ic Library's Billy Rose Theatre Division would be a great place to start.  Researchers will find valuable search tips and strategies on their website.Repository-Level Searching: Visit the library's website to read about the collections as a whole and get practical information about the repository. Browse the list of archival collections if there is one. Search across the library's finding aids if that option is available. Search the library's regular catalog on your topic. Look for a digital portal on the website and search there as well. Speak to the reference staff about your research project. They can help streamline your research and point out helpful resources.


Searching Secondary Sources to Find Archival Materials:
Secondary and reference sources will not only help you put your topic in context, they will often lead you directly to archival collections. Check the footnotes, bibliographies, and acknowledgments in books, dissertations, and other published sources for clues. You may learn about cataloged and uncataloged materials held in libraries and/or private collections. See the Background Research tab in this guide and the separate Beyond Wikipedia research guide for tips and links to sources.


Published Guides to Manuscript Collections:
Published guides to manuscript collections can be easily overlooked in the quest to find archival materials.  However, these printed volumes, many of which were compiled in the pre-computer age, can be useful for identifying specific holdings and for getting a sense of a library's collections as a whole. These guides typically contain summary descriptions of individual collections and indexes that allow you to identify holdings by subject or format. Though the descriptions in these printed volumes may have been superseded by subsequent archival processing and electronic finding aids, they situate individual collections within a library's holdings and offer more collection level detail than you'd usually encounter in a list of holdings on a library's website. Examples include:


library's holdings and offer more collection level detail than you'd usually encounter in a list of holdings on a library's website. Examples include:You can find others with OneSearch , WorldCat , or other library catalog subject search.  Some examples: United States--History--Sources--Bibliography New York (State)--History--Sources--Bibliography Great Britain--History--Sources--Bibliography Manuscripts--United States--Catalogs Manuscripts--[any country]--Catalogs Anthropology--Manuscripts--Catalogs [Any Subject]--Manuscripts--Catalogs


Finding Materials in the NYPL Manuscripts & Archives Division:
Look on the The New York Public Library's website for a handy guide to Finding Materials in the Manuscripts and Archives Division . And consult the NYPL's Getting Started with Archives guide. Note that many large research libraries have helpful online guides for finding and using their collections.  Look for them when you visit a library's website to expedite your research.


Subject Headings - Library of Congress (LCSH):
Use the Library of Congress Authorities to identify subject terms for more effective searching in library catalogs and databases. Or try a keyword search in CUNY's OneSearch or other library catalogs to find books on your topic.  Then, look at the Library of Congress subject headings (LCSH) used to describe those books and click on the most relevant LCSHs to identify other library materials on the topic.  Keep track of the most useful LCSHs and use those subject terms when searching other databases as well.


Finding Published Archival Collections:
See the Digitized / Printed / Microfilmed Sources page in this guide for tips on finding published archival materials.


Finding Digitized Collections:
See the Online Archival Research tab for links to large-scale digital portals, subject-based collections and collaborations, regional collaborations and portals, US and international research libraries, government archives, notable digitized collections, and other resources.


Privately Held Collections:
These are collections held by individuals, families, and estates.  They may consist of processed or unprocessed materials and they may or may not be accessible to researchers.  You can often discover the existence of private collections through your background research or by contacting people close to your subject.


On This Page:
Finding Collections Finding Materials in the NYPL's Manuscripts and Archives Division General Search Tips Privately Held Collections Published Guides to Manuscript Collections Repository Level Searching Searching Catalogs & Databases Searching Secondary Sources Selected International Repositories WorldCat & ArchiveGrid Search Tips


Catalogs & Databases:
The following search tools will help you find archival collections across repositories.

Archive Grid: Searchable database containing over 7 million records describing archival collections in 1,400 libraries, archives, museums, and historical societies around the world.  Also useful for identifying archival repositories by location. Read more in our GC Library blog post about ArchiveGrid .

Digitized Collections: See the Online Archival Research tab for links to large-scale digital portals, subject-based collections and collaborations, regional collaborations and portals, US and international research libraries, government archives, notable digitized collections, and other resources.


regional collaborations and portals, US and international research libraries, government archives, notable digitized collections, and other resources.Google: Put your subject's name or multi-word topic in quotes and add archival keywords to find collections.  For example, try a search like this: "A. Philip Randolph" AND (papers OR manuscripts OR archives OR collection) .  Google can be helpful for finding collections in libraries, archives, historical societies and other institutions that may not appear in searches of databases like WorldCat and ArchiveGrid.  And it can also can turn up library research guides, bibliographies, and other reference tools that may help streamline your research.

National Archives Online Search Tools: Online portal for NARA catalogs, databases, research guides, finding aids, and other tools for finding records.


National Archives Online Search Tools: Online portal for NARA catalogs, databases, research guides, finding aids, and other tools for finding records.Repository Level Searching: Not all collections have catalog records or finding aids and not all repositories contribute their catalog records and finding aids to discovery tools like WorldCat and ArchiveGrid.  When a repository seems likely to hold material on your topic, search its holdings directly.  Look closely at its website, browse available lists of collections, search whatever tools are provided, and contact the staff with inquires.

WorldCat (FirstSearch): Holdings of thousands of American and international libraries. Make Interlibrary Loan (ILL) requests with the Find it! button. Searchable in English, French, and Spanish.

WorldCat Discovery: WorldCat Discovery is a catalog and discovery system containing millions of records for print and electronic holdings in thousands of libraries around the world.


Additional Search Tools:
Archives Finder (NYPL Database): This database is available at select New York Public Library locations and “provides information and detailed indexing to manuscript collections from over 5,000 U.S. repositories,” including NUCMC records created between 1959 and 1985 which are not available in WorldCat.  Results are collection level records.

Government Archives: Government archives, whether national, state, or municipal, are quite massive, holding millions of items.  They usually have their own search tools, so when you are looking government records, you can usually go straight to the website of the agency to look there.  See the Government Archives box on the Online Archival Research page for links.


u can usually go straight to the website of the agency to look there.  See the Government Archives box on the Online Archival Research page for links.National Union Catalog of Manuscript Collections (NUCMC): A gateway operated by the Library of Congress for searching 1.5 million catalog records describing archival and manuscript collections and individual manuscripts in public, college and university, and special libraries. Records for manuscript collections created since 1986 may be found in WorldCat or through searching NUCMC directly.  Records created from 1959 to 1985 are available in the print volumes of NUCMC, which are available at the New York Public Library and select CUNY locations, as well as in the database Archives Finder , which is available at select NYPL locations.  Digitized catalog and index volumes spanning 1963 to 1977 (with gaps) and the 2 volume Index to Personal Names in NUCMC, 1959-1984 are available in the Internet Archive .


d index volumes spanning 1963 to 1977 (with gaps) and the 2 volume Index to Personal Names in NUCMC, 1959-1984 are available in the Internet Archive .SNAC (Social Networks and Archival Context): SNAC "is a free, online resource that helps users discover biographical and historical information about persons, families, and organizations that created or are documented in historical resources (primary source documents) and their connections to one another. Users can locate archival collections and related resources held at cultural heritage institutions around the world."

Sound Collections Database: The first release of a database supported by the Radio Preservation Task Force, National Recording Preservation Board of the Library of Congress (RPTF) and Association for Recorded Sound Collections (ARSC). Browse or search nearly 3000 records describing recorded sound collections in repositories around the country. Genres include radio programs, all varieties of music, radio news, oral histories, interviews, drama, educational programs, and more.


Selected International Archival Repositories & Portals:
Archives Portal Europe: Contains records for millions of archival items held in hundreds of repositories across Europe.

Australia - National Archives: 100 years of Australian Government records, documenting the history of individuals, communities, and the nation.

Canada - Library & Archives: Includes publications, archival records, sound and audio-visual materials, photographs, artworks, and electronic documents of Canadian heritage.

CARIBICA: The Caribbean Regional Branch of the International Council on Archives

India - Archival Repositories: List from Wikipedia.

International Institute of Social History: Over 4,000 archives, more than 1 million printed volumes and audio-visual items, with a thematic emphasis on social and emancipatory movements.

Latin American Network Information Center: From UT Austin. Includes lists of resources by country and holdings of Latin American and Caribbean collections in the U.S.


etwork Information Center: From UT Austin. Includes lists of resources by country and holdings of Latin American and Caribbean collections in the U.S.South Asia Collections: An archived list that was maintained by Columbia University Libraries of US and international libraries holding major South Asia Collections.

United Kingdom - Archives Hub: Search across descriptions of archives, including links to digital content, held at over 300 institutions across the UK.

United Kingdom - Discovery: More than 32 million descriptions of records held by The National Archives of the UK and more than 2,500 archives cross the country.

World Wide Diplomatic Archives Index: From the U.S. Dept. of State's Office of the Historian.


Notes on Catalogs & Databases:


Notes on Catalogs & Databases:Notes on Catalogs & Databases:Searches in databases like WorldCat and ArchiveGrid can only turn up collections that have catalog records or archival finding aids that were uploaded to those databases.  But not all collections have catalog records or finding aids. To find collections that are not included in the major search tools, identify libraries and archives that are likely to hold materials on your topic and search at the repository level.  Look closely at library websites, explore lists of collections, search what ever tools are provided, and contact the staff with inquires.  You can also try searching large digital portals like the Digital Public LIbrary of America to identify libraries that hold collections on your topic and then visit their websites to search further. Large government archives -- national, state, county, town, agency, etc.


ld collections on your topic and then visit their websites to search further. Large government archives -- national, state, county, town, agency, etc.ld collections on your topic and then visit their websites to search further. Large government archives -- national, state, county, town, agency, etc.ld collections on your topic and then visit their websites to search further. Large government archives -- national, state, county, town, agency, etc.-- usually have their own search engines and discovery tools instead of contributing collection descriptions to databases like WorldCat and ArchiveGrid.  So visit government archive websites directly to learn about their holdings and how to research them.


