owledge. The archive contains tens of millions of books and texts, audio recordings, videos, images, and software programs, and 625 billion web pages.Mexico - Periodicals in the US-Mexico Border Region: "Periodicals in the US-Mexico Border Region includes over 200+ Spanish, English, and bilingual publications. Archival materials come from print, microfilm and digital collections housed at the University of Houston’s Recovery Program."

New York City Record, 1873-1947: The City Record is has been published daily in NYC since 1873 and includes "official listings of more than 100 city agencies and departments about public hearings, meetings, property auctions, agency rules, personnel changes and contracts to be awarded" as noted in a profile article in the New York TImes .   Browse or search across PDFs of every issue published between 1873-1947.


tracts to be awarded" as noted in a profile article in the New York TImes .   Browse or search across PDFs of every issue published between 1873-1947.Newspapers.com via NYPL: Please log in using your New York Public Library credentials! Newspapers.com is an online newspaper archive consisting of millions of pages of historical newspapers from around the United States and beyond, with a special focus on full runs and portions of runs of well-known, regional, and state titles in addition to small local newspapers. The collection includes a broad range of dates, mostly covering the 19th and 20th centuries. Access to this resource has been temporarily expanded to NYPL cardholders working from home, courtesy of ProQuest and its partner Newspapers.com.

New York City Newspapers: See the "Newspapers" article in the 1995 edition of the Encyclopedia of New York City for a history of newspapers in New York and lists of 18th Century newspapers, daily newspapers, and foreign-language newspapers published in NYC, organized by date of first publication.


York and lists of 18th Century newspapers, daily newspapers, and foreign-language newspapers published in NYC, organized by date of first publication.New York City Newspapers at the NYPL: Provides an overview of the NYPL's collection of New York City newspapers and facilitates access to the most frequently requested titles.

New York State Historic Newspapers: Over 11 million pages from newspapers published in New York State between 1725 and 2020. The newspapers on the website are either in the public domain (any papers published before January 1, 1924) or have been cleared for use by the original copyright holders for members of the public for noncommercial, educational, and research purposes.

New York Times Archive, 1851-2018: Actual page images from 1851 through 2018.  Following years are added annually. When the results of a search are displayed, you have three retrieval options:  1. bibliographic citation and abstract; 2. article image (retrieved with Adobe Acrobat Reader); 3. page map, displaying the entire page on which the article appears. For current access, see New York Times Academic Pass .


Archival collections:
There are scores of archival collections within 2 hours of NYC, a few of the major sources are listed below. Detailed guides to archival holdings (finding aids) are frequently being made available online. While most archival collections require a visit to the holding library, some collections do fill photocopy requests.

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 .


societies around the world.  Also useful for identifying archival repositories by location. Read more in our GC Library blog post about ArchiveGrid .Columbia University Rare Book and Manuscript Library: The collections span more than 4,000 years and comprise rare printed works, cylinder seals, cuneiform tablets, papyri, and Coptic ostraca; medieval and renaissance manuscripts; as well as art and realia.  Some 500,000 printed books and 14 miles of manuscripts, personal papers, and records form the core of the holdings.

European Library Catalog: Combined searching of the resources of European national libraries.

Founders Online: Correspondence and other writings by Adams, Franklin, Hamilton, Jefferson, Madison, and Washington

New York State Historical Liberature (Cornell University): A collection of selected monographs, pamphlets and other materials with expired copyrights chosen from from the Cornell Library's extensive collection of New York State Literature.


raphs, pamphlets and other materials with expired copyrights chosen from from the Cornell Library's extensive collection of New York State Literature.Nineteenth Century Collections Online: Primary sources dealing with East-West diplomacy; British politics and society; British theater, music, and literature; European literature; photography; science, technology, and medicine; and the status of women.

NYPL Archives & Manuscripts: The Division holds nearly 29,000 linear feet of archival material in over 3,000 collections, dating from the third millennium BCE to the current decade. Greatest strengths: the papers and records of individuals, families, and organizations, primarily from the New York region, which date from the 18th through the 20th centuries, support research in the political, economic, social, and cultural history of New York State and the United States.


he 18th through the 20th centuries, support research in the political, economic, social, and cultural history of New York State and the United States.NYU Tamiment Library & Robert F. Wagner Labor Archives: An important repository for labor history. Materials include books, pamphlets, and serials focusing on the history of labor, politics, political thought, civil rights, women's history, the Spanish Civil War, literature, the history of New York City, and the arts. Broadly speaking, the collections cover labor and the Left.

Perseus Digital Library: The flagship collection covers the history, literature and culture of the Greco-Roman world. Many full-text materials are available online in ancient Greek and Roman.


lection covers the history, literature and culture of the Greco-Roman world. Many full-text materials are available online in ancient Greek and Roman.Roper iPoll (formerly Roper Center Archives): The world’s largest collection of poll data from 1935 to present.  Contains hundreds of thousands of questions and tens of thousands of individual-level datasets, with hundreds more added yearly. Includes broad topical coverage of opinions and behavior on social issues, politics, the environment, science and technology, health, economics, and more.  It also includes global data from over 120 countries, and historical archives that feature questions on topics such as World War II, the civil rights movement, and women’s history, along with a general social survey with cumulative data from 1972-2016 featuring a standard core of demographic and attitudinal variables. Access through the Graduate Center Library enables you to view poll questions, save up to 50 questions, search abstracts and download documentation.


. Access through the Graduate Center Library enables you to view poll questions, save up to 50 questions, search abstracts and download documentation.. Access through the Graduate Center Library enables you to view poll questions, save up to 50 questions, search abstracts and download documentation.. Access through the Graduate Center Library enables you to view poll questions, save up to 50 questions, search abstracts and download documentation.Create a free personal account to download datasets, save up to 500 questions at once, and use the RoperExplorer analytical tool with crosstabs functionality. Users who have accounts on the old "classic" Roper iPoll website will need to register again on the new site. Learn more about how to use Roper iPoll online: Roper Tutorials .


n the old "classic" Roper iPoll website will need to register again on the new site. Learn more about how to use Roper iPoll online: Roper Tutorials .Rutgers University Archives and Manuscripts: Manuscripts are findable in the library catalog. The finding aids for the archival collections are online and found at this web site.

Slavery and Anti-Slavery: Books, pamphlets, periodicals, manuscripts, Supreme Court records, and other nineteenth-century materials related to slavery and abolition.

Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade: Information on almost 35,000 American slaving voyages between the sixteenth and nineteenth centuries.


History Video:
American History in Video: Over 1,600 hours of historical video from commercial and governmental newsreels, archival footage, public affairs footage, and important documentaries.

World History in Video: More than 900 documentaries exploring human history from the earliest civilizations to the late twentieth century.


Beyond Manuscripts & Archives:


Beyond Manuscripts & Archives:Beyond Manuscripts & Archives:Primary sources can be published or unpublished items in any format, including handwritten letters, objects, audio recordings, images, the built environment, etc.  Materials are considered to be primary sources when they contain direct evidence, first-hand testimony, or an eyewitness account of a topic or event under investigation. Secondary sources, on the other hand, are works that analyze and interpret other sources. This section of the guide contains tips for finding primary sources in formats beyond manuscripts and archives in subscription databases and in open access sites.  Use the tabs on the left to find sources of: Audio / Visual Materials - Moving images (film, video, TV), music (recordings and sheet music), radio (broadcasts, transcripts, radio plays, etc.), spoken word (speeches, poetry, podcasts). Government Documents - Find links to state, national, and international government archives. Historical Periodicals - Newspapers, magazines, etc.


ts). Government Documents - Find links to state, national, and international government archives. Historical Periodicals - Newspapers, magazines, etc.ts). Government Documents - Find links to state, national, and international government archives. Historical Periodicals - Newspapers, magazines, etc.ts). Government Documents - Find links to state, national, and international government archives. Historical Periodicals - Newspapers, magazines, etc.Images - Open access and library subscription resources for finding collections of images in libraries and archives, digital portals, and more. Maps & Atlases - Collections of print and digitized maps of places around the globe and subject-specific online databases that map language, social justice, historical boundaries, and other subjects. Oral Histories - Recordings, transcripts, and collections. Published Primary Sources - In print, online, and on microfilm.


