Research Guides: Art Conservation: eBooks, Documents, Archives

E-book collections - Historical & Contemporary

Conservation Manuals / Conservation Recipe Books

ACLS Humanities E-Book Collection This link opens in a new window
A collection of e-books across the entire range of the humanities.
Springer E-Books This link opens in a new window
An integrated platform for books, journals, and other materials published by Springer, a major publisher of science and social sciences books and journals. The UD Library has acquired Springer eBooks in most subject areas. (Coverage: 2005 --)
Early American Imprints Series I: Evans, 1639-1800 This link opens in a new window
Includes nearly every book, pamphlet, and broadside published in North America during the 17th and 18th centuries. The definitive resource for information about every aspect of life in 17th and 18th century America, from agriculture and auctions through foreign affairs, diplomacy, literature, music, religion, the Revolutionary War, temperance, witchcraft, and many other topics. (Coverage: 1639-1800)
Includes all American imprints from the 17th and 18th centuries identified in the American Bibliography by Charles Evans and in the Supplement to Evans’ American Bibliography by Roger Bristol.

Can be searched on Readex AllSearch, an integrated platform that combines Readex’s primary sources into a single cross-searchable interface.
Early English Books Online This link opens in a new window
Early work printed in the British Isles and North America, as well as works in English printed elsewhere. (Coverage: 1470-1700)
This collection can also be searched on Gale Primary Sources, an integrated platform that combines Gales digital archives into a single cross-searchable interface.
Eighteenth Century Collections Online This link opens in a new window
Digital images of thousands of books, pamphlets and broadsides published during the 18th c. (Coverage: 1701-1800) For the earlier period, see Early English Books Online.
This collection can also be searched on Gale Primary Sources, an integrated platform that combines Gales digital archives into a single cross-searchable interface.
The acquisition of this database was made possible through the support of the Unidel Foundation.
Making of America This link opens in a new window
A digital library of primary sources on American social history from the antebellum period through reconstruction. Originally a collaborative project between Cornell University and the University of Michigan, each institution focused on different aspects of this period based on what each already had in its collections. Each collection is accessed separately. The Cornell Collection is available at Hathi Trust and the Michigan Collection is available on the U-M Library Digital Collections site. (Coverage: 1840-1900)
U.S. Congressional Serial Set This link opens in a new window
House and Senate Documents and Reports, constituting a rich set of primary source documents. Covers a variety of topics and may include reports of executive departments and independent organizations, reports of special investigations, etc. (Coverage: 1817-1994)
The U.S. Congressional Serial Set is bound by session of Congress. It began publication with the 15th Congress, 1st Session (1817). Documents before 1817 are found in the American State Papers, which can be accessed via the A-Z Databases page. The Serial Set does not include Congressional hearings and debates.
House and Senate Reports are usually from congressional committees dealing with proposed legislation and issues under investigation. They include all other papers ordered printed by the House or Senate. Documents cover a wide variety of topics and may include reports of executive departments and independent organizations, reports of special investigations made for Congress, and annual reports of non-governmental organizations. During the late 19th and early 20th centuries, Executive branch materials were also published in the Serial Set.
After 1994, GPO and the Library of Congress provide digital access to most of the continuing Serial Set materials.
It is possible to search the U.S. Congressional Serial Set Maps directly.
This collection can also be searched on Readex AllSearch, an integrated platform that combines Readex’s primary sources into a single cross-searchable interface.
HathiTrust Digital Library This link opens in a new window
Partial Open Access. Partnering with academic and research institutions, HathiTrust (pronounced hah tee) provides access to millions of titles digitized from libraries around the world. Typically, books in the public domain (no longer under copyright) can be viewed in full by all users.
WHAT'S AVAILABLE
- Copyrighted items are available for full-text search in the HathiTrust Digital Library and can be helpful in the creation of a bibliography.
- Items in the public domain or available through Creative Commons licensing are marked “Full view” in the online catalog at https://www.hathitrust.org.
- Because the University of Delaware is a HathiTrust member, you may log in to HathiTrust using your UDelNet ID and download full PDFs of "Full View" items.
Internet Archive This link opens in a new window
Non-profit library of millions of free books, movies, software, music, websites, and more.

