Use Google to Find Other Archives
Combine these terms with topical keywords to find primary sources from cultural heritage and educational organizations.
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primary sources archives special collection library or museum |
exhibition digital exhibit digital collection papers or manuscripts |
teacher's kit curriculum lesson plans learning objects |
You can also search for sources in specific formats, such as:
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account ledgers acts archival footage audio clippings correspondence diaries deeds ephemera film / video financial records govt. publications handbooks |
invitations lab notebooks legal records legislation letters maps memoirs menus military orders newspapers oral histories pamphlets paintings |
photographs polls posters press releases prints reports scrapbooks sermons speeches telegraphs treaties tickets wills |
Adapted from a handout by Robin M. Katz
Primary Sources in Books
Read through secondary sources to find primary sources. Scholars keep meticulous records of the evidence they adduce in order to establish the credibility of their arguments and interpretations. You can use these notes and citations to discover the sources themselves. Search WorldCat to find items our library doesn't own. You can submit interlibrary loan requests right from the item record.
You can also search for primary sources in WorldCat or the library catalog. Using the advanced search feature, select Subject from the list of fields, then search the keyword "sources" as pictured below.
Primary Sources in General Interest or Multidisciplinary Archives
- African-American HeritageThis subject portal highlights records of Federal agencies and collections that relate to Black life during the World War I Era. The selected records contain information on various topics, which include work, military involvement, arts & intellectuals, racial violence and the Great Migration. It also includes records on several individuals, including Ida B. Wells-Barnett, W. E. B. Du Bois, Marcus Garvey, Paul Robeson, Mary Church Terrell and Jack Johnson.
- ArchiveGrid"With over 1,000 different archival institutions represented, ArchiveGrid helps researchers looking for primary source materials held in archives, libraries, museums and historical societies."
- Digital Public Library of America (DPLA)DPLA brings together the riches of America’s libraries, archives, and museums, and makes them freely available to the world. Includes many primary sources and other public domain materials.
- Hathi TrustHathiTrust is a partnership of academic & research institutions, offering a collection of millions of titles digitized from libraries around the world.
- Internet ArchiveThe Internet Archive provides access to primary sources in the public domain. Metadata is of uneven quality, so make use of phrasal searching when possible.
- Library of Congress Digital CollectionsThis gateway leads to the Library of Congress's vast resources of digitized American historical materials. Comprising more than 9 million items that document U.S. history and culture, the site is organized into more than 100 thematic collections based on their original format, their subject matter, or who first created, assembled, or donated them to the Library.
- National Archives CatalogFew of the State Department's Central Files are available online, but some have been digitized and you can find them here. Be sure to select "Available Online" from the top menu.