Primary Sources:
Images from left to right: NYRF Newsletter ; Gov’t Report on East Mojave Desert Region ; Oral History Recording on Cassette ; Button: No Nuclear Plants, No Nuclear Bombs ; Button: March on Washington for Jobs & Freedom ; Dorothea Lange Photograph, NM ; Manuscript Cookbook ; May Day Anti-War Rally Flyer ; Mark Twain Letter ; View of Greenfield, Mass ; Poster: InternationalANSWER.org


Before Visiting an Archive:
Visiting an archive is usually quite a different experience than visiting a circulating library.  Collections are one-of-a-kind, so procedures 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.  You may have to register to use the collections, show identification, stow coats, bags, pens, and paper, and follow other procedures. 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.  And see the tips below to ensure that your visit goes as smoothly as possible:


an idea of what you might expect when you visit a special collection.  And see the tips below to ensure that your visit goes as smoothly as possible:Closely review the repository's website. In addition to the basics such as the hours of operation and street address, repository websites often contain a wealth of information that will help you make the most of your visit.  You may learn about reading room protocols, advance registration requirements, reproduction policies, and whether laptops and personal cameras are permitted, among other details. Explore secondary sources and published primary sources. A good understanding of your subject will help enormously as you look through archival folders and boxes. Without knowing what to look for, you may miss important documents or waste time trying to decipher unrelated materials. Read finding aids in their entirety. Every section of a finding aid, from the administrative information to the container list, will inform you of essential details.


ds in their entirety. Every section of a finding aid, from the administrative information to the container list, will inform you of essential details.ds in their entirety. Every section of a finding aid, from the administrative information to the container list, will inform you of essential details.ds in their entirety. Every section of a finding aid, from the administrative information to the container list, will inform you of essential details.The biographical and historical notes will be particularly useful for putting the materials in context, and the scope and content note will let you know whether or not the collection contains material relevant for you. But the entire finding aid should be essential reading. Contact the staff by email or phone. This step is essential. Always contact the library staff to let them know which collections you would like to use and when you plan to visit. The collections you need might be stored offsite and require advance notice for retrieval. In some repositories, appointments are required. Permission might be necessary before you can use certain materials. The reference staff at the library can also help you discover other materials that are related to your topic and provide answers to logistical questions that are not answered on the website.


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


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.


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 aid and/or speak with archival staff to find about any limits that might restrict your use of a collection.


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.


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 for citing unpublished sources from the APA, 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.


ago 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.APA Style - Archival Documents & Collections: Guidance for citing archival documents and collections using APA style.  This information is not included in the 7th edition in the Publication Manual and the Concise Guide . It is available only on the APA Style website.

Citing Archival Sources - Hunter College Archives: 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.


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.


Research Journals:
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.


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 large numbers of images if you don't have a strategy in place for organizing them. 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.


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).


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.  Rules are usually more relaxed at community archives than at research libraries. 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.


Special libraries and archival repositories come in every shape and size.  They can be divided into the following broad categories: Research Libraries These include large public libraries like the Library of Congress and the New York Public Library, special collections in colleges and university libraries, and historical societies and museums. Government Archives There are government archives at the national, state, county, and municipal level.  Individual government agencies may also maintain archives of their own records.  These entities may have their own search engines and discovery tools that do not overlap with databases such as ArchiveGrid or WorldCat. Community Archives Often organized and run by volunteers.  Community archives usually have the most open access policies and welcome researchers to explore and use holdings with relatively few restrictions.  Examples include the Interference Archive and the Lesbian Herstory Archives .


searchers to explore and use holdings with relatively few restrictions.  Examples include the Interference Archive and the Lesbian Herstory Archives .searchers to explore and use holdings with relatively few restrictions.  Examples include the Interference Archive and the Lesbian Herstory Archives .searchers to explore and use holdings with relatively few restrictions.  Examples include the Interference Archive and the Lesbian Herstory Archives .Local Museums, Historical Societies, Libraries, & Archives Small-scale local repositories often have wonderfully rich collections and highly knowledgeable staff.  Look for repositories in the geographical vicinity of your subject to find sources in a range of formats. Institutional Archives The records held by companies and organizations documenting their own operations and histories.  These may or may not be open to outside researchers.  Permission is usually required for access. Private Collections Personal papers held by individuals and families.  These may be processed or unprocessed materials and access may be strictly controlled.  Contact the administrators directly to inquire about using the collections.  Be sure you understand and can agree to any restrictions before undertaking research.


Finding Archival Repositories & Special Collections Libraries:
To identify repositories that may hold material on your subject, see the list below.  For repositories beyond the U.S., see the International Resources section of this guide.

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 .


societies around the world.  Also useful for identifying archival repositories by location. Read more in our GC Library blog post about ArchiveGrid .Community Webs: "Community Webs, a program of Archive-It and the Internet Archive, was launched in 2017. Its mission is to advance the capacity for public libraries and other cultural heritage organizations to build archives of web-published primary sources documenting local history and underrepresented voices. The program achieves this mission by providing resources for professional training, technology services, networking, and in support of scholarly research use."

Gale Directory of Special Libraries and Information Centers: International coverage.  Requires New York Public Library barcode and PIN to access.

SAA Directory of Corporate Archives in the United States and Canada: Compiled by the Society of American Archivists, this directory includes companies that maintain their historical records themselves, as well as companies that contract with historical consulting firms to maintain their archives collections for them, and libraries that contain business records.


companies that contract with historical consulting firms to maintain their archives collections for them, and libraries that contain business records.Regional Archives Directories: Find archives and archival repositories by country, state, or region with a Google search.  For instance, try searching (without the quotes) "archives directory Canada," "archives directory Great Britain," or "archives directory New Orleans."

Special Collections in College and University Libraries: A dated but still useful title. E-book available to borrow from the Internet Archive.

Directory of Collections in the U.S. & Canada with Pre-1600 Manuscript Holdings: Conway, Melissa, and Lisa Fagin Davis. “Directory of Collections in the United States and Canada with Pre-1600 Manuscript Holdings.” The Papers of the Bibliographical Society of America 109, no. 3 (2015): 273–420. https://doi.org/10.1086/682342.

State Archives: Contact information and links to state archives and historical societies in the U.S.

Additional Subject Resources


rg/10.1086/682342.

State Archives: Contact information and links to state archives and historical societies in the U.S.

Additional Subject ResourcesDirectory of Anthropological Archives by Institution: A listing from the Council for the Preservation of Anthropological Records.

Guide to Anthropological Fieldnotes and Manuscripts in Archival Repositories: A listing arranged alphabetically by archaeologist with links to repositories.

Frick Archives Directory for the History of Collecting in America: A tool "created to help researchers locate primary source material about American art collectors, dealers, agents and advisors, and the repositories that hold these records."


Selected NYC Archives & Special Collections:
Following are links to the websites of selected research libraries in and around New York City where you can find manuscripts, archives, and other primary sources.  Rules and regulations vary by institution, so always review the website and contact the staff before visiting. Look for "using the collections" or "visiting the library" pages for important details.

Archives List from the Gotham Center for New York City: A list of archives from the Gotham Center.

Berg Collection, NYPL: Holdings include "35,000 printed volumes, pamphlets, and broadsides, and 2,000 linear feet of literary archives and manuscripts, representing the work of more than 400 authors."

Bronx County Historical Society: "The Society is dedicated to the collection, preservation, documentation and interpretation of the history and heritage of The Bronx and its people." from	its	earliest	historical	references in	the	17th	century	to	the	present.	"


interpretation of the history and heritage of The Bronx and its people." from	its	earliest	historical	references in	the	17th	century	to	the	present.	"LGBT Community Center National History Archive: A community-based archive that collects, preserves, and makes available to the public the documentation of LGBTQ lives and organizations centered in and around New York.

