Research Guides: Primary Sources: Primary Source Collections Online

Current vs. Historical Primary Sources: Searching Tips

Historical:	Current:
Use language from the time period	Use specific keywords to locate what type of source (i.e. interview)
Search broadly	Search broadly
Think about where the source might "live" - who might collect this?	Consult where sources are created (i.e. news outlets, social media)

Large Online Primary Source Collections - Historical

This is a list of the large digitized collections that are free and open to all to access. Almost every institution has some of their collections located online. Consider searching for smaller collections, in addition to larger collections.

ArchiveGrid
ArchiveGrid provides access to over 5 million records from over 1,000 archives, libraries, museums and historical societies. These records link to descriptions of items and collections at these institutions, with some materials either partially or fully online.
Digital Public Library of America
The DPLA portal searches collections held by US archives, libraries and museums. Some collections from the University of Delaware Library can be found in DPLA collections. Look for the NJ/DE Digital Collective's filter.
Library of Congress Digital Collections
The Library of Congress has a large collection of digitized content that is free to use on a variety of topics.
National Archives and Records Administration
Although NARA does not have many of their collections digitized, they have worked to make some available online. Anyone is welcome to conduct research at a NARA location. If you are interested in conducting in-person research, click on their "Research our Records" tab at the top left of the page.
New York Public Library Digital Collections
Although NYPL has a New York History focus, it has a rich collection on a variety of topics ranging from a local to an international focus.
Smithsonian Institution

Additional Search Tips for Historical Sources

Finding primary sources is a multi-step process. There is no "one-stop-shop" database that will give you everything you need for your paper. Follow these tips:

Look at the bibliographies and footnotes from articles and books to see what primary sources those scholars are using for evidence
Think and research multiple institutions, archives, or repositories that could have information and collections about your project
Use historical language

When searching for primary source collections online, include the following additional phrases with your keywords:

online collections
digital collections
digitized collections

Be aware that digital collections only show a small portion of what an institution holds!