User Services

While our primary mission here at the Moravian Archives is to preserve historical documents and provide public access to primary source material, we offer a variety of services to our users beyond in-person research visits.

Wanting to read or view something in the Archives but don’t live nearby or can’t make a trip to visit us in person? We offer reprographic services and can provide you with a digital surrogate for most items. Click to this page to learn more about how to request digitization of items for research and what fees may be associated with this service. If you are interested in obtaining a copy of a memoir, please click here where you can browse or search an index of the memoirs in our holdings and complete a form to request a copy.

Writing a thesis or dissertation? Publishing a book or article referencing material you used in the Archives? Cite us and request permission for use of images! One of our greatest joys is seeing research projects come to life in the form of a published text. We are more than happy to grant permission to use images of primary sources in your publication, often for free. Please review our policies and procedures for requesting permission to use our sources in published material and contact us with any questions or concerns.

Have a question but don’t have the time or ability to do the research? Ask us! As part of our day-to-day operations, the Archives staff provides remote research services for free for the first 30 minutes. We know that not everyone can or wants to do research in the Archives, but you may still have a burning question. We’re happy to assist from afar. We will also perform more extensive research for you, up to four hours, for a fee. Read more about this service and submit your questions here.

Need to read something that hasn’t been translated into English yet? We’re here to help. For more than a century, Moravians kept most of their records in what is known as German script. It’s an acquired skill to learn how to read this script, much less translate it to English. Our staff has been trained to transcribe and translate the German script and will be glad to do so for a fee if requested. Learn more about transcription and translation services here.

Is there something you want from the Archives that doesn’t seem to be covered here? Email us at sparchives@mcsp.org and we’ll see what we can do!