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HIS 014 - Library Research: Using library resources

Library research guide for HIS 014 students

Searching for Primary Resources Using Library Databases

Using Library Databases:

The library subscribes to a number of databases that include primary source materials. At this point, most of the primary resources found in the library's databases are focused on American history. For non-American history, students may want to try searching for their topics on the web.

When searching Omnisearch, scroll down to Source Types, click on Show More then Primary Sources. See video demo.

The library has a subject page with all its databases that contain primary source documents.

Try some of our specialized databases such as the Historical New York Times, Early American Imprints, Early American Newspapers, Pennsylvania Gazette, African American newspapers, Women and Social Movements.

Database Name  Focus Content Time Period

Accessible Archives

America Includes African-American Newspaper Collection, the Civil War Newspapers, PA County Histories, and the PA Gazette (America's first "paper of record") 1700s - early 1900s
African American Studies Center America Includes articles, ebooks, and primary sources related to the African American experience. 1619- current
AP Images International Image database, includes complete archive of AP photos.  Over 3 million images 1840 - current
Digital National Security Archives America Declassified US gov't documents relating to US foreign policy.  Major collections include Afghanistan, Cuban Missile crisis, El Salvador, Irangate, Phillipines 1945 - current
Early English Books Online United Kingdom Contains digital facsimile page images of virtually every work printed in England, Ireland, Scotland, Wales and British North America from 1473-1700 1473-1700
Films on Demand America Includes archival news footage and films from American history.  Examples: Nixon's address on Vietnam, WPA films, old TV commercials, WW II footage. 1919 - present
Gale Virtual Reference Library Mostly American Speeches, letters, legislation, treaties, journal entries 19th and 20th centuries
HarpWeek America Popular 19th century news and social magazine Late 19th and early 20th century
KLN Digital Collections Pennsylvania Locally digitized collections includes the Kutztown Patriot, Kutztown postcards, Keystone Mostly late 19th and 20th century
ProQuest Historical Newspapers America Search the full text of the historical New York Times and Wall St Journal 1851 - 2010
Readex Digital Archives America Includes historical newspaper collection, Early American imprints, and broadsides/ephemera collections 1600s - current
Women and Social Mov'ts America Includes articles, ebooks, and primary sources related to the experience of women in America. 1600 - 2000