| Where
can I find primary sources? |
Special
Collections and Archives
Archives are repositories of records donated by individuals, families,
groups, organizations, or other entities. The archivists care for them and
make them available for researchers through finding aids, which are
collection inventories. The Iowa State University
Archives and Special Collections Department is on the 4th
floor of the Parks Library. In addition to the collection
guides, many of ISU’s finding aids are online and available through
the library
catalog.
Yale University offers an online tutorial about
using manuscripts in the Yale Library, but it also includes some valuable
information for new users of archives as well: http://www.library.yale.edu/mssa/tutorial/
To locate a repository near you (or
near where your subject was from/took place) try this list of primary
sources organized by state: http://www.uidaho.edu/special-collections/Other.Repositories.html
Library
Catalogs/World Cat
Many libraries catalog primary sources and include
them in their online public access catalog (OPAC). Make sure to think
carefully search terms – include possible people or organizations that
may have been involved as authors, and remember to search by subject
rather than simply keyword. An
easy way to locate primary sources is to search by genre, which means
diaries, narratives, memoirs, correspondence, etc.
Microfilm
In order to
make unique resources available in disperse geographic areas many
libraries offer copies on microfilm, allowing researchers access to rare
historical documents without traveling. Another advantage is that while
libraries and archives will not lend out documents, they will interlibrary
loan microfilmed versions. Therefore, while you may not be near an
archives with documents relating to your topic, you may still be able to
gather valuable information.
National Union Catalog of Manuscript
Collections
This catalog is a unified resource for primary sources and includes oral
history interview, personal/family papers, organizational archives, and
many other resources contributed by repositories nationwide.
http://lcweb.loc.gov/coll/nucmc/nucmc.html
Periodicals
indexes
With such indexes as the Reader’s Guide to Periodical Literature
and various newspaper indexes such as The New York Times
(which dates back to 1851) and The London Times (which dates to
1790), you can look for relevant articles in the time period of your
study.
Compilations
of primary source material in published form
Historians often gather together the papers of a significant individual
and create a published volume of the works, which becomes widely
available. Such is the case for Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin, and
Thaddeus Stevens.
Online
Internet resources are easy to access and can be valuable, although often
difficult to locate. The best way to find digitized versions of primary
sources is through digital libraries such as the Library of Congress’
American Memory Project and The California Digital Library. Sites such as
Academic Info provide lists of such resources.
American Memory: http://memory.loc.gov/
California Digital Library: http://www.cdlib.org/
Academic
Info: http://www.academicinfo.net/digital.html
Online
resources for the history of science and technology
Defining
X
Beginning
X
Locating
X
Evaluating
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Comments: Tanya Zanish-Belcher, Head,
Special Collections Department
Copyright © 2001, Iowa State University. All rights reserved.
Special Collections Department, Iowa State University Library
http://www.lib.iastate.edu/spcl/hd/workshop.html |
