What Are Primary Sources?
Primary sources are documents from the time period, people, and events of the time under consideration. Primary sources can be:
- diaries or correspondence
- photographs
- illustrations
- newspaper articles (from the time period)
- manuscripts
- pamphlets, broadsides, or other ephemera
Finding Primary Sources
Many primary sources can be found in UC Library Search or Worldcat, but there are other avenues for seeking out these kinds of materials.
- ArchiveGrid This link opens in a new windowNearly a million collection descriptions from a variety of museums, universities, and other repositories.
- Digital Public Library of AmericaDigitized primary sources from museums, libraries and archives around the country.
- Library of Congress Digital CollectionsA wide range of primary source material from the Library of Congress documenting American history and culture, including text, sound recordings, still and moving images, prints, maps, and sheet music.
- Online Archive of California (OAC) This link opens in a new windowFinding aids for primary source collections in all UC campuses and other contributing institutions, including libraries, special collections, archives, historical societies, and museums throughout California.
- Umbra: Search African American History This link opens in a new windowFree digital platform that brings together primary source content from numerous cultural institutions documenting African American history and culture. Includes images, text, sound, video, and physical objects.