Finding Primary Source Materials: Directories
What are These?
The websites listed on this page help you locate primary source documents and collections. They are generally arranged by subject, time period, or geographically. Some are keyword searchable. Some include secondary as well as primary sources. Because there is no single comprehensive database for primary sources, you may want to explore several of these sites as well as the resources in the History section of the Libraries' E-Research by Discipline page. Some of these sites include resources that are available by subscription only, but many are freely accessible.
Local Collections of Archives and Manuscripts
Call ahead or email before you visit to ensure that you will be able to access the material the day you visit and that you are aware of any special restrictions that might be in place regarding its use. Special Collections in the area include:
- Wilson Special Collections Library (UNC)Includes the Southern Historical Collection, the Southern Folklife Collection, University Archives, the North Carolina Collection, and the Rare Book Collection.
- David M. Rubenstein Rare Book & Manuscript Library (Duke)Rare books, manuscripts, audio recordings, moving images, artifacts, digital files, and other materials. Signature collections include the Sallie Bingham Center for Women’s History and Culture, the John Hope Franklin Center for African and African American History and Culture, and John W. Hartman Center for Sales, Advertising and Marketing History.
- North Carolina State University Special Collections Research CenterAreas of emphasis include Engineering, Agricultural Innovations, Forestry and Environmental Sciences, Textiles, Veterinary Medicine, and Architecture and Design.
- North Carolina Central University Special CollectionsIncludes numerous works that were written during the Antebellum Period of American history.
- North Carolina State Archives"Collects, preserves, and makes available for public use historical and evidential materials relating to North Carolina."
Guides for Finding and Using Primary Sources
- Making Sense of EvidenceThis site includes strategies for analyzing various types of primary source materials and interviews/case studies with leading scholars. From History Matters.
- Evidence Explained: Citing History Sources From Artifacts to CyberspaceCall Number: Davis Library D5 .M55 2007This manual shows how to cite many different types of historical source material, including primary sources.
Directories
- History Matters"A highly regarded gateway to web resources as well as a repository of unique teaching materials, first-person primary documents, and guides to analyzing historical evidence for high school and college students and teachers of American history."
- History OnlineDirectory of historical research, digital history projects, new books and journals. and more.
- Discovering American Women's History Online: Digital Collections of Primary SourcesA directory of digitized collections of primary source materials for the study of American women's history, from the 1600s to the present.
