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Primary source research requires students to acquire specialized research skills. This paper presents results from a user study testing the effectiveness of a Web guide designed to convey the concepts behind "primary source literacy". The study also evaluated students' strengths and weaknesses when conducting primary source research. (Contains 3 figures and 5 tables.)

In April 2005, the University of Maryland Libraries launched "ArchivesUM" (www.lib.umd.edu/archivesum), an online database of finding aids for manuscript and archival collections using Encoded Archival Description (EAD). "ArchivesUM," however, is only the publicly available end-product of a much larger project-an integrated system that ties together the basic archival functions of accessioning, inventory control, and description with a public interface for searching and browsing collection descriptions. In this article, the authors explore the challenges and solutions encountered while developing the system, addressing the theoretical, practical, and programming decisions that contributed to the design of this archival management system. (Contains 24 notes and 13 figures.)

The article presents information on the personal diary of Susan Mathiot Gale, a Baltimore, Maryland, resident born in December 1831. It is reported that her life was full of grief and sorrow with few moments of joy. She lost her husband both times when she got married; first time just after six months of marriage and second time after seven years. She had one daughter from her first husband and two daughters from her second marriage. Her diary presents insights into the life of a young, widowed mother, ripped between familiarity with city life and an appreciation for a rural lifestyle. She wrote vivid accounts of her day-to-day activities on an estate south of Annapolis in West River.