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History

a general guide for the broad subject of history

Primary Sources

Primary sources are created around the time of an event, or by someone who witnessed the event. Examples include newspapers, letters, diaries, memoirs, autobiographies, etc...   
The resources can help with figuring out what questions to ask when evaluating primary sources.

MANY primary sources are not online.

Use the the Advanced Search in the Library Catalog and Find search systems to discover early printed books, government documents, maps, videotapes, sound recordings, music scores and many other materials. Limit your searches by date to find documents produced near the time of the event you are researching.  

The Special Collections Library contains original primary source documents. Some of these are discoverable through the library search engines, but others are not fully described.  Consult the Special Collections Finding Aids for more detailed collection descriptions

Microforms & Government Information contains primary source documents in microformat (microfilm, fiche, etc...).  Microformat material can be viewed, scanned, and printed using equipment available on the 2nd floor of Paterno and also via remote access.

Below are some keywords you can use in Library Catalog and Find systems to locate published primary documents:

  • Sources (combine with other keywords for document collections, e.g. Middle Ages and sources)
  • Eyewitness or Personal Narratives (French Revolution and eyewitness)
  • Letters or Correspondence (add an author's name, e.g. Benjamin Franklin and correspondence)
  • Diaries/Diary (Works best with the author's name, e.g. Diary and Anne Frank)
  • Documents or Documentary (combine with a topic, e.g. documentary history and Women)

Personal papers and other unpublished primary sources can usually only be accessed at the library or archive holding the original documents.  These databases and websites will help you discover collections in other libraries, historical societies, and archives.