resources meaningful. Inquire Capitalism follows library and archival standards to align with ongoing outlines for information management and discoverability, but it also includes specific keywords and bibliographies that require experience in the field. This presentation also examines the ways in which digital technology transforms archives, historical narrative and how this is presented to the public, and also the work of business historians. The next step of this project is to uncover unused, hidden, or not online-available collections, which as we move internationally will increase even more. The ultimate goal is foster connections and research from around the world as we create an international database that can connect historians, archives, and companies in creative ways.