International Association for Identification The IAI Collection
Founded in 1915, the International Association for Identification is the world's oldest and largest criminal identification organization. In 2005, the IAI selected the WVU Libraries to house its priceless research library due in part to WVU's pioneering program in the field of Forensic and Investigative Sciences education.
Consisting of more than 100 linear feet of material, including archives and manuscripts, books, periodicals, and a wide assortment of ephemeral publications, the IAI Collection is the most comprehensive forensics information resource in existence. Included are materials dating back to late 19th century when the field of scientific criminal investigation was in its infancy.
Read more about it, "Desperately Seeking Sherlock Holmes" from the West Virginia and Regional History Collection Newsletter, Vol. 21: no. 1, Fall 2005, pages 1-3
The Henry Faulds Scrapbooks
Among the earliest and most valuable items in the IAI collection are the scrapbooks of Dr. Henry Faulds (1843-1930). A towering figure in the history of forensic sciences, it was Faulds who first recognized the value of fingerprints to criminal identification. The Faulds scrapbooks include research notes, original drawings and studies of fingerprint patterns and typology, as well as correspondence with individuals and crime fighting organizations around the world, dating from the late 1870s until shortly before the doctor's death in 1930.
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Finding Aid
Finding aid to the IAI Collection including archives and manuscripts, technical reports, newsletters, periodicals, ephemera, books and audio-visual materials. -
Digital Collection
A collection of nearly 3000 digital images of items in the IAI Collection including drawings, letters, photographs book illustrations and selected other documents. -
Accessing the Collection
Information about the IAI Collection, its archival and circulating component, finding aids, locations and policies regarding use of the Collection. -
Guide to Forensics
A LibGuide for library users who are interested in conducting research in Forensic Sciences at the West Virginia University Libraries. -
External Links
Web links to the International Association for Investigation, the WVU Forensic and Investigative Science Department, the West Virginia Biometrics Initiative, and other helpful resources.