Milstein Division of U.S., Local History, and Genealogy - NYPL: The Division "collects publications documenting American history on the national, state, and local levels, including extensive holdings on New York City history. The Division has a renowned collection of family histories and other genealogical collections, with a particular focus on the New York region."

New-York Historical Society Library: "One of only 20 in the United States qualified to be a member of the Independent Research Libraries Association—the Patricia D. Klingenstein Library contains more than three million books, pamphlets, maps, atlases, newspapers, broadsides, music sheets, manuscripts, prints, photographs and architectural drawings."


han three million books, pamphlets, maps, atlases, newspapers, broadsides, music sheets, manuscripts, prints, photographs and architectural drawings."New York Public Library Manuscripts & Archives Division: "The NYPL holds nearly 10,000 archival and manuscript collections comprising over 50,000 linear feet of material in nearly every format imaginable."

Staten Island Museum: Collections contain natural science specimens, archival records, and works of art and design, which represent Staten Island’s natural and cultural history across time.  The Internet Archive hosts full documents, publications, journals and maps from the SIM's archival collections.


DEI Resources / Collectives / Initiatives:
There is strong and growing interest among librarians and archivists to diversify the historical record and make library spaces, collecting initiatives, cataloging, archival description, digitizing, resources, programming, and staffing more equitable and inclusive.  Organizations such as the American Library Association , the Society of American Archivists , NY METRO Library Council , and many others are addressing issues of DEI directly with training, programs, grant funding, and other resources. Following is a small sampling of some library-related DEI resources and initiatives. There are links to articles, blog posts, reports, organizations, toolkits, and more.

Conscious Editing/Reparative Description Resources: A bibliography of resources from the Council of State Archives.

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in Archives


rganizations, toolkits, and more.

Conscious Editing/Reparative Description Resources: A bibliography of resources from the Council of State Archives.Diversifying the Digital Historical Record: 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 the four panel discussions.

Diversity and Inclusion Initiatives - Society of American Archivists: The Society of American Archivists' statement on diversity and inclusion along with a roundup of links and resources detailing the organization's efforts towards DEI.


merican Archivists' statement on diversity and inclusion along with a roundup of links and resources detailing the organization's efforts towards DEI.A Guide to Conscious Editing at Wilson Special Collections Library, UNC: Guidelines for contextualizing collection descriptions to decenter whiteness and to center the voices of the silenced, marginalized, and unheard. The guide covers topics such as addressing racist language, rectifying misrepresentations of people of color, updating ableist language, centering the experiences of Indigenous peoples and differentiating the identity of a woman from that of her husband.  Compiled and edited by the UNC Libraries’ Conscious Editing Steering Committee (CESC). No modification of the collection materials is part of this work, only updates to the catalog records and finding aids that describe the materials for researchers to discover and access.


terials is part of this work, only updates to the catalog records and finding aids that describe the materials for researchers to discover and access.Reparative Archival Description Working Group, Yale University: The Reparative Archival Description Working Group (RAD) is charged by the Archives Advisory Group (AAG) with creating recommendations regarding principles and practices for reparative archival description work. Reparative archival description aims to remediate or contextualize potentially outdated or harmful language used in archival description and to create archival description that is accurate, inclusive, and community-centered. ...


outdated or harmful language used in archival description and to create archival description that is accurate, inclusive, and community-centered. ... outdated or harmful language used in archival description and to create archival description that is accurate, inclusive, and community-centered. ... outdated or harmful language used in archival description and to create archival description that is accurate, inclusive, and community-centered. ...RAD’s long term goals include developing guidelines for repositories about finding, remediating, and documenting instances of outdated or harmful language in archival description; improving access to Yale’s archival collections, by removing or contextualizing outdated or harmful language in archival description and access points; making archival description more transparent to researchers by documenting changes to description; developing public-facing documentation that details the scope and aim of the task force’s work; and exploring avenues for researchers to report archival description that contains outdated or harmful language.


ope and aim of the task force’s work; and exploring avenues for researchers to report archival description that contains outdated or harmful language.Resources Cited in the OCLC Research Library Partnership EDI Survey: In 2017, the OCLC Research Library Partnership (RLP) conducted a survey to explore if and how their 150 Partner institutions are modifying library and archival collections, practices, and services through the lens of equality, diversity, and inclusion (EDI).  Their objective was to capture a snapshot of efforts to inform next steps, reveal possible directions to explore, and serve as a starting point for further discussions and action regarding EDI in the library field. See a list of resources mentioned in the survey.


and serve as a starting point for further discussions and action regarding EDI in the library field. See a list of resources mentioned in the survey.Additional Resources Bibliography of Scholarship on Women and Gender Studies Librarianship – ACRL Women and Gender Studies Section . Accessed June 29, 2023. https://acrl.ala.org/wgss/bibliography-of-scholarship-on-women-and-gender-studies-librarianship/. “ Change The Subject | Dartmouth Library.” Accessed June 29, 2023. https://www.library.dartmouth.edu/digital/digital-collections/change-the-subject. RBMS BSC Task Group on Addressing Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in Bibliographic Standards and Bibliographic Description. "Final Report." 06/21/2022. Suárez, Armando. “Diversifying the Archives.” This Side of Metadata , March 22, 2021. https://blogs.princeton.edu/techsvs/2021/03/22/diversifying-the-archives/.


Dead Links - Check Back on These:
Archives Against History Repeating Itself: An online resource with activities for archivists, students, and researchers to identify and dismantle oppressive power structures in archives. Includes a bibliography with recommended readings against white supremacy, colonialism, patriarchy, heteronormativity, ableism, capitalism, and more.

Inclusive Metadata & Conscious Editing Resources: Resources compiled by the Sunshine State Digital Network Metadata Working Group related to conscious editing and anti-oppressive metadata practices. They have included resources related to bias in library and archival description, inclusive metadata, re-description projects, and best practices and resources for describing materials by and about marginalized peoples. This is not a comprehensive list, but rather a starting place for metadata creators and catalogers to discover resources on this topic.


Conducting Remote Research:
Searches of ArchiveGrid , WorldCat , and other databases turn up archival collections in repositories around the world.  That can mean a library across town if you're lucky, or a library thousands of miles away. Ideally, you would be able to visit a library in person to use collections yourself.  When that is not possible, however, you can still do some research remotely.


Tips for Productive Remote Research:


Tips for Productive Remote Research:Tips for Productive Remote Research:Remote Research: When you can't visit a library in person, you may still be able to conduct a substantial amount of research from afar.  For instance, there may be published editions of primary sources available in print, on microfilm, or online (on the open web or in subscription databases).  And those print and microfilm editions may be available to borrow via interlibrary loan.  Or you might be able to request digital or paper copies of archival or other special collections materials from the repository.  And if none of those options is available, you may be able to hire a researcher to search through a library's collections for you. Following are a few tips and suggestions to help you conduct archival research from afar. Preliminary Website Search: Once you have discovered that a library holds materials relevant to your topic, take a close look at its website.


