Historians rely on primary material such as manuscripts, letters, diaries, newspaper accounts, speeches, and maps, to learn about and analyze the past. The MacPhaidin Library has many such primary sources in its collection of print and electronic materials. Additionally, the library has access to a number of primary source databases.
Primary Source Collections:
- Library Primary Source Materials - (print materials and electronic books) - use HillSearch, the library's catalog, to search for primary source materials in our collection. Adding terms such as "sources", "narrative", "oral history", "letters" or "correspondence" to your search terms might help narrow the results set to primary source materials.
- Library Primary Source Databases - (materials available in library databases) The Library's Alexander Street Press databases provide access to tens of thousands of primary source resources arranged in specific collections. Those collections include those focusing on The Civil War, American immigrants, women and social movements and more. Read the descriptions of the individual collections to find one that suits your research needs.