Primary Source Databases @ the GC:
The GC Library subscribes to more than three dozen databases that contain digitized primary sources.  These databases cover virtually every subject area and include books, pamphlets, broadsides, printed ephemera, journals, historical newspapers, video, manuscripts, diaries, letters, images of artworks, dramatic productions, government documents, classical literature, legal documents, data, underground comics, and more. Also see our Newspapers research guide for information on and links to digital editions of current and historical, domestic and international, mainstream and alternative newspapers and journals.


ArchiveGrid:
Search ArchiveGrid Find archival collections and primary source materials


WorldCat & ArchiveGrid Search Tips:
In ArchiveGrid, search for names and phrases in quotes.  E.g., "Susan B. Anthony"  or "dust bowl." When results display, choose the " Summary View " to see which libraries hold the collections. When searching WorldCat , use the Advanced Search and select " Archival Materials " as the format.  Search for people and organizations as Authors . If results don't contain direct links to finding aids, visit the websites of the libraries that hold the collections and search again there.


On This Page:
Find Collections | General Search Tips | Catalogs & Databases | Digitized Collections | Notes on Catalogs & Databases | Primary Source Databases | Privately Held Collections | Published Guides to Manuscript Collections | Repository-Level Searching | Repository: NYPL Manuscripts & Archives Division | Search Tools - Add'l | Searching Secondary Sources | Selected International Repositories | Subject Headings (LCSH) | WorldCat & ArchiveGrid Search Tips


Keep a Research Journal:
A research journal can help you stay organized as you delve into sources for your project.  Keep a running list of the relevant people, organizations, events, places, dates, and themes you discover in your reading.  And keep track of the repository, website, and database searches you do to streamline your efforts as your project moves forward. A record of your research will help keep you focused.


Taking Notes:
Archival collections consist of unpublished pages, either handwritten or typewritten, that are arranged in folders inside archival boxes. It is important to take careful notes that clearly indicate exactly where you find specific items so you can find items again yourself if you need to, and so others will be able to go back to the original source when following your footnote or bibliography entry. Be certain to write down the collection name, the collection number, the box number, the folder number or title, and a description of the item itself. Is it a letter?  If so, record the name of the author, the recipient, and the date on the letter if there is one, even if it is a partial date. Format your citations as instructed in the finding aid for the collection. Ask at the repository if you need assistance.


Taking Research Photographs:


Taking Research Photographs:Taking Research Photographs:If you are taking digital photographs of an archival collection for reference purposes (also see below), be sure to have an organized work flow and follow it every day.  It is easy to become overwhelmed with images if you don't have a strategy in place for organizing them and reading through the images. One way to organize research photographs is to use the free photo management tool called Tropy .  You can use Tropy to file, annotate, tag, search, and export images.


ize research photographs is to use the free photo management tool called Tropy .  You can use Tropy to file, annotate, tag, search, and export images.ize research photographs is to use the free photo management tool called Tropy .  You can use Tropy to file, annotate, tag, search, and export images.ize research photographs is to use the free photo management tool called Tropy .  You can use Tropy to file, annotate, tag, search, and export images.Here's another way to do it: Write the date and the name of the library you are using on a piece of paper and take a photo of that before you do anything else.  This marker will enable you to easily find the start of a day's photos when you return to browse through them.  Then, as you work, take photos of the cart, the outside of the each box, the box label, and the folder label before photographing what's inside the folder to maintain accurate records of the materials you consult.  Organize your photos at the end of each day.  And back up everything, multiple times, on flash drives, to be sure your work is not lost.


Reproductions: Copies & Digital Photos:
Check a repository’s website to find out about reproduction policies before you go. Some archives allow self-service, non-flash photography, some will photocopy a certain number of pages for researchers per day, and others may provide scans. There may be fees for these services and it may take some time to receive copies. Copies are usually provided for reference purposes only. If you wish to request copies for publication, inquire about the repository’s policies and fees. You will likely need to provide the an exact citation for the item you would like to have copied (collection name and number, box number, folder number, description of the item) and indicate where the item will be published (dissertation, book, journal article, artwork, exhibit, etc.).


Working with Unprocessed Collections:


Working with Unprocessed Collections:Working with Unprocessed Collections:Not all collections in libraries (or private collections) are fully processed and described in finding aids.  Sometimes collections will have only a very broad description and/or a brief container list.  In some repositories these minimally processed collections are closed to researchers, but in others, researchers are allowed to use them. When you are given access to an un- or under-processed collection, keep the following tips in mind: If possible, do a quick inventory of the materials, noting boxes, volumes, file cabinets, etc. Note any existing groupings of materials and order (chronological, format, subject).  Archivists may maintain these groupings when/if the collection is processed. Take detailed notes, including dates, recipients of correspondents, and titles of documents.


tain these groupings when/if the collection is processed. Take detailed notes, including dates, recipients of correspondents, and titles of documents.tain these groupings when/if the collection is processed. Take detailed notes, including dates, recipients of correspondents, and titles of documents.tain these groupings when/if the collection is processed. Take detailed notes, including dates, recipients of correspondents, and titles of documents.Speak with the staff at the repository or the administrator of the collection if it is privately held to be certain you understand and can agree to any restrictions that may be imposed on researchers wishing to quote from the collection in publication.


Tips for Your Research Visit:
Repositories often have specialized indexes and reference tools that relate directly to their archival holdings.  When available, these can greatly streamline your research. Many repositories have unprocessed, uncataloged collections.  Sometimes researchers are permitted to use them.  Ask if there are unprocessed materials related to your topic. Serendipity plays a large part in what ends up in an archival collection.  Michael R. Hill author calls it "archival sedimentation" in his book Archival Strategies and Techniques . Read a quote in the Archives & Finding Aids page of this research guide.


Reading Room Protocols:
Visiting a manuscript or archival repository is a different experience than visiting a regular circulating library. Because the collections are one-of-a-kind, rules are in place to balance the needs of researchers who wish to use the materials with the needs of the repository to keep the materials in good condition for posterity. Read about the Typical Usage Guidelines in Archival Repositories from the Society of American Archivists to get an idea of what you might expect when you visit a special collection.


Handling Materials:
Closely follow the instructions you are given at the repository, which may include some or all of the following guidelines: Do not eat or drink near special collections materials. Handle documents carefully. Turn pages gently. Inform library staff when you encounter volumes with uncut pages. Keep folders of documents flat on the table. Do not hold documents up in the air to read them. Do not lean on volumes or manuscripts. Do not disturb the order of the documents. Use pencils only when taking notes. Do not use not pens or highlighters. Wash your hands before handling documents. Be sure to alert archives staff if you encounter damaged or extremely fragile material that may need special attention before it can be safely handled. Do not take photographs without asking permission. Follow all the instructions of the archives staff.


Evaluating Sources:
An essential part of the research process is evaluating sources.  Think about the following questions as you use archival materials. The questions are relevant at the Collection level as well as the Item level. Who created the source / collection? What was its original purpose? Who was the intended audience? What may have been left out? Why was this item / collection saved? How does this source fit in with the rest of the collection? / How does the collection fit in with the rest of the holdings in the repository? Does the source / collection raise other questions? Source: The Information Literate Historian


Diversifying the Digital Historical Record:
Diversifying the Digital Historical Record : Integrating Community Archives in National Strategies for Access to Digital Cultural Heritage was a series of forums focusing on community archives integration in a National Digital Platform and the potential impact for representation of diverse communities in our digital cultural heritage. Read an overview of the initiative and watch all four panels . When searching for sources, try adding the phrase "community archive" to your search string to find collections that include people who are typically left out of the historical record.


Restrictions:
Be aware that restrictions may limit your ability to access, handle, copy, or quote from unpublished archival materials. Collections may be stored offsite and advance notice might be required for access. Permission might be required before certain collections may be used. The materials may have been microfilmed or copied for preservation purposes and researchers may be required to use the surrogate formats rather than the original documents. See the Restrictions section of the finding and/or speak with archival staff to find about any limits that might restrict your use of a collection.


Citing Manuscripts & Archives:
Established rules for citing unpublished primary sources can't cover every possible variation, so it can be difficult to know exactly how to cite materials in notes and bibliographies.  The key is to follow your chosen citation style as best you can and to be consistent within your document. Electronic finding aids often include a preferred citation.  Use that information as you craft your bibliography entries.  Also look for links to automatically generate citations for the digitized items you discover in online portals and library websites. Following are tips on citing unpublished sources from the Chicago Manual of Style and the National Archives, as well as a succinct guide from the Archives at CUNY's Hunter College that includes sample citations.

Elements to include in citations and examples to follow when crafting your own.


the Archives at CUNY's Hunter College that includes sample citations.

Elements to include in citations and examples to follow when crafting your own.Citing Records in the National Archives  (pdf): Geared towards NARA holdings, but useful for citing manuscript and archival materials from other repositories.

