Questions for Consideration
Strategies to Locate a Subscription Database
Note: While free web searching, you may find references to subscription databases. Return to our A-Z Databases listing and search for that database. We may subscribe to it.
Activity #1: Locate a potential library database, with primary sources, related to your topic.
Access to unique and historically important digital collections: over two million photographs, documents, letters, artwork, diaries, oral histories, films, advertisements, musical recordings, and more.
An aggregated search across digital collections from libraries, archives, and museums in the United States as well as curated exhibitions and primary source sets developed for classroom use.
Grants access to online materials available from the Library of Congress such as newspapers, photographs, legislation, maps, personal narratives, film and more, from the 1800s to the present.
Provides access to descriptions and inventories of thousands of primary resource collections maintained by archival units across the Smithsonian. The collections document the history of art, culture, music, flight, space exploration, science and technology, and native cultures in the United States, as well as history of the Smithsonian itself.
Activity #2: Try a search in DPLA and look at the Collections. Locate a potential Collection via DPLA that contains primary source material related to your research area.
Locate Primary Sources on the Free Web
1. Use Terminology to Highlight Primary Sources
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exhibition "digital exhibit" "digital collection" "primary sources" |
archives "special collections" library museum |
papers manuscripts records collection
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"teacher's kits" curriculum "lesson plans" "learning object" |
treaties deeds diaries "archival footage" posters "legal records" pamphlets "oral history" etc.
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Sample Searches:
2. Limit to a Specific Domain
Sample Searches:
Activity #3: Try one or more web searches to locate potential digital collections / primary sources. Consider using a site limiter.
We have a number of historical newspaper collections in our A-Z databases listing. Many of these are in subscription resources though there are historical newspapers freely provided from other organizations including the Library of Congress.
Includes over 150,000 digitized pages of California newspapers spanning the years 1849-1911. They include the Alta California (1849-1889); the San Francisco Call (1900-1910); the Amador Ledger (1900-1911); the Imperial Valley Press (1901-1911); and the Los Angeles Herald (1905-1907).
1985 - present. Provides access to the five most respected US national and regional newspapers: The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal, Los Angeles Times and Chicago Tribune. Content is available by 8am each day and archives contain coverage as far back as 1985.
1785 - 2013. The Times covers all major international historical events from the French Revolution to the Falkland War. Search the full-text of the entire newspaper, including articles, editorials and advertising.
Activity #4: Use one of the newspaper collections listed above to locate primary sources related to your research area. Use the database filters to narrow your results to appropriate time periods etc.
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