Library Guides: American Studies: Other Resources

DVDs and Non-Print Media

You can also find non-print media of all types in OskiCat; search by keywords, author, subject, title, etc. and pull down the "Entire Collection" menu to the type of resource you want (maps, films, etc.)

All Media Resources Center materials must be used on-site.

Finding Primary Sources

Primary sources can be found in a variety of library tools:

Catalogs: OskiCat and Melvyl
Online book and text collections
Primary Source databases provided by the Library
Vetted sites on the web:

For specific search strategies, see the Library's Guide to Finding Historical Primary Source s

Learn more about your topic in advance:

names of relevant individuals and organizations
dates of events
places
what terminology was used at the time by participants and observers? (ex: negro or colored instead of african american)

Selected Databases for Primary Sources

American Memory Motion Pictures Collections (Library of Congress)
A gateway to primary source materials relating to the history and culture of the United States. Includes a sampling of early American films, including works by the Edison Company, recordings of vaudeville and other popular entertainments, early animated films; recordings of early 20th Century presidents, and scenes of American work and leisure.

A gateway to primary source materials relating to the history and culture of the United States. The site offers more than 7 million digital items from more than 100 historical collections. Includes a sampling of early American films, including works by the Edison Company, recordings of vaudeville and other popular entertainments, early animated films; recordings of early 20th Century presidents, and scenes of American work and leisure, 1894-1915.
Historical Newspapers (ProQuest)
A newspaper digital archive offering full-text and full-image articles for significant newspapers dating back to the 18th Century. Every issue of each title includes the complete paper-cover-to-cover, with full-page and article images. (New York Times - San Francisco Chronicle - Wall Street Journal - Washington Post - Chicago Defender - Chicago Tribune - Los Angeles Times) [1849 - 2003]

A newspaper digital archive offering full-text and full-image articles for significant US newspapers. Our subscription includes access to Chicago Defender (1910-1975); Chicago Tribune (1849-1990); Los Angeles Times (1881-1990); The New York Times (1851-2010) with Index (1851-1993); San Francisco Chronicle (1865-1922); The Wall Street Journal (1889-1996); and The Washington Post (1877-1997).
American Memory: Historical Collections for the National Digital Library
Primary source and archival materials covering topics such as art and architecture, performing arts, technology and applied sciences.

Millions of digital items from more than 100 historical Library of Congress collections.
Calisphere
Digitized images including photographs, documents, newspaper pages, political cartoons, works of art, diaries, transcribed oral histories, advertising, and other unique cultural artifacts that reveal the diverse history and culture of California and its role in national and world history.

Gateway to digitized images from the libraries and museums of the University of California campuses, cultural heritage organizations in California, and UC-created websites and collections.
Early Encounters in North America: Peoples, Cultures, and the Environment
Digitized archive that documents the relationships among early North American peoples and the environment.

Includes prints, drawings, paintings, maps, bibliographies, letters, photographs, and original facsimile pages documenting the relationships among peoples and with the environment in North America. Focuses on personal accounts and providing unique perspectives from all the protagonists, including traders, slaves, missionaries, explorers, soldiers, Native Americans as well as a wide range of Europeans.
Everyday Life and Women in America
Images (alongside transcriptions) of monographs, pamphlets, periodicals and broadsides addressing 19th and early 20th century political, social and gender issues, religion, race, education, employment, marriage, sexuality, home and family life, health, and pastimes. [1800 - 1920]

Providing access to primary source material from the Sallie Bingham Center for Women's History, Duke University and The New York Public Library. It comprises thousands of fully searchable images (alongside transcriptions) of monographs, pamphlets, periodicals and broadsides addressing 19th and early 20th century political, social and gender issues, religion, race, education, employment, marriage, sexuality, home and family life, health, and pastimes.
HarpWeek
Digitized archive of Harper's Weekly from its beginning in 1857 to 1912. A good source for 19th and early 20th century advertising, illustrations, culture, history, literature, and notable figures.

Full-image reproductions of Harper's Weekly from its beginning in 1857 to 1912. Provides access to information about 19th and early 20th century advertising, illustrations, culture, history, literature, and notable figures.

New York Historical Society: Manuscript Collection Related to Slavery
The New York Historical Society has placed its fourteen most important manuscript collections relating to slavery online.

Readers' Guide Retrospective
Indexes American magazines and journals published between 1890 to 1982.

EBSCOhost (formerly WilsonWeb) (EBSCO)
Sixties: Primary Documents and Personal Narratives
Digitized archive of primary documents of key events, trends, and movements in 1960s America. Includes letters, diaries, oral histories, posters, broadsides, pamphlets, advertisements, and rare audio and video materials. [1960 - 1974]

Documents the key events, trends, and movements in 1960s America. Includes 70,000 pages of letters, diaries, and oral histories; more than 30,000 pages of posters, broadsides, pamphlets, advertisements, and rare audio and video materials. Enhanced by dozens of scholarly document projects, featuring annotated primary-source content that is analyzed and contextualized through interpretive essays by historians.
Slavery and Anti-Slavery
Full-text of books, serials, manuscript collections as well as court records and reference materials documents related to the antebellum era.

Includes more than 1.5 million pages, 7000+ books, 80+ serials, 15 manuscript collections as well as court records and reference materials documents related to the antebellum era. Published through partnerships with the Amistad Research Center, Oberlin College, Oxford University, & many other institutions.

Secondary menu

American Studies: Other Resources

DVDs and Non-Print Media

Finding Primary Sources

Selected Databases for Primary Sources