Chicago Manual of Style - Overview of Notes & Bibliography - Manuscripts: Information on citing manuscripts in bibliographies and notes.  GC login required.

Chicago Manual of Style - Author-Date References: Manuscript collections in author-date format.  GC login required.


Quoting from Manuscript Collections:
If you wish to publish quotes from unpublished materials in a special library collection, you must request permission from the repository as well as from the appropriate copyright holder(s). The administrative information section of a finding aid may explain the procedures for requesting permission to quote in publication.  If not, or if you need additional information, contact the repository staff.


Copyright:
Copyright & Unpublished Material An introduction for users of archives and manuscript collections from the Society of American Archivists. WATCH File Information about copyright holders and how to locate them can be found in the Watch File, a joint project of the Harry Ransom Humanities Research Center at UT, Austin and the University of Reading in the UK. RightsStatements.org Provides 12 standard rights statements for online cultural heritage. Learn about the various copyright statements you may encounter as you use digital collections in your research.


Using Archives: A Guide to Effective Research from the SAA:
This handy guide from the Society of American Archivists explains how archives function and details how to find and use archival materials in your research.


Terra Cognita: Graduate Students in the Archive:


Terra Cognita: Graduate Students in the Archive:Terra Cognita: Graduate Students in the Archive:Read about the landscape of archival research and the experiences of graduate students in archives and libraries around the world in this report from the Council on Library and Information Resources (CLIR). Between 2003 and 2015 more than 200 CLIR Mellon research fellows made 991 visits to 750+ libraries, archives, museums, archaeological sites, and private collections in 64 countries, and wrote 177 reports about their experiences.  Read the full text online. A few quotes from the report: “Discovery is a key part of the research process, but tools for discovery are often incomplete or difficult to use, if they exist at all.” (p. 21). "Regular communication between researchers and librarians or archivists can make a crucial difference in the success of a researcher’s project, especially when not all information about a collection is contained within finding aids" (p. 21). "Serendipitous discovery was an important part of many fellows’ research projects” (p. 21).


ut a collection is contained within finding aids" (p. 21). "Serendipitous discovery was an important part of many fellows’ research projects” (p. 21).ut a collection is contained within finding aids" (p. 21). "Serendipitous discovery was an important part of many fellows’ research projects” (p. 21).ut a collection is contained within finding aids" (p. 21). "Serendipitous discovery was an important part of many fellows’ research projects” (p. 21).Researchers should be "aware and wary but at the same time open to what they find, knowing that it is incomplete and that it tells a story that is as much about the collection and its practices as about the subject they are researching ” (p. 27).


Background Research Tips:


Background Research Tips:Background Research Tips:Background research paves the way for productive archival research.  Use it to get an overview of your topic, to zero in on the details you need to find primary sources, and to help put archival materials in context . Gather the basic facts about your topic and familiarize yourself with the major themes and concerns of the day. Read books and articles for more in-depth coverage of the people, organizations, and events that are central to your research project. Reference and secondary sources will help you decipher documents in archival collections.  Letters in a manuscript collection exchanged between people who knew each other long ago may mention other people, events, ideas, and opinions, but they probably won't explicitly define them.  Reference sources will come to the rescue.


ago may mention other people, events, ideas, and opinions, but they probably won't explicitly define them.  Reference sources will come to the rescue.ago may mention other people, events, ideas, and opinions, but they probably won't explicitly define them.  Reference sources will come to the rescue.ago may mention other people, events, ideas, and opinions, but they probably won't explicitly define them.  Reference sources will come to the rescue.Take a close look at the footnotes, bibliographies, and acknowledgements in reference and secondary sources.  They are gold mines for identifying primary sources and finding out which libraries or private collections hold them. Keep a running list of the names (people and organizations), dates, keywords, subjects, themes, events, and places that come up in your research.  These will be your access points for finding primary sources. Knowing key names will enable you to recognize relevant sources when you encounter them. Knowing key dates will enable you to navigate manuscript collections arranged in chronological order. Background research will also help you position your own argument within the scholarly conversation. You can also use background sources to come up with a topic and for help developing your research question.


Subject Headings - Library of Congress (LCSH):
Search Library of Congress Authorities to identify subject terms for more effective searching in library catalogs and databases. You can also do a keyword search in the CUNY Library Catalog to find a book on your topic and then click on the subject headings that index that book to find similar titles.


Catalog Search Tips:
Bibliography Commerce Correspondence Costume Description and travel Diaries | Economic conditions Guidebooks History Illustrations In literature Interviews | Personal narratives Pictorial works Politics and government Social conditions Social life and customs Sources


Illustrations In literature Interviews | Personal narratives Pictorial works Politics and government Social conditions Social life and customs SourcesSubdivisions added to LCSH (Library of Congress Subject Headings) narrow broad topics and make it easier to zero in on relevant sources in a library catalog search. For example, a search of the LCSH "New York (N.Y.)" in LC Authorities yields dozens of pages of subdivided headings related to NYC. The chart below shows just a few of the common subdivisions you can add to a subject to narrow down results in a library catalog search. E.g., "New York (N.Y.) -- Social life and customs" ( Source: Oxford Guide to Library Research , 40-43.) Keywords: You can also add keywords to a library catalog search to find primary sources.  Try sources, archives, correspondence, diaries, interviews, narratives, or memoirs.


Bibliographies:
Bibliographies will help you identify previous scholarship on a topic.  Look for them in books, articles, reference source entries, and as stand-alone works on specialized topics.

Oxford Bibliographies: Bibliographies in American literature, Anthropology, Atlantic history, Cinema and Media Studies, Classics, Education, International Relations, Islamic studies, Latin American studies, Linguistics, Medieval Studies, Music, Philosophy, Political Science, Psychology, the Renaissance and Reformation, and Victorian Literature. Bibliographies are drawn from books, journals, and internet resources.

Find Bibliographies in the Catalog: Use the Advanced Search option in OneSearch, WorldCat, or other library catalogs, and add the word “bibliography” as an additional Subject heading to find bibliographies on your topic.


Biographical Sources:
Since collections are arranged by provenance, a great way to find archival materials is to identify the people central to your topic and then to read about them in biographical sources.  This background reading will not only help put your topic in to context, it will help you find primary sources.  Read through the acknowledgements, bibliographies, and footnotes to discover which manuscript collections and other primary sources the author consulted and then track them down yourself.


bliographies, and footnotes to discover which manuscript collections and other primary sources the author consulted and then track them down yourself.Biography and Genealogy Master Index: Biography and Genealogy Master Index allows you to quickly determine where to find biographical material on people from all time periods, geographic locations, and fields of endeavor. BGMI contains more than 20 million biographical citations to current, easily accessible references sources, as well as important retrospective works that cover individuals, both living and deceased, from every field of activity and from all areas of the world. BGMI contains names, birth/death years, and bibliographic references to books containing material on specific individuals and indicates which books or articles include a portrait.


ath years, and bibliographic references to books containing material on specific individuals and indicates which books or articles include a portrait.Biography Reference Bank: Contains biographical information on more than 500,000 individuals from antiquity to the present. Provides in-depth profiles from Current Biography and World Authors , the periodical coverage of Biography Index and specialist content of Junior Authors & Illustrators . Includes 700,000 full-text articles from magazines, journals, and reference sources, 36,000 images, and abstracts from magazines and journals. Searchable by occupation, activity, gender, place of origin, birthday, and lifespan.

Biography Reference Source: Offers a comprehensive collection of more than 450,000 full-text biographies, as well as thousands of unique narrative biographies. Provides extensive coverage for several of the most popular and heavily-researched biographies and genres, including those contained within Biography Today and Biography (both dating back to the first issue published).


ily-researched biographies and genres, including those contained within Biography Today and Biography (both dating back to the first issue published).Gale Literature: Gale Literature searches multiple databases at once, combining Gale Literature Resource Center (biographies, overviews, criticism, audio interviews, and reviews), Gale LitFinder (full text poems, plays, short stories, and speeches from all eras), and Gale eBooks (reference sources). It also includes the Gale Literary Index covering 165,000 authors and 215,000 works, and workflow tools to analyze information.

Oxford Dictionary of National Biography - NYPL Resource: Accessible online with a New York Public Library card, the Oxford DNB contains 60,302 biographies and 11,495 portraits of people who shaped the history of the British Isles and beyond.


Public Library card, the Oxford DNB contains 60,302 biographies and 11,495 portraits of people who shaped the history of the British Isles and beyond.SNAC (Social Networks and Archival Context): SNAC "is a free, online resource that helps users discover biographical and historical information about persons, families, and organizations that created or are documented in historical resources (primary source documents) and their connections to one another. Users can locate archival collections and related resources held at cultural heritage institutions around the world."


Dissertations:
Dissertations contain original research and can lead you to difficult-to-find primary sources that their authors have tracked down.


Background Research Tips Beyond Wikipedia Research Guide Bibliographies Biographical Sources Books Catalog Search Tips Chronologies Dissertations Genealogical Research Genealogical Research - Reclaim The Records General Reference Sources Google Books Historical Newspapers Library Stacks Scholarly Articles Subject Headings


Scholarly Articles:
Following are three sources useful for finding scholarly articles, which can lead you to primary sources.  The first focuses on U.S. history while the others are multi-disciplinary and great for research on a wide range of topics.  Consult the research guides in your subject area for additional suggestions.