om afar. Preliminary Website Search: Once you have discovered that a library holds materials relevant to your topic, take a close look at its website.om afar. Preliminary Website Search: Once you have discovered that a library holds materials relevant to your topic, take a close look at its website.om afar. Preliminary Website Search: Once you have discovered that a library holds materials relevant to your topic, take a close look at its website.Read about the library's collections as a whole Consult research guides on your topic, if available Browse the list of archival collections if there is one Search across the library's finding aids or archival collections if the option is available Read finding aids closely to get the full details on collections that interest you and to learn about any use restrictions that may be in place Search and browse the library's catalog to find additional sources Look for digital editions of the library's holdings As you search, compile a list of materials you would like to consult at the library, dividing it by format (archival collections, microfilm, books, serials, etc.) and be sure to note collection names and numbers Remote Reference: Once you have a good understanding of the materials available and know what you would like to use, contact the library.  Check to see if there is an online reference form to fill out or if there is an email address to which you can send a reference


contact the library.  Check to see if there is an online reference form to fill out or if there is an email address to which you can send a reference contact the library.  Check to see if there is an online reference form to fill out or if there is an email address to which you can send a reference contact the library.  Check to see if there is an online reference form to fill out or if there is an email address to which you can send a reference contact the library.  Check to see if there is an online reference form to fill out or if there is an email address to which you can send a reference contact the library.  Check to see if there is an online reference form to fill out or if there is an email address to which you can send a reference contact the library.  Check to see if there is an online reference form to fill out or if there is an email address to which you can send a referencequestion.  If not, call the library.  The staff may ask you to follow up with an email.  Be sure to send your question to only one staff member, not to multiple email address on the library's website.  Be specific when you ask your question.  Include collection names and numbers and indicate the box and folder numbers containing the materials of interest to you.  Let the library know what what your research focus is, what resources you have already consulted, and ask if they can recommend additional sources.  Finally, bear in mind that many libraries are short staffed.  Whether you send a reference question by email or regular mail, know that it can take some time to receive a reply.


many libraries are short staffed.  Whether you send a reference question by email or regular mail, know that it can take some time to receive a reply.many libraries are short staffed.  Whether you send a reference question by email or regular mail, know that it can take some time to receive a reply.many libraries are short staffed.  Whether you send a reference question by email or regular mail, know that it can take some time to receive a reply.Digitized Primary Sources: Many libraries have digitized portions of their holdings making it possible for researchers to find copies of manuscripts and archival materials on their websites and in online portals.  Look for digital editions of a library collections as you browse  websites and search catalogs.  See the Finding Digitized Sources section of this guide for more information.


s of a library collections as you browse  websites and search catalogs.  See the Finding Digitized Sources section of this guide for more information.s of a library collections as you browse  websites and search catalogs.  See the Finding Digitized Sources section of this guide for more information.s of a library collections as you browse  websites and search catalogs.  See the Finding Digitized Sources section of this guide for more information.Reproduction Policies: It may be possible to obtain a limited number of digital or printed copies from a library's special collections.  Be specific when you inquire.  Ask about obtaining copies from particular folders in particular collections and provide the full collection names, collection numbers, and links to the finding aids or catalog records showing where you learned about the materials.  Most libraries post their reproduction policies online.  These stipulate whether copies may be made, the number of items that may be copied, the cost of copies, the length of time it takes to obtain copies, and any permissions or other restrictions that may exist on copying from particular collections.


copies, the length of time it takes to obtain copies, and any permissions or other restrictions that may exist on copying from particular collections.copies, the length of time it takes to obtain copies, and any permissions or other restrictions that may exist on copying from particular collections.copies, the length of time it takes to obtain copies, and any permissions or other restrictions that may exist on copying from particular collections.There is usually a per-page fee in addition to postage charges.  Researchers are usually required to sign a document stating that the copies being requested will be used for reference purposes only, not for publication.  If you need copies from a collection for publication, you will likely have to make a separate request.  Images for publication come with their own fees, time schedules, and requirements.


for publication, you will likely have to make a separate request.  Images for publication come with their own fees, time schedules, and requirements. for publication, you will likely have to make a separate request.  Images for publication come with their own fees, time schedules, and requirements. for publication, you will likely have to make a separate request.  Images for publication come with their own fees, time schedules, and requirements.Interlibrary Loan: Special collections rarely, if ever, allow their manuscripts or other archival materials to circulate, but many do allow their published primary sources, including books, serials, and microfilmed archival collections, to be sent out on interlibrary loan.  Multiple copies of these published primary sources usually exist and can be discovered on a library's website or with a local library catalog or WorldCat search.  See the Published Primary Sources section this guide for more information.  When you find a published source you would like to borrow via ILL, log into the Graduate Center's ILL system to submit your request there.  Microfilmed collections are usually accompanied by published guides containing scholarship that helps put the archival materials into context.


there.  Microfilmed collections are usually accompanied by published guides containing scholarship that helps put the archival materials into context.there.  Microfilmed collections are usually accompanied by published guides containing scholarship that helps put the archival materials into context.there.  Microfilmed collections are usually accompanied by published guides containing scholarship that helps put the archival materials into context.Researchers for Hire: When you can't identify a small number of specific items that you would like to have copied, or when neither copying nor ILL is possible, or when there is simply too much material to go through remotely, consider hiring a local researcher to visit the library for you.  Check the library's website for a list of local researchers for hire.  Or consult the National Archives' list of Independent Researchers for Hire for ideas.


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 .


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


Spanish Paleography Digital Teaching and Learning Tool:
The Spanish Paleography Digital Teaching and Learning Tool is an online interactive resource to assist users in learning how to decipher and read manuscripts written in Spanish during the early modern period, roughly from the late 15th to the 18th century.


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 .


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."


FromThePage:
FromThePage is a crowdsourcing platform for archives and libraries where volunteers transcribe, index, and describe historic document.  Sign up to transcribe historical documents as a volunteer, create classroom transcribing projects, or upload documents from your archive for crowd-sourced transcription.


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 and accessing historical materials at an archive.


Archives & Primary Sources:
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.


What Are Archives? - A Tutorial from ATLAS Systems:
A brief video introduction covering different types of archives, what archivists do, who can use archives, what is missing from them, and why they are valuable.


On Archives:
General Research Skills

Archives-Related


Archives in the News:  A Zotero Collection of Articles Related to Archives:
Archives in The News: Find these and many other fascinating articles about archives in our Zotero Library.

Activating an Archive of Black Life in Brooklyn: Pratt Faculty and Students Collaborate with the Weeksville Community on an Oral History Project to Shape the Future.

Archives in The News: Find these and many other fascinating articles about archives in our Zotero Library.


Library Blogs:  Dispatches from the Field:
Following are links to a few noteworthy library blogs and websites that provide an introduction to particular collections and a glimpse into what's going on in the world of archives.

Archives Against History Repeating Itself: "[C]created ... to acknowledge, address, and repair the harms done by white supremacy, colonialism, patriarchy, heteronormativity, ableism, and capitalism (an incomplete list for sure!) and their various intersections in and through records and archives. With this site, we hope to use ideas, activities, and actions to imagine and enact a more just world. "


Oral Histories:
Columbia Center for Oral History New Millennium Oral History Archives StoryCorps


Librarian:
Stephen Klein is available for research consultations. Make a consultation appointment with Stephen or email him .


This guide introduces essential resources, research approaches, and techniques for political science students and researchers, featuring key materials available through the Mina Rees Library that are especially valuable for researching political science and related topics. Our E-Research Basics guide acquaints you with the basics of doing online research through the Mina Rees Library. You'll find information about logging in for remote access, deciding on and searching within a database, locating specific articles and doing broad exploratory searches, determining whether the GC has access to a particular journal, and more. The GC Library ILL team can get you information from other libraries, help you access locally available information, and connect you to free online resources. ILL is usually fast (unless it is rare or from far away...but we can still often get those items, too) and always easy and worth a try! Make a GC Library ILL Request and read the GC Library Blog about ILL .


General Library Resources:
Graduate Center Library Website: Starting point for finding books, articles, journals, databases, interlibrary loan, electronic reference, and more

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.

Interlibrary Loan: Need an article from a journal not at the Graduate Center? Need a book that not available from any CUNY library? Go here to submit an interlibrary loan request.

24/7 E-mail and Chat Reference: Use this service to ask questions at any time. Email questions will be answered by Graduate Center librarians. Chat questions may be answered by librarians at other institutions.


Off-Campus Access Problems?:
If you are unable to log into GC library databases with CUNY Login credentials, try using your GC Network Account credentials. You can also try CUNY e-resources as a backup. This smaller collection of databases provides access with your CUNY Login credentials. Use the password reset tool or contact IT Services to resolve account issues and regain access to all GC databases.


