Introducing "The Brownings: A Research Guide"
"The Brownings: A Research Guide" (The Browning Guide) tracks the location of every known bit of Robert Browning and Elizabeth Barrett Browning ephemera. The Guide has several different parts which will be useful to your archival project.
The below descriptions are copied from the Guide.
The Browning Collections - catalogues the poets' library, presentation volumes (books they wrote which they gifted to others), manuscripts, likenesses, works of art/personal effects, and other association items.
The Browning Correspondence - lists all known letters written by or to either of the poets. Letters already published in the print edition of The Brownings' Correspondence include the full text and accompanying foot notes.
Supporting Documents - lists secondary materials relating the Brownings created by their contemporaries and which contributed to editing The Brownings' Correspondence. Letters and documents already published in the print edition of The Brownings' Correspondence include the full text and accompanying foot notes.
The most useful hint which applies to "The Browning Collections", "The Browning Correspondence", and "Supporting Documents."
At the top right corner of the search results page, there is the option to either "Modify Search" or "New Search." Always select "Modify Search." This will make sure that you can repeat your search but only change either the keyword field you are searching ("Browning Collections") or "Current Location" or "Manuscript Location" between the 3 different ABL collections (explained below).
Hints for Searching "The Browning Collections"
"Search Help" describes the type of information searched in each field. 
I have highlighted the search fields that you will want to use. The "Title" and "Description" fields are keyword searches. When you enter keywords into both fields at once this works like the Boolean "AND" search operator. If your keyword(s) do not appear in both fields you will have no results. Therefore you must search each field one at a time.
The "Current Location" field limits your results to the ABL's holdings (this is important!). Notice that there are 3 ABL options. The first is ABL. The second is ABL/Altham which searches Elizabeth Barrett Browning's family papers. The third is ABL/JMA which searches the Joseph Milsand Archive (Robert Browning's friend and French literary critic). You cannot search all three at once and ABL does not include ABL/Altham or ABL/JMA. Therefore you must search each location one at a time.
Hints for Searching "The Browning Correspondence & Supporting Documents"
The "Browning Correspondence" and the "Supporting Documents" use the same search limiters. 
I have highlighted the search fields that you will want to use. The "Keywords/Phrase" field searches both the full text of the letter or document as well as the footnotes. You can use symbol versions of Boolean operators in this field. How to use them is explained in the "?" tile at the end of the search field.
The "Manuscript Location" field limits your results to the ABL's holdings (this is important!). Notice that there are 3 ABL options. The first is ABL. The second is ABL/Altham which searches Elizabeth Barrett Browning's family papers. The third is ABL/JMA which searches the Joseph Milsand Archive (Robert Browning's friend and French literary critic). You cannot search all three at once and ABL does not include ABL/Altham or ABL/JMA. Therefore you must search each location one at a time.
Requesting Resources from "The Browning Guide"
If you are interested in consulting resources that you found in the Browning Guide, please contact the ABL (email abl_office@Baylor.edu) with the guide number and the first bits of information (title, author, date, etc.) from the Browning Guide entry. Examples are provided below:
"Browning Collections" Resource Request Information
D0015.1, Browning, E.B. (or EBB). The African.
"Browning Correspondence" or "Supporting Documents" Resource Request Information
16 December 1836. John Kenyon to EBB. from Browning Correspondence (or Supporting Documents - whichever is the case)