America: History & Life: Abstracts of articles covering the history and culture of the United States and Canada, from prehistory to the present. The database indexes 1,700 journals from 1964 to present and includes citations and links to book and media reviews.


, from prehistory to the present. The database indexes 1,700 journals from 1964 to present and includes citations and links to book and media reviews.Academic Search Complete: A multi-disciplinary database with more than 8,500 full-text periodicals, including more than 7,300 peer-reviewed journals.  In addition to full text, the database includes indexing and abstracts for more than 12,500 journals and more than 13,200 publications, such as monographs, reports, conference proceedings, etc.  While full text is available as far back as 1887 for a few titles, the text of most titles is available only for the past decade or two.

Google Scholar: Google Scholar provides a simple way to search broadly for scholarly literature. From one place, you can search across many disciplines and sources: peer-reviewed papers, theses, books, abstracts, and articles from academic publishers, professional societies, preprint repositories, universities, and other scholarly organizations. Follow the steps to customize Google Scholar to make it easy to find full text at the GC.


Beyond Wikipedia Research Guide:
Consult our Beyond Wikipedia: Background and Reference Sources research guide for information on finding and using a wide range of secondary and reference sources in your research.


General Reference Sources:
References sources are a great place to begin your research.  Use online and print reference titles for inspiration and to find topic overviews, definitions, dates, and facts that will ground your research.

Oxford Reference: Text of nearly 400 Oxford University Press reference works in 25 core subject areas. Titles include Oxford Companions to American Literature, American Theatre, the Bible, British History, Classical Civilization, History of Modern Science, Music, Philosophy, Politics of the World, Shakespeare, United States History, and Western Art. Available titles may be found in OneSearch .


n Science, Music, Philosophy, Politics of the World, Shakespeare, United States History, and Western Art. Available titles may be found in OneSearch .Gale Ebooks (formerly Gale Virtual Reference Library): Full text of over 1,800 reference works published by Gale, Brill Academic, Cambridge University Press, Elsevier, Greenwood, Sage, Salem Press, Wiley, and others. Titles include American Civil War Reference Library, Ancient Europe, 8000 BC to AD 1000, Encyclopedia of Aging, Encyclopedia of American Religions, Encyclopedia of Case Study Research, Encyclopedia of Gender and Society, Encyclopedia of Urban Studies, Encyclopedia of World Biography, Gale Encyclopedia of Multicultural America, Gale Encyclopedia of U.S. Economic History, Magill's Survey of World Literature, Vietnam War Reference Library; World Education Encyclopedia.

Find Encyclopedias & Dictionaries in the Library Catalog: Use the Advanced Search option in OneSearch, WorldCat or other library catalogs, and add the word "encyclopedias" or "dictionaries" as an additional Subject heading to find specialized encyclopedias or dictionaries on your topic.


, and add the word "encyclopedias" or "dictionaries" as an additional Subject heading to find specialized encyclopedias or dictionaries on your topic.Library of Congress Bibliographies, Research Guides, and Finding Aids: Though focused on Library of Congress collections, these bibliographies, research guides and finding aids are useful to researchers everywhere looking for primary and secondary sources on topics ranging from the Marx Brothers to the Harlem Renaissance, and much else in between.


Browse the Library Stacks Virtually or In Person:
Use the Library of Congress Classification system to find the call number for your subject area.  Then, browse the general and reference shelves in the library to discover books on your topic. You can also browse the shelves virtually by Call Number, Subject, Author, Series, or Title using the Browse Search option in OneSearch . Serendipity can lead you to titles you never thought to search for and enhance your research in unexpected ways.


Google Books:
Search Google Books to find mentions of people, places, organizations, and events.  A search here is especially useful for gathering information on hard-to-find people.  Your efforts may turn up details in a footnote or the text of a book that lead you to sources you may not have found otherwise.


Genealogical Sources - Reclaim the Records:
Reclaim The Records is a not-for-profit activist group that uses state and federal Freedom of Information laws to obtain copies of genealogical and historical data sets from government agencies, libraries, and archives. They then make the data available to the public for free, without any copyrights or usage restrictions. Browse and search the 2,000+ collections made available so far by Reclaim The Records in the Internet Archive .  Included are indexes to birth, marriage, divorce, and death in several states, including New York, New Jersey, Vermont, and Maryland, among others.


Genealogical Research:
The New York Public Library's Irma and Paul Milstein Division of United States History, Local History and Genealogy , just a few blocks north of the Graduate Center in the 42nd Street Library, is one of the largest genealogical collections in the U.S. and the ideal place to to conduct in-depth research on people, places, and events in NYC and beyond. The Milstein Division's Research Guides , including Genealogical Research at the NYPL , Genealogy Research Tips: Breaking Through Brick Walls and Getting Past Dead Ends , and The Great Obituary Hunt highlight the best resources and offer strategies for finding elusive information.


Books:
OneSearch: OneSearch combines many initial searches into one interface: it includes print books from all CUNY libraries; Graduate Center ebooks; a massive index of articles from journals, magazines, and newspapers; Graduate Center course reserves; dissertations at CUNY and beyond; and unique digital content.

Well-researched scholarly books on your topic can help you make sense of manuscript collections and lead you to other useful primary and secondary sources. Be sure to mine the footnotes, bibliographies, and acknowledgements to discover which sources the author consulted and then track down the most promising ones for your own research.


bibliographies, and acknowledgements to discover which sources the author consulted and then track down the most promising ones for your own research.Book Review Digest Plus: Reviews of fiction and nonfiction in the humanities, social sciences, general sciences, and popular topics published in English since 1983. Includes over 600,000 full-text book reviews and more than 2 million citations to reviews. Textbooks, government publications, and technical books in law and the sciences are not included. Book reviews may also be found in Academic Search Complete, JSTOR, Project Muse, and most subject-specific databases.


d the sciences are not included. Book reviews may also be found in Academic Search Complete, JSTOR, Project Muse, and most subject-specific databases.Book Review Digest Retrospective: 1903-1982: Provides excerpts from and citations to reviews of adult and juvenile fiction and non-fiction titles in the humanities, social sciences, general sciences, and popular topics published in English from 1903 through 1982. Covers 300,000 books and cites over 1.5 million book reviews found in over 500 popular magazines, newspapers, and academic journals. Entries include bibliographic information and book summaries. Book reviews may also be found in Academic Search Complete, JSTOR, Project Muse, and most subject-specific databases.

WorldCat Discovery: WorldCat Discovery is a catalog and discovery system containing millions of records for print and electronic holdings in thousands of libraries around the world.


Chronologies:
Get a feel for the time period you are studying by browsing a chronology.  See suggestions on the Timelines page of our Beyond Wikipedia research guide.


Historical Newspapers:
Seek out newspapers contemporary to your research topic and read them to get a sense of the time and place you are studying. Historical newspapers are great primary sources that can help you understand how a subject was viewed and understood at the time. They also fill in the record on people and topics that may not turn up in archival collections. Don't forget the alternative press! Many ideas that are accepted today were considered radical when they were first introduced. You'll find coverage of new or progressive ideas in radical publications before it appears in the mainstream media.  And you'll also hear the voices of marginalized people and organizations in the radical, underground, and independent media. These research guides are an excellent place to start: Newspapers Research Guide Conducting Genealogical Research Using Newspapers - NYPL Guide


Background Research Tips | Beyond Wikipedia Research Guide | Bibliographies | Biographical Sources | Books | Catalog Search Tips | Chronologies | Dissertations | Genealogical Research | Genealogical Research - Reclaim The Records | General Reference Sources | Google Books | Historical Newspapers | Library Stacks | Scholarly Articles | Subject Headings |


Tropy:
Tropy is a free tool you can use to manage your research photos.  With Tropy you can file, annotate, tag, search, and export images. Download the software from Tropy.org .


Transkribus:
" Transkribus is the European Union READ project's comprehensive platform for the automated recognition, transcription and searching of historical documents.  The main objective of Transkribus is to support users who are engaged in the transcription of printed or handwritten documents, namely humanities scholars, archives, volunteers and computer scientists."  Download it for free from the Transkribus website . Read about Transkribus on the blog of the National Archives  of the UK .


Spanish Paleography Digital Teaching and Learning Tool:
"The Spanish Paleography Digital Teaching and Learning Tool is a unique interactive online platform developed by the CUNY Dominican Studies Institute with the support of the National Endowment for the Humanities to promote the independent learning of the deciphering and reading of the main writing styles or calligraphy forms used in the Spanish speaking world during the modern period, roughly from the 16th to the 18th centuries."


TeachArchives.org:
" TeachArchives.org is an innovative resource for teachers, administrators, librarians, archivists, and museum educators. It offers sample exercises and informative articles based on a new approach to teaching in the archives."


Zotero for Archival Research:
A handy guide from Harvard Libraries with tips for using Zotero to organize manuscript and archival sources. Zotero for Archival Research


SAA's Guide to Effective Research:
A guide from the Society of American Archivists that describes how archives function and provides tips on identifying appropriate archives for your research, and accessing historical materials at an archive.


Intro to Archives & Primary Sources Tutorial:
Archives & Primary Sources: A PDF tutorial describing the basics of archival collections and primary sources.


Archival Finding Aids:
Archival Finding Aids: A PDF tutorial detailing the various descriptive elements typically found in electronic finding aids for archival collections.


