Related Guides
- History Research GuideContains resources (databases, etc.) related to research for history.
- Newspapers and Current Events Research GuideContains resources (databases, etc.) related to research for Newspapers and Current Events.
Special Collections & Archives
Located on the third floor of the Monroe Library, Special Collections and Archives preserves materials related to the history of Louisiana and the South, the Society of Jesus, and Loyola University New Orleans. Materials must be used in the Reading Room. Please contact archives@loyno.edu for more information or to schedule an appointment.
Appropriate Use of Electronic Resources
Please see our Appropriate Use of Electronic Resources (last revised Aug. 2013).
What Are Primary Sources?
The Society of American Archivists Glossary defines primary sources as "Material that contains firsthand accounts of events and that was created contemporaneous to those events or later recalled by an eyewitness."
A secondary source is "A work that is not based on direct observation of or evidence directly associated with the subject, but instead relies on sources of information" or "A work commenting on another work (primary sources), such as reviews, criticism, and commentaries."
- UC Irvine What Are Primary Sources?Excellent tutorial on differentiating between primary, secondary, and tertiary sources from UC Irvine.
- Primary Sources at YaleGuide to identifying and searching Yale's collections for primary sources.
American History Primary Source Digital Collections
- Massachusetts Historical Society Digital CollectionsDigitized primary source collections from the Massachusetts Historical Society including Coming of the American Revolution, Perspectives on the Boston Massacre, and more.
- American Revolution and The New Nation, 1775-1815 (LOC)Web guide to the Library of Congress's Primary Documents in American History Revolutionary War digital collection.
- Charters of Freedom Digital Exhibit (National Archives)Digital exhibit from the National Archives on the founding documents of the United States. Includes high-quality scans of the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, and the Bill of Rights.
- American Memory Library of CongressSearch printed versions of the Journals of Congress here.
Large Scale Primary Source Digital Libraries
- Digital Public Library of AmericaThe Digital Public Library of America brings together the riches of America's libraries, archives, and museums, and makes them freely available to the world.
- Hathi TrustHathiTrust is a partnership of major research institutions and libraries working to ensure that the cultural record is preserved and accessible long into the future. HathiTrust Digital Library is a digital preservation repository and highly functional access platform. It provides long-term preservation and access services for public domain and in copyright content from a variety of sources, including Google, the Internet Archive, Microsoft, and in-house partner institution initiatives.
- Internet ArchiveInternet Archive is a non-profit library of millions of free books, movies, software, music, and more. Includes user-uploaded collections as well as primary source materials from libraries, museums, archives, and more.
- Library of Congress Digital CollectionsAccess online collections: view maps & photographs; read letters, diaries & newspapers; hear personal accounts of events; listen to sound recordings & watch historic films, all from the Library of Congress.
- LOUISiana Digital LibraryDigitized materials from Loyola University New Orleans’ Special Collections and Archives are available in the LOUISiana Digital Library.
The LOUISiana Digital Library (LDL) is an online library of Louisiana institutions that provides over 144,000 digital materials. Its purpose is to make unique historical treasures from the Louisiana institution's archives, libraries, museums, and other repositories in the state electronically accessible to Louisiana residents and to students, resear
Historical Newspaper Databases
- Annotated Newspapers of Harbottle Dorr, Jr.The Massachusetts Historical Society presents the complete four volume set of Revolutionary-era Boston newspapers and pamphlets collected, annotated, and indexed by Harbottle Dorr, Jr., a shopkeeper in Boston.
- Chronicling America : Historic American NewspapersSearch America's historic newspapers pages from 1860-1922 or use the U.S. Newspaper Directory to find information about American newspapers published between 1690-present. Includes Louisiana papers.
- Google News ArchiveTips on searching the Google News Archive are here.
- Louisiana Newspaper Access ProgramDigital versions of Louisiana newspapers, as early as 1794 and as late as 1949.
- New Orleans BeeNew Orleans newspaper published from 1827 to 1925. It includes articles primarily French and English, with some Spanish. This site has two time sections: Sept. 1827 through Aug. 1881 and Sept. 1881 to Dec. 1923. No searching for text, only browsing by date. Also available in the Google News Archive (1846-1929).
- Times-Picayune [New Orleans] 1837-1988Locate articles in the New Orleans Times-Picayune newspaper by word or date for 1837 through 1988.