Looking for a Specific Journal?:
Use our journal title search tool to see whether the library has access to a particular title, and what date ranges our subscriptions cover. The Graduate Center Library welcomes journal subscription suggestions from the Graduate Center community. The library will carefully consider requests that are consistent with our Collection Policy . You are welcome to suggest a journal subscription .


Core Databases:
Accessible Archives: Full-text access to 18th and 19th century American newspapers, magazines, books, and other publications. Collections include African American newspapers, Civil War publications, anti-slavery periodicals, early women’s magazines, a collection of women’s suffrage periodicals, and publications by Frederick Douglass, Harriet Tubman, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Susan B. Anthony and more. Over 170 books and more than 70 journals are included.

Alternative Press Index: The API indexes over 300 alternative, radical, and left periodicals, newspapers, and magazines from 1991 to the present. International and interdisciplinary in scope, the API spans the social sciences and humanities with a focus on the practice and theory of socialism, national liberation, labor, indigenous peoples, LGBTQ issues, feminism, ecology, democracy, and anarchism.


us on the practice and theory of socialism, national liberation, labor, indigenous peoples, LGBTQ issues, feminism, ecology, democracy, and anarchism.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.

American Antiquarian Society (AAS) Historical Periodicals Collections: A collection of over 7500 digitized American periodicals published from the 17th century through the late 19th century.  The Graduate Center subscribes to the five series which cover all aspects of American society, including science, medicine, literature, politics, the history of slavery, the Civil War, Westward expansion, industry and professions, agriculture, religion, fashion, family life, culture and the arts, and more.


of slavery, the Civil War, Westward expansion, industry and professions, agriculture, religion, fashion, family life, culture and the arts, and more.American Civil War: Letters and Diaries: Contains 2,009 authors and approximately 100,000 pages of diaries, letters and memoirs from the Civil War. Includes 4,000 pages of previously unpublished manuscripts such as the letters of Amos Wood and his wife and the diary of Maryland planter William Claytor. The collection also includes biographies, an extensive bibliography of the sources in the database, and material licensed from The Civil War Day-by-Day by E.B. Long.  Search or browse by Title, Historical Event, Subject, Name, Place, Content Type, or Publisher.


l licensed from The Civil War Day-by-Day by E.B. Long.  Search or browse by Title, Historical Event, Subject, Name, Place, Content Type, or Publisher.Annual Reviews: Full text of 51 Annual Review journals in the social sciences, biomedical/life sciences, physical sciences and economics. The literature reviews synthesize current understanding of a topic, set the work in historical context, and include extensive bibliographies. Search across or browse reviews and journals in more than 45 scientific disciplines, including anthropology, astrophysics, biochemistry, criminology, earth and planetary sciences, linguistics, neuroscience, psychology, and sociology.

Archives of Latin American and Caribbean History, Sixteenth to Twentieth Century: Offers 33 archival collections related to issues and events in Latin American and Caribbean history. Provides original manuscripts, signed letters, expedition records, reports, maps, diaries, descriptions of voyages, and ephemera sourced from the United States and Europe.


uscripts, signed letters, expedition records, reports, maps, diaries, descriptions of voyages, and ephemera sourced from the United States and Europe.ARTFL: A collection of digitized resources on the French language developed through a collaboration between the French government and the University of Chicago.  The main database, ARTFL-FRANTEXT, consists of more than 3,500 French language texts spanning the 12th through the 20th centuries, and ranging from classic works of literature to non-fiction prose and technical writing.  Additional subscription databases contain texts related to specific genres and writers, such as dictionaries, novels, Provençal poetry, histories of the French Revolution, 19th century French literary and artistic criticism, philosophical works, and ancient French texts.  Also includes nearly two dozen open access databases covering a wide range of topics, including 18th and 19th century encyclopedias, French revolutionary newspapers, pamphlets, and laws, classical French theatre, and online editions of the works of Voltaire, Rousseau, Montaigne, and others.


evolutionary newspapers, pamphlets, and laws, classical French theatre, and online editions of the works of Voltaire, Rousseau, Montaigne, and others.evolutionary newspapers, pamphlets, and laws, classical French theatre, and online editions of the works of Voltaire, Rousseau, Montaigne, and others.evolutionary newspapers, pamphlets, and laws, classical French theatre, and online editions of the works of Voltaire, Rousseau, Montaigne, and others.Select “Subscription Databases” or “Public Access” for details.


theatre, and online editions of the works of Voltaire, Rousseau, Montaigne, and others.Select “Subscription Databases” or “Public Access” for details.Cambridge Histories Online: First published in 1902, Cambridge Histories span subject areas across the humanities and social sciences. The GC’s subscription includes over 400 titles in American History; Ancient & Classical Studies; Asian History, British & European History; Global History, Literature, Middle East & African Studies, Music & Theatre; Philosophy & Political Thought; and Religion. **GC-subscribed Cambridge content is discoverable in CUNY OneSearch .

Chronicling America: Historic American Newspapers: This site from the Library of Congress includes a searchable directory containing information on more than 150,000 newspapers published in the U.S. since 1690.  It also includes searchable digitized images of 3,600 selected local and regional newspapers published from 1777 to 1963, including more than 20 New York papers.


ludes searchable digitized images of 3,600 selected local and regional newspapers published from 1777 to 1963, including more than 20 New York papers.Communist Historical Newspaper Collection via NYPL: Please log in using your New York Public Library credentials! The collection provides full-text access to major American communist newspapers: The Daily Worker (1924-1958); The Ohio Socialist (1917-1919); People's Daily World (1986-1990); People's Weekly World (1990-2013); Sunday Worker (1936-1958); The Toiler (1919-1922); The Worker (1922-1924); The Worker (1958-1968).

Criminal Justice Database: Indexes over 620 international criminal justice publications from 1981 to the present, with full text for more than half of the titles. Supports research on crime, corrections administration, criminal law, criminal justice, law enforcement, addiction, family law, industrial security, and rehabilitation. Includes correctional and law enforcement trade publications, dissertations, crime reports, and crime blogs.


industrial security, and rehabilitation. Includes correctional and law enforcement trade publications, dissertations, crime reports, and crime blogs.Economist Historical Archive: 1843-2020: Historical archive of The Economist from 1843 to 2020 covering political, business, scientific, technological, and cultural issues around the world. Search across the archive or browse complete issues by date. Use the Journals tab to identify databases containing recent issues.


es around the world. Search across the archive or browse complete issues by date. Use the Journals tab to identify databases containing recent issues.eHRAF World Cultures: eHRAF World Cultures is an online cross-cultural and ethnographic database containing descriptive information on cultures (based on the Outline of World Cultures or OWC) and ethnic groups from around the world. Each culture collection in eHRAF contains a variety of documents (books, articles, monographs, and dissertations) that have been subject-indexed at the paragraph level by trained anthropologists according to HRAF’s comprehensive Outline of Cultural Materials (OCM). This feature extends search capability well beyond keyword searching, allowing for precise culture and subject retrieval, even in a foreign language. As an ethnographic database, eHRAF appeals to many academic disciplines in the social sciences, humanities, medicine, and any other area with an interest in cultural diversity or anthropology.


to many academic disciplines in the social sciences, humanities, medicine, and any other area with an interest in cultural diversity or anthropology.Ethnic NewsWatch (and Ethnic NewsWatch: A History): This resource contains full-text of over 500 newspapers, magazines, and journals of the ethnic and minority press. Includes Ethnic NewsWatch , which covers 1990 to the present, and Ethnic NewsWatch: A History , which includes materials dating back to 1959 and provides historical coverage of Native American, African American, and Hispanic American periodicals from 1959-1989. Publications are in a wide variety of languages including English, Spanish, French, Portuguese, Creole, Inuktitut, Russian, Hindi, Japanese, Arabic, and others.