Oral Histories - First Person Primary Sources:


Oral Histories - First Person Primary Sources:Oral Histories - First Person Primary Sources:The Oral History Association defines oral history as:  "[A] field of study and a method of gathering, preserving and interpreting the voices and memories of people, communities, and participants in past events. Oral history is both the oldest type of historical inquiry, predating the written word, and one of the most modern, initiated with tape recorders in the 1940s and now using 21st-century digital technologies." Personal narratives compliment other types of sources by adding a layer of nuance and individual perspective. Reading transcripts and, especially, listening to the voices of people speaking about their lives and experiences, gives researchers a powerful connection to their subjects. Look for collections of oral histories just as you would search for manuscripts and archives.  Search individual databases, large online portals, and the websites of repositories that collect materials in your subject area to find oral histories.


earch individual databases, large online portals, and the websites of repositories that collect materials in your subject area to find oral histories.earch individual databases, large online portals, and the websites of repositories that collect materials in your subject area to find oral histories.earch individual databases, large online portals, and the websites of repositories that collect materials in your subject area to find oral histories.And also search library catalogs to find published oral histories.  Oral history transcripts are often published as books and you can find them in OneSearch, WorldCat, and other library catalogs. See the Finding Oral Histories box for search links.


Oral History Collections - A Few Highlights:
The oral history collections listed here are just a sampling of the many resources that are available in libraries and archives around the world.  Also visit the websites of repositories that collect materials in your subject area to find collections.

Archives of American Art: Established in 1958, the Oral History Program at the Archives of American Art consists of more than 2,300 interviews that chronicle the diversity of the American art scene.

Center for Brooklyn History Oral History Collections: "Begun in 1973, BHS’s oral history collections now include over 1,200 interviews. These interviews bring the voices of history to broad audiences through exhibitions, digital humanities projects, K-12 and post-secondary curricula, public programs, and via the BHS blog and Flatbush + Main podcast."

Columbia Center for Oral History: Founded by historian and journalist Allan Nevins in 1948, the collection includes over 10,000 interviews.


podcast."

Columbia Center for Oral History: Founded by historian and journalist Allan Nevins in 1948, the collection includes over 10,000 interviews.Library of Congress Oral Histories: The vast collection of the Library of Congress include more than 180,000 oral histories, most of which are available online. These include both audio recordings and transcripts of interviews from across the library's holdings of personal narratives, newspapers and other periodicals, manuscripts, books and printed materials, web pages, films, and more from the American Folk Life Center and other library divisions.

NYPL Oral History Collections: A search of the New York Public Library's archives portal on "oral history" turns up nearly 200 collections containing oral history interviews and transcripts.

StoryCorps: A nonprofit organization "whose mission is to record, preserve, and share the stories of Americans from all backgrounds and beliefs."


Finding Oral Histories:
Oral History Centers and Collections: A list, with links, of more than fifty collections and repositories of oral histories from the Oral History Association.

Search ArchiveGrid for Oral Histories: ArchiveGrid, a database containing more than 7 million collection descriptions, includes nearly 95,000 descriptions of individual oral history inteviews and collections of oral histories.  To find them, add the words "oral history" (in quotes) to your topic search.  For example, the search string -- "oral history" AND "civil rights" -- turns up more than 2800 results.  The "summary view" will allow you to see which archives hold the OH collections.

Community Archives: Community-based oral history initiatives often include the voices of people who are under-represented in traditional repositories.  Add the phrase "community archive" to your online search to find collections that feature individuals who are often left out of the historical record.


Add the phrase "community archive" to your online search to find collections that feature individuals who are often left out of the historical record.Digital Public Library of America: Contains nearly 36 million images, texts, videos, and sounds from across the U.S.  Browse by topic or contributing institution, explore primary source sets and online exhibitions or search the collection. Try a search on "oral history" and then use facets to narrow results.

Google: Put your subject in quotes and add "oral history" to find collections. For example, try a search like this: "peace movements" AND "oral history". Google can be helpful for finding collections in libraries, archives, historical societies and other institutions that may not turn up in searches of databases like WorldCat and ArchiveGrid.


tions in libraries, archives, historical societies and other institutions that may not turn up in searches of databases like WorldCat and ArchiveGrid.Sound Collections Database: The first release of a database supported by the Radio Preservation Task Force, National Recording Preservation Board of the Library of Congress (RPTF) and Association for Recorded Sound Collections (ARSC). Browse or search nearly 3000 records describing recorded sound collections in repositories around the country. Genres include radio programs, all varieties of music, radio news, oral histories, interviews, drama, educational programs, and more.

WorldCat Discovery: WorldCat Discovery is a catalog and discovery system containing millions of records for print and electronic holdings in thousands of libraries around the world.


Oral History Association:
Oral History Association: A membership organization for people interested in oral history.  The Resources page contains much useful information, including a list of OH centers and collections, links to web guides for doing oral history, and more.


Oral History Collections @ CUNY:
Oral History Projects @ Brooklyn College: Four OH Collections:  Brooklyn College Listening Project, Student Voices: Brooklyn College Oral Histories on World War II and the McCarthy Era; The Shirlley Chisolm Project of Brooklyn Women's Activism from 1945 to the Present; and Veterans Oral History Project.

Oral History Collections @ Bronx Community College: American Icons Oral History Collection; Coming Full Circle: Practices of Resilience, 2021; "Community Care during COVID": Oral Histories of Mutual Aid in the Bronx; Raising Ourselves UP: Oral Histories from First Generation College Students at BCC; A Place Among the Greats: BCC Oral History Project.


Published Primary Sources: Digital, Print, & Microfilm:


Published Primary Sources: Digital, Print, & Microfilm:Published Primary Sources: Digital, Print, & Microfilm:Published primary sources in print, on microfilm, and online (subscription databases or open web) are readily available and extremely helpful. Not only can you use them to access sources without having to visit the library that holds the original materials, but published editions may be annotated as well, offering not just the documents themselves, but scholarship that puts them in context. The Autobiography of Mark Twain (and accompanying Papers Project ), Students for a Democratic Society Papers , Diary of George Templeton Strong , The New-York Historical Society Quarterly (1917-1980) and Radical Feminism:  A Documentary Reader are just a few examples of the formats of published primary sources that exist.


iety Quarterly (1917-1980) and Radical Feminism:  A Documentary Reader are just a few examples of the formats of published primary sources that exist.iety Quarterly (1917-1980) and Radical Feminism:  A Documentary Reader are just a few examples of the formats of published primary sources that exist.iety Quarterly (1917-1980) and Radical Feminism:  A Documentary Reader are just a few examples of the formats of published primary sources that exist.Archival materials published in books and on microfilm can usually be found by searching local library catalogs and/or WorldCat .  These books and microfilmed sources are frequently available for interlibrary loan.  So, if you find that an archival collection you would like to use has been microfilmed or published in book form, submit an ILL request and the GC Library will borrow the item for you if we don't already have it in our collection. Also look for digitized archival materials and other primary sources in subscription databases and on open library websites.  In many cases, the digitized collections found in subscription databases were produced from microfilm made of the collection. Nowadays libraries may skip the step of microfilming collections and go straight to digitizing them instead.  These digitized materials may be accessible directly through collection finding aids and/or via a digital portal on the library's website.


m instead.  These digitized materials may be accessible directly through collection finding aids and/or via a digital portal on the library's website.m instead.  These digitized materials may be accessible directly through collection finding aids and/or via a digital portal on the library's website.m instead.  These digitized materials may be accessible directly through collection finding aids and/or via a digital portal on the library's website.When you are onsite at the library that holds an archival collection that has been printed, photocopied, microfilmed, or digitized, you may be required to use the surrogate format rather than the original materials.  The collection finding aid will likely note this restriction. Print, microfilm, and digital -- the typical surrogate formats -- have expanded the reach of primary sources immeasurably and have been tremendously valuable to scholars near and far.  However, there is no substitute for consulting primary sources in their original format in the repositories where they are held.  So, always seize the opportunity to access original materials when you can.


Crowdsourcing Projects in the Digital Humanities:
Looking for a way to help make digitized primary sources more accessible?  Check out these volunteer opportunities in the digital humanities:

How to Help Librarians and Archivists From Your Living Room: "If you’re cooped-up and curious, use your free time to decipher handwriting, tag images, and more."

Crowdsourcing Projects for Cabin Fever: A round-up of volunteer opportunities from Fordham University Libraries for people interested in helping with digital humanities projects.

Crowdsourcing Projects - British Library: "LibCrowds is a platform for hosting experimental crowdsourcing projects aimed at improving access to the diverse collections held at the British Library. "

New York Land Records Project: A volunteer effort to index New York State records, including "deeds and mortgages from various county offices covering a wide range of dates, none of which have been digitally indexed before."


Richard Varrick Papers, N-YHS:
Richard Varick Papers, 1743-1871 (bulk 1775-1830). Series IV: Accounts, Bills, Receipts, 1775-1871.  The New-York Historical Society. See more .