Primary Source Collections

Primary Sources: Research Guide

Gale Primary Sources This link opens in a new window
An integrated platform that combines Gales digital archives into a single cross-searchable interface to enhance the ability to discover primary source documents from multiple collections. Over 50 collections are available to University of Delaware users on this platform. (Coverage: 1500 -)
Nineteenth Century Collections Online This link opens in a new window
Wide range of content covering the long 19th c. - a term for the 125 year period beginning with the onset of the French Revolution in 1789, and ending with the outbreak of World War I in 1914. (Coverage: 1789-1914)
This collection can also be searched on Gale Primary Sources, an integrated platform that combines Gales digital archives into a single cross-searchable interface.
Archive of Americana This link opens in a new window
Comprehensive collections for research in American history. Includes books, pamphlets, newspapers, and government documents printed in America over 3 centuries. (Coverage: 1639-1994)
The components of Archive of Americana that are available to UD are listed below. The collection can also be searched on Readex AllSearch, an integrated platform that combines all of UD's Readex’s primary sources into a single cross-searchable interface.
- American State Papers, 1789-1838 – Legislative and executive documents, many originating from the important period between 1789 and the beginning of the U.S. Congressional Serial Set in 1817.
- America’s Historical Newspapers
  - African American Newspapers Series 1 and 2: U.S. newspapers chronicling a century and a half of the African American experience. Coverage: 1827-1998)
  - Early American Newspapers Series 1: From Colonies to Nation. (Coverage: 1690-1876)
  - Early American Newspapers Series 2: The New Republic. (Coverage: 1758-1900)
  - Early American Newspapers Series 3: From Farm to City (Coverage: (1829-1922)
  - Early American Newspapers Series 4: The Rise of Industry (Coverage: 1756-1922)
  - Early American Newspapers Series 5: An Emerging World Power (Coverage: (1777-1922)
- Early American Imprints, Series I: Evans Books, pamphlets, broadsides and other imprints listed in the renowned bibliography by Charles Evans. (Coverage: 1639-1800)
- U.S. Congressional Serial Sett: Reports, documents and journals of the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives (Coverage: 1817-1994)
ms 10/2023
Making of the Modern World This link opens in a new window
Books, serials, political pamphlets, broadsides, government publications, proclamations and ephemera focusing on economics, political science, history, sociology, banking, finance, transportation and manufacturing. Includes many rare titles and 1st editions in languages other than English. (Coverage: 1450-1945)
This collection can also be searched on Gale Primary Sources, an integrated platform that combines Gales digital archives into a single cross-searchable interface.
Colonial America This link opens in a new window
All volumes of the CO 5 series from The National Archives, UK. Consists of original correspondence between the British government and the governments of the American colonies. (Coverage: 1606-1822)
American Consumer Culture This link opens in a new window
Interdisciplinary, cross-searchable collection of 3 databases that explore the history of American consumer culture. (Coverage: 1850-2000)
Three individual databases comprise American Consumer Culture. They can also be accessed individually from the A-Z Databases page.
- Market Research and American Business, 1935-1965 presents reports produced by Ernest Dichter that attempt to reveal consumers’ innermost desires and motivations.
- J. Walter Thompson: Advertising America presents how advertising is produced and how it interacts with consumer culture through the archive and workings of one of the world’s oldest and largest advertising agencies.
- Trade Catalogues and the American Home presents domestic life and material culture by detailing the products sold in the domestic sphere.
World's Fairs and Expositions: Visions of Tomorrow This link opens in a new window
Primary source documents about landmark exhibits from 1843 to 1940. Content ranges from organizational and administrative records, postcards, books and watercolors from the exhibitions. (Coverage: 1843-1940)
This collection can also be searched on Gale Primary Sources, an integrated platform that combines Gales digital archives into a single cross-searchable interface.
China: Trade, Politics and Culture This link opens in a new window
Over 200 years of Chinese history, charting the monumental social and political upheaval that recreated China as a modern power. Documents encompass events from the earliest English embassy to the birth and early years of the People’s Republic. (Coverage: 1793 - 1980)
Also included are over 400 color paintings, maps, and drawings by English and Chinese artists, as well as many photographs, sketches, and ephemeral items depicting Chinese people, places, customs, and events.
Digital Public Library of America This link opens in a new window
A platform that brings together millions of books, videos, images, and sounds contributed by cultural institutions from across the U.S. and makes them freely available to the world.

Women Working, 1800-1930

Archives, Manuscripts, Genealogy

ArchiveGrid This link opens in a new window
Helps researchers looking for primary source materials held in archives, libraries, museums and historical societies. Millions of archival descriptions and finding aids from over 1,400 different institutions are represented.
Some collection descriptions include links to images, sound recordings, or other online materials. You can narrow your search results to those that have links to digital content.
Ancestry Library Edition This link opens in a new window
Access to a number of genealogical and historical resources, including images of the decennial U.S. census from 1790-1930.
Among the specific types of resources included:
- Census records
- Military records
- Court, land, and probate records
- Passenger lists and other immigration records
- Periodicals and newspapers
- Birth, marriage, and death records (including the Social Security Death Index)
- Biography and history
- Reference and finding aids
- City directories

Art Conservation

E-book collections - Historical & Contemporary

WHAT'S AVAILABLE

Primary Source Collections

Archives, Manuscripts, Genealogy