Foreign Law Guide: Foreign Law Guide (FLG) offers information on sources of foreign law, including complete bibliographic citations to legislation, the existence of English translations and selected references to secondary sources in one virtual destination. Broad in content and global in scope, the FLG systemically covers approximately 190 jurisdictions which are updated by a global team of experts.


tion. Broad in content and global in scope, the FLG systemically covers approximately 190 jurisdictions which are updated by a global team of experts.HAPI: Hispanic American Periodicals Index: HAPI indexes 400+ journals and includes the contents of 700+ journals published around the world on Latin America and the Caribbean since 1967. Includes over 335,000 citations and more than 170,000 links to full text articles covering political, economic and social issues along with the arts and humanities. Search using English, Spanish, or Portuguese.


to full text articles covering political, economic and social issues along with the arts and humanities. Search using English, Spanish, or Portuguese.Health Poll Database: Published by the Roper Center, the Health Poll Database is an archive of exclusively health-related U.S. survey questions, covering eighty years of national polling. Searchable questions and results, demographic crosstabs, and trends are available on every topic related to health, including social determinants of health, access to care, individual health status, health policy, insurance, costs, and health politics. Access through the Graduate Center Library enables you to view poll questions, save up to 50 questions, search abstracts and download documentation.  Create a free personal account to download datasets, save up to 500 questions at once, and use the RoperExplorer analytical tool with crosstabs functionality. Users who have accounts on the old "classic" Roper iPoll website will need to register again on the new site. Learn more about how to use Roper iPoll online: Roper Tutorials .


n the old "classic" Roper iPoll website will need to register again on the new site. Learn more about how to use Roper iPoll online: Roper Tutorials .Historical Abstracts: Historical Abstracts covers the history of the world (excluding the U.S. and Canada) from 1450 to the present, including world history, military history, women's history, the history of education, and more. Indexes more than 2,300 academic historical journals in over 40 languages from 1955 to the present. Includes links to full text, where available.

International Bibliography of the Social Sciences: IBSS includes over 3 million bibliographic references to journal articles, books, reviews, and selected chapters in anthropology, economics, political science, and sociology from 1951 to the present. Part of the ProQuest Social Sciences Premium Collection.

Irish Historical Newspapers: Nearly 300 years of Irish newspapers, from 1738 to 2004, from all parts of Ireland. Includes 16 essential regional and national papers, with deep coverage of culture, society, daily life, and major Irish and global events.


of Ireland. Includes 16 essential regional and national papers, with deep coverage of culture, society, daily life, and major Irish and global events.Left Index: Guide to the literature of the left, with an emphasis on political, economic, social and culturally engaged scholarship inside and outside academia. Topics covered include art and aesthetics, ecology and environment, education, history, the labor movement, law and globalization, philosophy, race and ethnicity, social and cultural theory, and sociology. Includes more than 507,000 citations and abstracts (with some full text) and spans from 1982 and earlier to present.


d cultural theory, and sociology. Includes more than 507,000 citations and abstracts (with some full text) and spans from 1982 and earlier to present.Manuscript Women's Letters and Diaries: Over 102,000 pages of personal writings by American women of the 18th, 19th, and 20th centuries drawn from the holdings of the American Antiquarian Society. The manuscripts date from 1750 to 1950 and include letters and diary entries of ordinary women that document their daily lives, and those of more well-known women such as Annie Sullivan, the teacher of Helen Keller; Ellen Tucker Emerson, daughter of Ralph Waldo Emerson, who describes life in Concord during the Civil War; and Abby Kelley Foster, an abolitionist and advocate for women’s rights.


r of Ralph Waldo Emerson, who describes life in Concord during the Civil War; and Abby Kelley Foster, an abolitionist and advocate for women’s rights.National Criminal Justice Reference Service (NCJRS) Abstracts Database: The NCJRS: National Criminal Justice Reference Service Abstracts Database is published by the Office of Justice Programs, U.S. Department of Justice's National Criminal Justice Reference Service, an information clearinghouse for people around the U.S. and the world involved with research, policy, and practice related to criminal and juvenile justice, and drug control. The NCJRS Abstracts Database contains summaries of over 200,000 U.S. and international publications, including federal, state, and local government reports, books, research reports, journal articles, audiovisual presentations, and unpublished research.


ncluding federal, state, and local government reports, books, research reports, journal articles, audiovisual presentations, and unpublished research.NBER Working Papers: Founded in 1920, the National Bureau of Economic Research is a private, nonprofit, nonpartisan research organization dedicated to promoting a greater understanding of how the economy works. NBER research studies present data and findings but do not make policy recommendations. Free NBER publications that are also available online include: NBER Bulletin on Aging and Health NBER Digest — Non-technical summaries of 4-8 working papers per month NBER Reporter — News about the Bureau and its activities

New York Review of Books: Full text of all New York Review of Books content from the first issue in 1963 to the present. Browse by year or issue or search across the archive by article title, author, book, contributor, or subject.


the first issue in 1963 to the present. Browse by year or issue or search across the archive by article title, author, book, contributor, or subject.New York State Historic Newspapers: Over 11 million pages from newspapers published in New York State between 1725 and 2020. The newspapers on the website are either in the public domain (any papers published before January 1, 1924) or have been cleared for use by the original copyright holders for members of the public for noncommercial, educational, and research purposes.

Nexis Uni (previously LexisNexis): Nexis Uni is a full-text news, business, and legal database with sources from around the world, including local, regional, national, and international newspapers, scholarly journals, trade journals, and popular magazines, television and radio broadcasts, and newswires and blogs. Legal sources include federal and state cases and statutes, including U.S. Supreme Court decisions since 1790. Also contains business information on U.S. and international companies (see Dossier section) and patent data (see TotalPatent One section).

Nexis Uni video tutorials


siness information on U.S. and international companies (see Dossier section) and patent data (see TotalPatent One section).

Nexis Uni video tutorialsNineteenth (19th) Century British Newspapers: The GC’s subscription includes Parts I and II, comprised of 69 titles published between 1800 and 1900, selected by the British Library to best represent 19th century Britain. Includes national and regional newspapers, as well as those from both established country or university towns and the industrial powerhouses of the manufacturing Midlands, as well as Scotland, Ireland and Wales. Also includes newspapers that helped lead particular political or social movements such as Reform, Chartism, and Home Rule. The penny papers aimed at the working and clerical classes are also present.


ar political or social movements such as Reform, Chartism, and Home Rule. The penny papers aimed at the working and clerical classes are also present.Oxford History of Western Music: The Oxford History of Western Music online offers an evolution of Western classical music by one of the most prominent and provocative musicologists of our time, Richard Taruskin. The online version includes all 1.25 million words, 500 images, and 1,800 musical examples from the updated paperback edition with sophisticated search and browse functionality designed to maximize the dynamic possibilities of online reading and research. Taruskin’s text is accompanied by editorially selected links to relevant articles in Oxford Art Online.

PAIS Index - International and Archive: Bibliographic citations from international sources including journals, books, government documents, statistical directories, grey literature, research reports, conference papers, web content, and more, covering public policy, social policy, and the social sciences in general from 1915 to the present.


reports, conference papers, web content, and more, covering public policy, social policy, and the social sciences in general from 1915 to the present.Policy File Index: Policy File Index is a unique resource for U.S. public policy research. Users are able to access timely, updated information from over 350 public policy think tanks, nongovernmental organizations, research institutes, university centers, advocacy groups, and other entities. Coverage spans 1990 to the present.