A Note on Digitized Archives:


A Note on Digitized Archives:A Note on Digitized Archives:Every day, more archival material is digitized and made available online to the great benefit of researchers and Digital Humanities scholars everywhere.  However, it is important to remember that most archival material is not online.  Libraries such as The New-York Historical Society and The New York Public Library have been steadily digitizing collections in their holdings for years, but they still have a long way to go. The NYPL, for example, holds more than 62,000 linear feet of documents in 11,300 separate archival collections, but has digitized just 636,973 pages of archival material as of June 2022.  Work continues, however, and exciting new projects are underway.


lections, but has digitized just 636,973 pages of archival material as of June 2022.  Work continues, however, and exciting new projects are underway.lections, but has digitized just 636,973 pages of archival material as of June 2022.  Work continues, however, and exciting new projects are underway.lections, but has digitized just 636,973 pages of archival material as of June 2022.  Work continues, however, and exciting new projects are underway.And the National Archives, when asked whether their records are on the internet, replied : "A small percentage of our holdings are available online through the ever-growing Online Catalog .  Laid side to side, pages in the National Archives' holdings would circle the earth over 57 times!" Oftentimes the most visually appealing or popular materials are digitized to make them as widely available as possible, which is wonderful for researchers.  However, it is worth going beyond readily available digital materials because you may discover fascinating analog sources for your project that are less widely known. And new and exciting research in the Digital Humanities is expanding knowledge in unexpected ways.  Scholars are launching digital projects that analyze texts in ways that were not possible before and discovering connections that are illuminating their fields.  See " New York Public Library Invites a Deep Digital Dive ," as an example of one library's Digital Humanities efforts.


re illuminating their fields.  See " New York Public Library Invites a Deep Digital Dive ," as an example of one library's Digital Humanities efforts.re illuminating their fields.  See " New York Public Library Invites a Deep Digital Dive ," as an example of one library's Digital Humanities efforts.re illuminating their fields.  See " New York Public Library Invites a Deep Digital Dive ," as an example of one library's Digital Humanities efforts.Just remember, not everything is online...


Finding Digitized Sources:
Online Archival Research: See the Online Archival Research tab in this guide for tips on finding digitized primary sources while libraries are closed due to the COVID-19 crisis.

Beyond Wikipedia Research Guide - Digitized Texts, Images, and Audio/Visual Materials: Our Beyond Wikipedia research guide is a handy place to quickly access digitized materials on the open web and in subscription databases.  See the Digitized Texts , Images , and Audio/Video pages for links to sources.  Also see Digitized Collections - A Few Highlights .


iption databases.  See the Digitized Texts , Images , and Audio/Video pages for links to sources.  Also see Digitized Collections - A Few Highlights .Primary Document Databases @ the GC: The Graduate Center subscribes to dozens of databases containing primary sources in a wide variety of formats including manuscripts and archives, historical newspapers and periodicals, broadsides, pamphlets, books, printed ephemera, letters, diaries, audio, video, images, speeches, interviews, government documents, data, underground comics, graphic novels, and more.  Find them by selecting the filters for Primary Source Collections or Newspapers.


nment documents, data, underground comics, graphic novels, and more.  Find them by selecting the filters for Primary Source Collections or Newspapers.Primary Document Databases @ the NYPL: Among the subscription databases at the NYPL available remotely with a library card are several containing digitized archival collections belonging to other institutions.  Search by Keyword or Title (if you know it) on the NYPL’s Articles & Databases page.  Highlights include:  ACLU American Civil Liberties Union Papers; African America, Communists, and the National Negro Congress; Archives of Sexuality and Gender; Fight for Racial Justice and the Civil Rights Congress; Indigenous Peoples: North America; the NAACP Papers; Testaments to the Holocaust; U.S. Relations with the Vatican and the Holocaust; and Crime, Punishment, and Popular Culture.


America; the NAACP Papers; Testaments to the Holocaust; U.S. Relations with the Vatican and the Holocaust; and Crime, Punishment, and Popular Culture.BASE Bielefeld Academic Search Engine: "BASE is one of the world's most voluminous search engines especially for academic web resources. BASE provides more than 150 million documents from more than 7,000 sources. You can access the full texts of about 60% of the indexed documents for free (Open Access). BASE is operated by Bielefeld University Library."

Google: Put your subject's name in quotes and add archival keywords to find collections.  For example, try a search like this: "A. Philip Randolph" AND (papers OR manuscripts OR archives OR collection) AND (digital or digitized) .  Google can be helpful for finding collections in libraries, archives, historical societies and other institutions that may not turn up in searches of databases like WorldCat and ArchiveGrid.


tions in libraries, archives, historical societies and other institutions that may not turn up in searches of databases like WorldCat and ArchiveGrid.Digitized Archival Collections: Look for digitized archival collections when searching at the repository level.  Some libraries may link to digitized content directly from collection finding aids.  When archival search tools are available on a library's website, look for the option to limit to digitized sources.


Finding Published Primary Sources in Library Catalogs:
Finding Published Primary Sources in Library Catalogs: To find published primary sources in print, on microform, or online, use the Advanced Search option in WorldCat Discovery or other library catalogs, and select the format "Archival Material."  Or try adding the word "sources" as an additional Subject heading or adding keywords such as archives, correspondence, diaries, interviews, narratives, or memoirs to your search.  Archival materials published in books or on microfilm are often available to borrow via Interlibrary Loan. To find digitized materials, look for search options that limit results to online content.


Digitized Texts, Images, and Audio/Visual Materials:
Our Beyond Wikipedia research guide is a good place to quickly access digitized materials on the open web and in subscription databases. See the following pages for links to sources: Digitized Texts Images Audio/Video Also see Digitized Collections - A Few Highlights below.


Digitized Collections & Portals - A Few Highlights:
GC Databases Containing Primary Sources: 37 databases containing primary sources.  Some require GC Network Credentials for access.

Umbra Search African American History: Searches over 500,000 items from more than 1000 U.S. archives, libraries, and museums, focused on African American History.

American Prison Writing Archive: "The American Prison Writing Archive evolved from a book project completed in 2014 with the publication of Fourth City: Essays from the Prison in America , the largest collection to date of non-fiction writing by currently incarcerated Americans writing about their experience inside."

Archives of American Art: "The Archives of American Art is the world’s preeminent and most widely used research center dedicated to collecting, preserving, and providing access to primary sources that document the history of the visual arts in America."


research center dedicated to collecting, preserving, and providing access to primary sources that document the history of the visual arts in America."BAM Archives - Brooklyn Academy of Music: "The BAM Hamm Archives tell the story of the 150+ year history of BAM, and of the communities—civic and artistic—that built the institution."

Worlds of Change: Materials from the 17th & 18th Century North America: "A collection of more than 700,000 digitized pages of all known archival and manuscript materials in the Harvard Library that relate to 17th- and 18th-century North America."

Criminal Trial Transcripts of NY County Collection (1883-1927): "Selected transcripts from the Lloyd Sealy Library's Trial Transcripts of the County of New York (1883-1927) collection. ... Consists of the verbatim typewritten proceedings of 3,326 court cases, held in various courts of New York County, which included Manhattan and the Bronx until 1914. Not all trial transcripts have been digitized."


t cases, held in various courts of New York County, which included Manhattan and the Bronx until 1914. Not all trial transcripts have been digitized."CUNY Digital History Archive: "[a]n open, digital public archive and portal that gives the CUNY community and the broader public online access to a range of materials related to the history of the City University of New York (CUNY). "

Cuneiform Digital Library Initiative: "By making the form and content of cuneiform texts available online, the CDLI is opening pathways to the rich historical tradition of the ancient Middle East. In close collaboration with researchers, museums and an engaged public, the project seeks to unharness the extraordinary content of these earliest witnesses to our shared world heritage."

The Danish West-Indies: Sources of History: "This is where you can search in about 5 million image files of records from the Danish West Indies across the databases of the Danish National Archives. The 5 million image files of digitally scanned records are made up of 15,000 series of images and contain 130,000 transcribed entries. "


nal Archives. The 5 million image files of digitally scanned records are made up of 15,000 series of images and contain 130,000 transcribed entries. "Darwin Online: "This website contains over 212,000 pages of searchable text and 220,000 electronic images, at least one exemplar of all known Darwin publications, reproduced to the highest scholarly standards, both as searchable text and electronic images of the originals. The majority of these have been edited and annotated here for the first time with more than 4,900 original editorial notes. "


images of the originals. The majority of these have been edited and annotated here for the first time with more than 4,900 original editorial notes. "Digital Culture of Metropolitan New York: "Digital Culture of Metropolitan New York (DCMNY) provides online access to digital collections of libraries, archives, museums and historical societies located in and around New York City. Participating institutions are located in the following counties of New York State: Bronx, Kings, New York, Queens, and Westchester. The collections include photographs, maps, letters, postcards, manuscripts, scrapbooks, programs from events, catalogues, memorabilia and ephemera, and much. New collections are being added on an ongoing basis, and contributors are also adding new material to existing collections. DCMNY is not a curated collection. It is intended to serve as a hosting service for members of the Metropolitan New York Library Council to make their content available online, as well as an on-ramp to the Digital Public Library of America (DPLA).


e Metropolitan New York Library Council to make their content available online, as well as an on-ramp to the Digital Public Library of America (DPLA).e Metropolitan New York Library Council to make their content available online, as well as an on-ramp to the Digital Public Library of America (DPLA).e Metropolitan New York Library Council to make their content available online, as well as an on-ramp to the Digital Public Library of America (DPLA).Many of the collections in DCMNY will also be available in DPLA, courtesy of the Empire State Digital Network, the DPLA service hub for New York State. Keep in mind that items in DCMNY typically represent only a small percentage of the materials held by the organizations that made them available online. Please feel free to contact any of the contributing institutions for more information about their collections."


tions that made them available online. Please feel free to contact any of the contributing institutions for more information about their collections."Digital Dante: Digital Dante, a venue for research and ideas on Dante from Columbia University, includes sections on the Divine Comedy; Intertextual Dante, a digital tool for visualizing references; image and sound galleries; a History and chronology of Dante, and original textual research.

