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 |
| 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 |