Political Science Database: Full text of more than 750 political science, public policy, and international relations journals, most of which are indexed in Worldwide Political Science Abstracts. Also includes thousands of recent full-text doctoral dissertations on political science topics, working papers, conference proceedings, country reports, policy papers and other sources. Coverage spans 1985 to the present.


olitical science topics, working papers, conference proceedings, country reports, policy papers and other sources. Coverage spans 1985 to the present.PRISMA (Publicaciones y Revistas Sociales y Humanísticas): Over 200 full-text scholarly journals in the social sciences and humanities for the interdisciplinary study of Hispanic and Latin America and the Caribbean Basin. Offers titles in English, Spanish and Portuguese indexed in the Hispanic American Periodicals Index (HAPI) . Coverage spans 1966 to the present.


asin. Offers titles in English, Spanish and Portuguese indexed in the Hispanic American Periodicals Index (HAPI) . Coverage spans 1966 to the present.Roper iPoll (formerly Roper Center Archives): The world’s largest collection of poll data from 1935 to present.  Contains hundreds of thousands of questions and tens of thousands of individual-level datasets, with hundreds more added yearly. Includes broad topical coverage of opinions and behavior on social issues, politics, the environment, science and technology, health, economics, and more.  It also includes global data from over 120 countries, and historical archives that feature questions on topics such as World War II, the civil rights movement, and women’s history, along with a general social survey with cumulative data from 1972-2016 featuring a standard core of demographic and attitudinal variables. Access through the Graduate Center Library enables you to view poll questions, save up to 50 questions, search abstracts and download documentation.


. Access through the Graduate Center Library enables you to view poll questions, save up to 50 questions, search abstracts and download documentation.. Access through the Graduate Center Library enables you to view poll questions, save up to 50 questions, search abstracts and download documentation.. Access through the Graduate Center Library enables you to view poll questions, save up to 50 questions, search abstracts and download documentation.Create a free personal account to download datasets, save up to 500 questions at once, and use the RoperExplorer analytical tool with crosstabs functionality. Users who have accounts on the old "classic" Roper iPoll website will need to register again on the new site. Learn more about how to use Roper iPoll online: Roper Tutorials .


n the old "classic" Roper iPoll website will need to register again on the new site. Learn more about how to use Roper iPoll online: Roper Tutorials .Sabin Americana, 1500-1926: An online collection based on Joseph Sabin’s famed bibliography, Bibliotheca Americana: A Dictionary of Books Relating to America From its Discovery to the Present Time .  Contains 65,000 books, pamphlets, newspapers, political tracts, sermons, maps, legislation, and literature about the Americas, from the time of their discovery to the early 1900s. Sabin features original accounts of discovery and exploration, pioneering and westward expansion, the U.S. Civil War and other military actions, Native Americans, slavery and abolition, politics, culture, contemporary opinions, religious history, and more. Covers North, Central, and South America, and the Caribbean.


ery and abolition, politics, culture, contemporary opinions, religious history, and more. Covers North, Central, and South America, and the Caribbean.Seventeenth-Eighteenth (17th-18th) Century Burney Collection Newspapers: The newspapers, pamphlets, and books gathered by the Reverend Charles Burney (1757-1817) represent the largest and most comprehensive collection of early English news media. The present digital collection, charting the development of the concept of news, newspapers, and the free press, totals almost one-million pages and contains approximately 1,270 titles.


rting the development of the concept of news, newspapers, and the free press, totals almost one-million pages and contains approximately 1,270 titles.Slavery in America and the World: History, Culture & Law: This collection includes every U.S. federal, state and colony statute passed on slavery, all reported state and federal judicial cases on slavery, Congressional debates from the Continental Congress to 1880, more than a thousand books and pamphlets from the 19th century, including essays and articles in obscure journals. The growing collection also includes modern histories of slavery, modern law review articles on the subject, and an extensive bibliography. Much of the secondary source material in the collection is based on the holdings of the Buffalo Public Library's rare book collection. See the Comprehensive Users Guide for full search details.


e collection is based on the holdings of the Buffalo Public Library's rare book collection. See the Comprehensive Users Guide for full search details.Social Theory: More than 150,000 pages of content by such major theorists as Theodor Adorno, Jean Baudrillard, Simone de Beauvoir, Charlotte Perkins Gilman, Émile Durkheim, Michel Foucault, Jürgen Habermas, Karl Marx, Robert Merton, Dorothy E. Smith, and Talcott Parsons. Search across the resource or browse authors, titles, theories, or subjects.

TLS: Times Literary Supplement Historical Archive, 1902-2019: An international publication with contributors from around the world covering literature and criticism, history, science, politics, and art.  Includes every issue of TLS from 1902 through 2019, which can be searched or browsed by book title, author, book editor, translator, or contributor (reviewer, essayist, or illustrator). Print issues of TLS from 1963 to 1974 and from 2020 to the present are shelved by title in the library’s periodical collection on the second floor of the library.


of TLS from 1963 to 1974 and from 2020 to the present are shelved by title in the library’s periodical collection on the second floor of the library.TRACFed: TRACFed is a source of authoritative information on federal government criminal, civil, and administrative enforcement, as well as information on staffing, spending, and related matters. It includes access to TRAC's full suite of data tools and reports (with the exception of the Judge Information Center) and offers a wide range of federal data, mostly collected under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). Read more in our GC Library blog post about TRACFed .

U.S. Declassified Documents Online: Declassified executive branch documents from presidential libraries and executive agencies consisting of intelligence studies, policy papers, diplomatic correspondence, cabinet meeting minutes, briefing materials, and domestic surveillance and military reports.  This digital collection began as the Declassified Documents Reference System (DDRS) on microfiche and fills a gap in post-World War II domestic and foreign policy studies.


on began as the Declassified Documents Reference System (DDRS) on microfiche and fills a gap in post-World War II domestic and foreign policy studies.U.S. History in Context: Content includes reference works, millions of news and periodical articles, and more than 5,000 rare and vital primary source documents that range from slave journals to presidential papers.

Urban Studies Abstracts: Biographic records in community development, urban affairs, urban history, and related areas from 1973 to the present.


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Urban Studies Abstracts: Biographic records in community development, urban affairs, urban history, and related areas from 1973 to the present.Women's Studies Archive (All Search): Search all four modules of the Women's Studies Archive at once. The WSA consists of 52 collections of manuscripts, organizational records, periodicals, and monographs relating to women's history from across the globe and from a wide range of sources. Focusing on the evolution of feminism throughout the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, the WSA covers women's political activism, including suffrage, birth control, pacifism, civil rights, and socialism, and women's voices in literature and periodicals. The WSA Collections are divided into four modules which may be searched together or separately: Female Forerunners Worldwide Issues and Identities Rare Titles from the American Antiquarian Society, 1820-1922 Voice and Vision

World History in Video: More than 1,750 documentaries exploring human history from the earliest civilizations to the late twentieth century.


More Political Science Journals:
Journals in JSTOR NYPL Databases Now Available from Home


General Databases:
Academic OneFile: Provides full-text articles in all subject areas from over 19,000 scholarly journals and other authoritative sources as well as thousands of podcasts and transcripts from NPR (National Public Radio) and CNN, and videos from BBC Worldwide Learning.  Subjects covered include biology, chemistry, criminal justice, economics, environmental science, history, marketing, political science, and psychology.

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.


edings, 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.Annee philologique: Bibliographic database of scholarly works relating to all aspects of Ancient Greek and Roman civilizations.  Includes all volumes of the annual index beginning with Volume 1 published in 1928.  Covers Greek and Latin literature and linguistics, Greek and Roman history, art, archaeology, philosophy, religion, mythology, music, science, and scholarly subspecialties such as numismatics, papyrology and epigraphy. Abstracts of journal articles are in English, German, Spanish, French or Italian. Books entries often include tables of contents and book review information.