Digital Library of the Caribbean: "The Digital Library of the Caribbean (dLOC) is a cooperative of partners within the Caribbean and circum-Caribbean that provides users with access to Caribbean cultural, historical and research materials held in archives, libraries, and private collections."

Digital Paxton: A Digital Archive and Critical Edition of the Paxton Pamphlet War: "[I]nclude[s] primary source materials [on the 1763 massacre in colonial Pennsylvania] from ... 18 different archives, research libraries, and cultural institutions; a dozen contextual essays from leading historians and literary scholars; and educational materials from secondary and post-secondary educators."


ions; a dozen contextual essays from leading historians and literary scholars; and educational materials from secondary and post-secondary educators."Digital Public Library of America: Contains nearly 36 million images, texts, videos, and sounds from across the U.S.

Endangered Archives Programme - British Library: "The Endangered Archives Programme (EAP) facilitates the digitisation of archives around the world that are in danger of destruction, neglect or physical deterioration. ... Since 2004, the Programme has digitised over seven million images and 25 thousand sound tracks. Archive types digitised so far include rare printed sources, manuscripts, visual materials, audio recordings."

Einstein Papers Project: "[A]n open-access site for The Collected Papers of Albert Einstein, the ongoing publication of Einstein's massive written legacy comprising more than 30,000 unique documents."

Founders Online (National Archives): "Over 181,000 searchable documents, fully annotated, from the authoritative Founding Fathers Papers projects."


"

Founders Online (National Archives): "Over 181,000 searchable documents, fully annotated, from the authoritative Founding Fathers Papers projects."FRASER: Discover Economic History: "[A] a digital library of U.S. economic, financial, and banking history—particularly the history of the Federal Reserve System."

Freedom Summer Project: A stellar research site offering over 40,000 pages from the Wisconsin Historical Society's manuscript collections documenting the Civil Rights movement and the Mississippi Freedom Summer Project of 1964.

Martin Luther King, Jr. Papers Project: "A comprehensive collection of Dr. King's most significant correspondence, sermons, speeches, published writings, and unpublished manuscripts."

Library of Congress Digital Collections: "The collection of more than 168 million items includes more than 39 million cataloged books and other print materials in 470 languages; more than 72 million manuscripts; the largest rare book collection in North America; and the world's largest collection of legal materials, films, maps, sheet music and sound recordings."  Among these holdings are 395 digitized collections.


he world's largest collection of legal materials, films, maps, sheet music and sound recordings."  Among these holdings are 395 digitized collections.Library of Congress Collections with Manuscripts: Digitized manuscript collections covering a broad range of subjects.

Papers of Abraham Lincoln: "The Papers of Abraham Lincoln is a documentary editing project dedicated to identifying, imaging, transcribing, annotating, and publishing online all documents written by or to Abraham Lincoln during his lifetime (1809-1865)."

Medical Heritage Library: "[A] digital curation collaborative among some of the world’s leading medical libraries, promotes free and open access to quality historical resources in medicine."

Museum of Modern Art - Exhibition History: "Exhibitions from [MOMA's] founding in 1929 to the present are available online. These pages are updated continually. "


dern Art - Exhibition History: "Exhibitions from [MOMA's] founding in 1929 to the present are available online. These pages are updated continually. "National Security Archive: Founded in 1985, this library and archive of declassified U.S. documents, center for investigative journalism, and research institute on international affairs includes a searchable collection of primary-source documents published on thier website.

Native Northeast Portal: The Native Northeast Portal "represents a scholarly critical edition of New England Native American primary source materials gathered ...  from ... partner institutions into one robust virtual collection, where the items are digitized, transcribed, annotated, and edited to the highest academic standards and then made freely available over the Internet, using open-source software."

New Amsterdam Stories: "A Digital Dig to Link 17th-Century Records Between Amsterdam and New York City."


r the Internet, using open-source software."

New Amsterdam Stories: "A Digital Dig to Link 17th-Century Records Between Amsterdam and New York City."New-York Historical Society Digital Collections: "[H]ighlights from the collections of paintings, drawings, photographs, manuscripts, broadsides, maps, and other materials that reveal the depth and breadth of over two centuries of collecting."

New York Heritage Digital Collections: "[A] portal for learning more about the people, places and events that contributed to the making of New York State."

New York Public Library Archives & Manuscript Division: "The Division holds over 29,000 linear feet of manuscripts and archives in over 5,500 collections." More than 460,000 pages have been digitized.

New York Public Radio Archives: "Established in the year 2000, the ... [NYPRA]  provides a central repository for more than 70,000 audio recordings on nearly every format (except cylinder and wire), photographs, memorabilia, reports, news items, program guides, institutional records, and promotional materials."


y format (except cylinder and wire), photographs, memorabilia, reports, news items, program guides, institutional records, and promotional materials."The Newton Project: "[A] non-profit organization dedicated to publishing in full an online edition of all of Sir Isaac Newton’s (1642–1727) writings -- whether they were printed or not."

North American Slave Narratives: Part of the Documenting the American South archive of the University Library at UNC Chapel Hill, "North American Slave Narratives "collects books and articles that document the individual and collective story of African Americans struggling for freedom and human rights in the eighteenth, nineteenth, and early twentieth centuries. This collection includes all the existing autobiographical narratives of fugitive and former slaves published as broadsides, pamphlets, or books in English up to 1920. Also included are many of the biographies of fugitive and former slaves and some significant fictionalized slave narratives published in English before 1920."


luded are many of the biographies of fugitive and former slaves and some significant fictionalized slave narratives published in English before 1920."Occom Circle Project: "[A] freely accessible, scholarly digital edition of handwritten documents by and about Samson Occom (1723-1792) housed in Dartmouth College. Occom was a Mohegan Indian, Presbyterian minister and missionary, intertribal leader, public intellectual, and important Indian writer."

Old Bailey Proceedings (London), 1674-1913: "A fully searchable edition of the largest body of texts detailing the lives of non-elite people ever published, containing 197,745 criminal trials held at London's central criminal court."

Online Archive of California: "[P]rovides free public access to detailed descriptions of primary resource collections maintained by more than 200 ... libraries, special collections, archives, historical societies, and museums throughout California." Includes 20,000 online collection guides and more than 220,000 digitized images and documents.


storical societies, and museums throughout California." Includes 20,000 online collection guides and more than 220,000 digitized images and documents.Rosa Parks Papers: The collection contains approximately 7,500 items in the Library of Congress's Manuscript Division and 2,500 photographs in the Prints and Photographs Division and documents Parks's "private life and public activism on behalf of civil rights for African Americans. "

Margaret Sanger Papers Project: "The goal of the Margaret Sanger Papers Project is to collect, assemble, and publish the papers of the noted birth control reformer in order to make them more widely accessible to students, scholars and the general public."

Digital Scriptorium: "[A] growing consortium of American libraries and museums committed to free online access to their collections of pre-modern manuscripts."

Shakespeare Documented: "An online exhibition documenting Shakespeare in his own time."


nline access to their collections of pre-modern manuscripts."

Shakespeare Documented: "An online exhibition documenting Shakespeare in his own time."Digital Transgender Archive: The purpose of the DTA "is to increase the accessibility of transgender history by providing an online hub for digitized historical materials, born-digital materials, and information on archival holdings throughout the world."

Trials - Famous Trials: "The Web's most visited and most comprehensive collection of essays, images, maps, primary documents, links, and other materials pertaining to sixty-six of the most famous trials of all time, from Socrates to Simpson."

Tulane University Digital Library: "[R]are and unique collections in areas such as Latin American studies, jazz, New Orleans and Louisiana history and architecture..."

Mark Twain Papers Project: "The site’s ultimate purpose is to produce a digital critical edition, fully annotated, of everything Mark Twain wrote."


"

Mark Twain Papers Project: "The site’s ultimate purpose is to produce a digital critical edition, fully annotated, of everything Mark Twain wrote."The Harry Watkins Diary Digital Edition: "Hardworking actor, playwright, and stage manager Harry Watkins (1825–94) was a prolific diarist. For fifteen years (1845–60), Watkins regularly recorded the plays he saw, the roles he performed, the books he read, and his impressions of current events.  ... His is the only known diary of substantial length and scope written by a U.S. actor before the Civil War—making Watkins, essentially, the antebellum equivalent of Samuel Pepys."

What America Ate: "Preserving America's Culinary History from the Great Depression."  Digital archive of the 1930's America Eats project that chronicled eating habits by region.  Also includes digitized community cookbooks, advertisements, pamphlets, and packing from the food industry.

World Digital Library: "The WDL makes available ... significant primary materials from all countries and cultures."


d packing from the food industry.

World Digital Library: "The WDL makes available ... significant primary materials from all countries and cultures."Other Sources: Consult the websites of libraries and archival repositories to discover digital editions of library holdings.


