LibGuides: HIST 3000: Research Methods: Finding Primary Sources

Images

There are many ways to incorporate visual media into your research and presentation including photographs, images of works of art, maps, video. The following links are just a launching point. For additional help, please don't hesitate to ask.

USU Special Collections Photo Collections
USU has over 120,000 images in our local holdings, many of which are digitized.
ARTstor (requires authentication)
Digital library of images from cultural institutions worldwide. Over 700,000 images including architecture, painting, sculpture, photography, decorative arts, design, and more.
Photos and Prints from the Library of Congress American Memory Project
Digital images included in exhibits at the Library of Congress.
New York Public Library Digital Gallery

Documents Online

The Library provides access to several databases of primary source documents including historical newspapers, letters and diaries, and images. Additionally, many libraries, museums, and educational institutions provide free access to the historical materials included in their collections. The links below are only a small selection of what is available, primarily focused on United States sources.

Historical New York Times Database (requires authentication)
If you want to find newspaper coverage of world events, this database includes every issue of the New York Times dating back to 1851.
North American Women's Letters and Diaries (requires authentication)
A collection of women's diaries and letters.
American Memory from the Library of Congress
A collection of primary sources on a wide range of American history topics.
Public Papers of the President
Papers and speeches of the President of the United States that were issued by the Office of the Press Secretary, for the administrations of Presidents Hoover, Roosevelt, Truman, Eisenhower, Kennedy, Johnson, Nixon, Ford, Carter, Reagan, Bush, and Clinton.
Documenting the American South
Primary sources related to Southern history.
Utah State University Digital Library
Digitized materials owned by Utah State University Libraries.
Mountain West Digital Library
The Mountain West Digital Library is a portal to digital resources from universities, colleges, public libraries, museums, archives, and historical societies throughout the intermountain west.
Utah Digital Newspapers
Over 50 historical Utah newspapers. Most Utah counties are represented.

Government Documents

Merrill-Cazier Library is a Regional Depository for U.S. Government publications. Publications of major United Nations organs (Assembly, Council, Secretariat) are also part of the Government Documents collection. Advanced assistance with US Government and United Nations documents is available from Government Documents department [797-2684], Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

While many government documents are searchable in the Library's online catalog, earlier documents have often not been incorporated into that resource. For thorough searching use:

Monthly Catalog of U.S. Government Publications: Index to government publications published from 1895-1976.