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A Selection of Library Databases for Primary Sources

Library Catalog Search Tips

Searching by primary-source format words:  There are words in catalog records that identify the type of primary source.  These are often part of the subject heading, or subject words, in the record.  These may include:  advertisements, autobiographies, collected works, correspondence, description and travel, diaries, documents, interviews, journal, letters, manuscripts, pamphlets, personal narratives, sources, and speeches.  You can combine a primary-source format word with words describing your topic such as event or person (e.g., letters and Lincoln; diaries and civil war).  For a specific search, type in the primary-source format word in the Subject box in Advanced Search of the Library Catalog. 
Searching by author:  To find diaries, letters, autobiographies, personal papers, etc., search a person's name as an author (not as a subject, because that will find materials about them instead of works the person wrote).
Identifying primary sources:  Look for the publication date or, if you have a reprinted book, look for the original publication date.  If the original publication date is during the time you are studying, you have a primary source.  Primary sources may be compiled, edited, and printed some time after an event or historical period.  Also look at the birth/death dates of the author.  If the birth/death dates of the author are such that the person lived during the time of your event or historical period, you might have a primary source.  Look at the notes in the record; there may be clues as to whether or not it is a primary source.  The words facsimile or reprint might indicate primary source.

Finding Primary Sources in OneSearch

Some Examples of Primary Sources

Images from the U.S. Government

Check the Library of Congress flickr page for a large collection of images.  A keyword search is available or browse the albums.

The U.S. Government offers an image collection on the USA.gov site.  Many of the images are available freely. 

New York Public Library Digital Collections

Open access to over 700,000 digital images from the New York Public Library's collections.

Getty Open Content Images

Search over 10,000 images from Getty Museum and Research Institute collections made available for download

Google Images

To find images that can be reused and remixed use Google's Advanced Image search option. On the "advanced image search" page, you will find the usage rights options at the bottom of the page. In the usage rights menu you can select one of four options such as "free to use or share,"  

Google Primary Sources

Google Primary Source Search 

Make sure that the search results are on-point.  If searching an individual, be sure that it is the correct person being referenced.  Try to structure the keyword search as specifically as possible.

The History Place

Databases & Websites for Primary Sources

In the left column of this page are several library databases that can identify primary sources.  In the right column are various websites that will do the same.  Please remember that not everything identified will be primary.