The basic steps for digital and analog archival research are essentially the same. The main thing to remember is that the digital facsimiles you discover may represent just a fraction of the existing material. Once you have formulated a research question, read widely on your topic, and done some background research, you'll likely have a good sense of the people, organizations, places, events, dates, and key themes that are important to your topic. You can use those keywords and subject terms when you search digital portals, search engines, library websites, and databases to find digitized primary sources. Be sure to visit the websites of repositories holding items of interest to discover other materials that may be of interest. And you can approach your search from a number of angles. These include library databases; big online portals; library websites; subject, format, and regional collaborations; government archives; archival search tools; and web searches.


ses; big online portals; library websites; subject, format, and regional collaborations; government archives; archival search tools; and web searches.ses; big online portals; library websites; subject, format, and regional collaborations; government archives; archival search tools; and web searches.ses; big online portals; library websites; subject, format, and regional collaborations; government archives; archival search tools; and web searches.The boxes on this page are organized roughly along those lines. It can be helpful to approach research with an open mind, to be flexible with search terms, and to think creatively about where you might find sources. Try different approaches and avenues for the most comprehensive results.


Analog vs. Digital:
It is important to remember that although there are many millions of digitized primary sources online and more content is added every day, the vast majority of unpublished archival material that exists in libraries, archives, museums, and historical societies around the world has NOT been digitized and is NOT available online. That said, in-depth research is still possible because libraries have made whole collections available online where once they could offer only highlights.  Also, archival collections that were previously published in microfilm or in printed volumes have since been digitized and turn up in both subscription databases and on the open web. It is also important to note that while the individual items and collections that have been digitized were prioritized in some way by the repository ( see below ), there are countless other equally valuable research materials that have not been digitized.


International Resources:
The online portals and archives listed here are a sampling of the resources that exist around the globe.

LibWeb - Libraries Around the World: Libraries from around the world arranged geographically.

World-Wide Directory of Repositories holding Archives of Literature & Art: Online directory from the International Council on Archives.

National Archives Around the World: List from Wikipedia of national archives from around the world.

African Online Digital Library: "AODL is an open access digital library of African cultural heritage materials created by Michigan State University in collaboration with museums, archives, scholars, and communities around the world."


cultural heritage materials created by Michigan State University in collaboration with museums, archives, scholars, and communities around the world."Australia - Trove: Trove provides access to over 6 billion records about Australia or of interest to the Australian community. Trove focuses on freely available digital content created by Australians and held in the collections of the National LIbrary of Australia and other Australian Libraries, Archives, Museums, Galleries, University, Research and community organisations. It contains books, images, historic newspapers, maps, music, archives and other materials.

Canada - Library & Archives: Includes publications, archival records, sound and audio-visual materials, photographs, artworks, and electronic documents of Canadian heritage.

Caribbean - Digital Library of the Caribbean: "The Digital Library of the Caribbean is a cooperative of partners within the Caribbean and circum-Caribbean that provides users with access to Caribbean cultural, historical and research materials held in archives, libraries, and private collections."


ibbean that provides users with access to Caribbean cultural, historical and research materials held in archives, libraries, and private collections."East Asia Digital Archive: A partnership between the National Library of Korea and the National Diet Library of Japan, the East Asia Digital Library is a portal site that offers East Asia’s cultural and academic digital resources.

Endangered Archives Programme - British Library: "The EAP facilitates the digitisation of archives around the world that are in danger of destruction, neglect or physical deterioration. ... Since 2004, the [EAP] has digitised over 10 million images and 35 thousand sound tracks. Archive types digitised ... include rare printed sources, manuscripts, visual materials, audio recordings."

Europe - Archives Portal Europe: Contains records for millions of archival items held in hundreds of repositories across Europe. Use search filters to find digitized items.

Europeana: Europeana enables people to explore the digital resources of Europes museums, libraries, archives and audio-visual collections.

India - Archival Repositories: List from Wikipedia.


plore the digital resources of Europes museums, libraries, archives and audio-visual collections.

India - Archival Repositories: List from Wikipedia.Latin American & Caribbean Digital Primary Resources: "[A] database of listings that provide links to open access digitized collections of primary sources that relate to Latin America and the Caribbean."

Latin American Network Information Center: From UT Austin. Includes lists of resources by country and holdings of Latin American and Caribbean collections in the U.S.

Middle East & Islamic Studies - Digital Collections Guide: A subject guide from Cornell that includes listings of manuscript and archival repositories, both digital and analog, along with other resources in libraries around the world.

Digitalnz - Digital New Zealand: 30+ million digital items from 300+ collections.


d analog, along with other resources in libraries around the world.

Digitalnz - Digital New Zealand: 30+ million digital items from 300+ collections.South Asia Open Archives (SAOA): A rich and growing OA collection of key historical and contemporary sources from and about South Asia, in English and other languages of the region. Contains hundreds of thousands of pages of books, journals, newspapers, census data, magazines, and documents, with particular focus on social & economic history, literature, women & gender, and caste & social structure.

United Kingdom - Archives Hub: Search across descriptions of archives, including links to digital content, held at over 380 institutions across the UK.

United Kingdom - Discovery: More than 32 million descriptions of records held by The National Archives of the UK and more than 2,500 archives cross the country.

World Wide Diplomatic Archives Index: From the US Dept. of State's Office of the Historian.


of the UK and more than 2,500 archives cross the country.

World Wide Diplomatic Archives Index: From the US Dept. of State's Office of the Historian.World Digital Library: The WDL made available primary materials from all countries and cultures. The collection was transferred to the Library of Congress in 2021 where it remains as a searchable resource showing the diversity of the world’s cultures through the contributions of hundreds of organizations.


Research Libraries & Archives with Digitized Collections:
The following research libraries have notable digital collections. This list is just a sampling of the remarkable resources you can find online. Be aware that in most every case, the digitized items available represent only a small fraction of a library's holdings. To find digitized primary sources for your own research project, visit the websites of libraries that collect materials in your subject area.  And be sure search across collections when possible and then limit results to digitized materials, if the option is available.

American Museum of Natural History - Anthropology: "Over 250,000 ethnographic and archaeological objects representing the peoples of the Americas, Africa, Asia, Europe and the Pacific Islands have been digitally imaged and are accessible online."


objects representing the peoples of the Americas, Africa, Asia, Europe and the Pacific Islands have been digitally imaged and are accessible online."American Museum of Natural History - Virtual Library: Includes Digital Special Collections, Digitized Scientific Manuscripts, Field Notes, scientific publications from the museum's 150 year history, including The Anthropological Papers , Novitates , and The Bulletin

Archives of American Art: "The Archives of American Art is the world’s preeminent and most widely used research center dedicated to collecting, preserving, and providing access to primary sources that document the history of the visual arts in America."

Bodleian Library - Digital Bodleian: Over a million images of rare books, manuscripts, and other treasures from the Bodleian Libraries and Oxford college libraries.


ry - Digital Bodleian: Over a million images of rare books, manuscripts, and other treasures from the Bodleian Libraries and Oxford college libraries.Centro - Center for Puerto Rican Studies - Hunter College: "Centro is a research institute that is dedicated to the study and interpretation of the Puerto Rican experience in the United States and that produces and disseminates relevant interdisciplinary research. Centro also collects, preserves, and provides access to library resources documenting Puerto Rican history and culture. We seek to link scholarship to social action and policy debates and to contribute to the betterment of our community and enrichment of Puerto Rican studies."

Harvard Digital Collections: "[F]ree free, public access to over 6 million objects digitized from our collections - from ancient art to modern manuscripts and audio visual materials."


ree free, public access to over 6 million objects digitized from our collections - from ancient art to modern manuscripts and audio visual materials."John Jay College of Criminal Justice - Digital Collections: "The Digital Collections provide access to hundreds of images and documents digitized from the unique items in the Lloyd Sealy Library Special Collections. These materials are freely available to the public for learning, teaching, and research. The materials in our Digital Collections are especially well-suited for historical research of criminal justice, 20th- and 21st-century New York, the New York Police Department, and John Jay College of Criminal Justice itself."

Library of Congress Digital Collections: "The collection of more than 168 million items includes more than 39 million cataloged books and other print materials in 470 languages; more than 72 million manuscripts; the largest rare book collection in North America; and the world's largest collection of legal materials, films, maps, sheet music and sound recordings."  Among these holdings are 395 digitized collections.


he world's largest collection of legal materials, films, maps, sheet music and sound recordings."  Among these holdings are 395 digitized collections.Library of Congress Collections with Manuscripts: Digitized manuscript collections covering a broad range of subjects.

Library of Congress Historic American Buildings Survey: The collections document achievements in architecture, engineering, and landscape design in the U.S. and its territories through a comprehensive range of building types, engineering technologies, and landscapes.

Metropolitan Museum of Art - Watson Library Digital: Rare materials digitized from the collections, including treatises on art and architecture, early travel books, archaeological studies, rare collection catalogs, early trade catalogs, artists’ manuals and handbooks, complete runs of seminal journals, fencing books, scrapbooks, fine bindings, and examples of fine printing.


catalogs, artists’ manuals and handbooks, complete runs of seminal journals, fencing books, scrapbooks, fine bindings, and examples of fine printing.National Library of Medicine Digital Collections: "[A] free online repository of biomedical resources including books, manuscripts, still images, videos, and maps. The content in Digital Collections is freely available worldwide and, unless otherwise indicated, in the public domain. Digital Collections provides unique access to NLM's rich historical resources, as well as select modern resources."

National Museum of Natural History - Anthropology Dept.: "Research in the Department of Anthropology spans from the emergence of our earliest ancestors to the ways communities sustain their cultures in today’s globalized societies.  The collections ... are a vast and unparalleled resource for inquiry into the cultures, arts, and technologies of the world's peoples, from deep in prehistory to the present day."