The database allows browsing and searching. The collection can be browsed alphabetically by author's name, and each guide can be browsed through its table of contents. By clicking on an author's name from the contents page, you can browse through a detailed description of a specific manuscript collection. By browsing an entire finding aid in this way, you will also have access to such information as: details of where the papers are held, the provenance of the collection, biographical data on the author, and the date range of the material.

The complete collection, as well as individual guides, can also be searched by keyword. This makes it possible to look for all occurrences of a particular person anywhere in any of the guides. Type in a keyword or search term from the contents screen, and your search will span each of the finding aids. Alternatively, you can conduct a more specific search from within one of the finding aids, by clicking on the author you are interested in before beginning your search.