Anthropological Index Online: AIO indexes nearly 800 journals published in more than 40 languages held in the British Museum's Anthropology Library.  Records span 1957 to the present and cover all branches and areas of anthropology, including archaeology, cultural ethnography, linguistics, and physical anthropology.


to the present and cover all branches and areas of anthropology, including archaeology, cultural ethnography, linguistics, and physical anthropology.AnthroSource: Current issues of the American Anthropological Association's journals and bulletins as well as archived issues of all the AAA's journals, newsletters and bulletins.  Part of Wiley Online Library.


l Association's journals and bulletins as well as archived issues of all the AAA's journals, newsletters and bulletins.  Part of Wiley Online Library.ARTFL: A collection of digitized resources on the French language developed through a collaboration between the French government and the University of Chicago.  The main database, ARTFL-FRANTEXT, consists of more than 3,500 French language texts spanning the 12th through the 20th centuries, and ranging from classic works of literature to non-fiction prose and technical writing.  Additional subscription databases contain texts related to specific genres and writers, such as dictionaries, novels, Provençal poetry, histories of the French Revolution, 19th century French literary and artistic criticism, philosophical works, and ancient French texts.  Also includes nearly two dozen open access databases covering a wide range of topics, including 18th and 19th century encyclopedias, French revolutionary newspapers, pamphlets, and laws, classical French theatre, and online editions of the works of Voltaire, Rousseau, Montaigne, and others.


evolutionary newspapers, pamphlets, and laws, classical French theatre, and online editions of the works of Voltaire, Rousseau, Montaigne, and others.evolutionary newspapers, pamphlets, and laws, classical French theatre, and online editions of the works of Voltaire, Rousseau, Montaigne, and others.evolutionary newspapers, pamphlets, and laws, classical French theatre, and online editions of the works of Voltaire, Rousseau, Montaigne, and others.Select “Subscription Databases” or “Public Access” for details.


theatre, and online editions of the works of Voltaire, Rousseau, Montaigne, and others.Select “Subscription Databases” or “Public Access” for details.Arts & Humanities Database: Full text of 600 publications related to visual and applied arts. Titles include both scholarly peer-reviewed journals and selected trade and consumer titles relevant to applied arts and cultural studies. Subject strengths include art, design, crafts, and photography; archaeology, anthropology and classical studies; architecture, interior design, and urban planning; history, philosophy, geography and religion; modern languages and literatures; and music, theatre, film and cultural studies.

HathiTrust Digital Library: Millions of books digitized by a variety of major research institutions. See this post for more information about public domain items available to all via HathiTrust .


digitized by a variety of major research institutions. See this post for more information about public domain items available to all via HathiTrust .Humanities Source: Over 1,500 full-text journals dating back to 1907.  Includes millions of records covering archaeology, art, communications, dance, film, folklore, history, journalism, linguistics, literary and social criticism, classical studies, area studies and gender studies. Should be included in any humanities search.

Journal Citation Reports: Presents an array of citation-based metrics for journals indexed in the Web of Science Core Collection. Provides Journal Impact Factor (i.e., average number of citations in a given year to articles published by that journal in the previous two years, averaged over the number of articles published in those two years) for many but not all covered journals. Search or browse the database by journal (title or ISSN), subject category, or publisher. Compare metrics for up to four journals simultaneously.


als. Search or browse the database by journal (title or ISSN), subject category, or publisher. Compare metrics for up to four journals simultaneously.JSTOR: A digital library containing journals, books, images, and primary sources. The GC’s subscription includes JSTOR’s Arts and Sciences I-XII collections of scholarly journals across the social sciences and humanities. Coverage begins with the first issue of almost every journal and continues through varying periods within the last five years. Also included are more than 700 freely accessible collections of illustrations, letters, literary documents, newspapers, magazines, photographs, postcards, and yearbooks; open access alternative press publications from the latter half of the 20th century; and thousands of research reports. 3+ million images in Artstor are also now discoverable in JSTOR. Browse content by subject, title, or collection, or search across the full resource. Register for a free personal account to save materials and organize your work.


t by subject, title, or collection, or search across the full resource. Register for a free personal account to save materials and organize your work.LGBTQ+ Rights: Part of HeinOnline, this database charts the gay rights movement in the U.S., showing the civil rights codified into law in the 20th and 21st centuries, as well as the inequalities that still exist today. Topics covered include the Defense of Marriage Act, the AIDS crisis, military service by gay and transgender service members, "bathroom bills," and more. A separate subcollection presents historical texts whose views some readers may find offensive today, showing the prejudicial beliefs that permeated society and helped formed the laws of their time.

LGBTQ+ Source: Full text from over 150 LGBTQi (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, Questioning and Intersex) journals, magazines, and newspapers and over 150 books. The database includes comprehensive indexing and abstract coverage as well as a specialized LGBTQ+ Thesaurus containing over 10,000 terms.


150 books. The database includes comprehensive indexing and abstract coverage as well as a specialized LGBTQ+ Thesaurus containing over 10,000 terms.Loeb Classical Library: Harvard University Press presents an interconnected, fully searchable, growing, virtual library of Greek and Latin literature. Epic and lyric poetry; tragedy and comedy; history, travel, philosophy, and oratory; the great medical writers and mathematicians; up-to-date texts and accurate English translations. More than 520 volumes of Latin, Greek, and English texts.

Oxford Academic: A new unified platform for Oxford University Press’s journals and many of its academic book collections that allows cross searching and browsing of content.  Browse or search across all content or just within Journals, Books, or Subjects.  Limit results to subscribed materials by filtering for Purchased Content, Open Access, and/or Free items.   Available titles may be found in OneSearch . For other disciplines, check availability via the New York Public Library remotely.


and/or Free items.   Available titles may be found in OneSearch . For other disciplines, check availability via the New York Public Library remotely.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.

Oxford Journals: Full collection of journals published by Oxford University Press covering the Arts & Humanities, Law, Medicine & Health, Science & Mathematics, and the Social Sciences.


journals published by Oxford University Press covering the Arts & Humanities, Law, Medicine & Health, Science & Mathematics, and the Social Sciences.Project Muse: The CUNY and Graduate Center subscriptions provide access to the full text of nearly 400 journals in the humanities, social sciences, and sciences along with over 70,000 e-books and 4,600 open access books.  Select “Browse All Muse” and filter by Access type “Only content I have access to” to see subscribed and OA content. Or look for the green check mark and OA icons that appear next to accessible titles when searching across the platform. E-books are also available via the separate link to Project Muse E-Books .

Project Muse (including Ebooks) via NYPL: Please log in using your New York Public Library credentials! The New York Public Library's Project Muse offerings include ebooks that can be downloaded as PDFs by chapter.


ur New York Public Library credentials! The New York Public Library's Project Muse offerings include ebooks that can be downloaded as PDFs by chapter.Social Sciences Index Retrospective: 1907-1983: Indexes hundreds of important journals in the social sciences. Subject coverage Includes addiction studies, anthropology, area studies, communications and mass media, community health and medical care, criminal justice, economics, environmental studies, family studies, gender studies, geography, international relations, law, minority studies, planning and public administration, political science, psychiatry, psychology, public welfare, social work, sociology and urban studies.


rity studies, planning and public administration, political science, psychiatry, psychology, public welfare, social work, sociology and urban studies.SocINDEX with Full Text: Comprehensive coverage of sociology, encompassing all sub-disciplines and related areas of study. The database features 2.1 million records with subject headings from a 20,000+ term sociological thesaurus. Also contains abstracts for more than 4,650 journals, some dating to 1895 and extensive indexing for books/monographs and conference papers. Contains full text for more than 830 books and monographs, 16,800 conference papers, and 860 journals dating back to 1908. Searchable cited references and thousands of author profiles are also included.


Suggest a Book:
Suggest a book purchase: The Graduate Center Library welcomes book purchase suggestions from the Graduate Center community. The library will carefully consider requests that are consistent with our Collection Policy .


Catalogs and Other Resources:
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.

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.


About this Guide:
This following pages includes information on archives and archival repositories, collection finding aids, conducting background research, and finding both analog and digitized collections.  It includes links to resources, research tips, and tools for working with the sources you find.  Please send any comments or suggestions to library@gc.cuny.edu.


Associations:
Some scholarly associations for political science: American Political Science Association Federalist Society for Law & Public Policy Studies International Political Science Association International Studies Association