Primary sources connect the historian to the past. They are 'items that are directly associated with their producer or user and the time period in which they were created. Examples include diaries, newspaper articles, government documents, clothing, photographs, oral interviews, and news broadcasts.' (Presnell 93)
Use Library of Congress subject headings in the CONSORT catalog--identify the subject heading for a person, event, or topic, and then add one of the following subheadings:
Limit your CONSORT search by year of publication, e.g., between 1932 and 1945.
Search for your topic across archival catalogs and special collections from all over the world using WorldCat or the open source platform ArchiveGrid. Many results have links to digitized resources that are freely available to use. Don't forget to cite!
Refer to the Libguide listed below for an excellent overview of primary sources available through Kenyon.
Primary sources from the African-American struggle for freedom and equality from 1790 to the contemporary period. The collection consists of Federal Government records, organizational records, and personal papers.
Newspapers and periodicals can be valuable primary sources. Use newspapers to trace public debate on a political issue, or to look at trends in advertising and culture.
Once you identify the person, event, or trend you want to examine, ask yourself about the time period and geographical location. Some newspapers and periodicals are also available online.
To find out whether or not CONSORT has a particular newspaper or periodical, search by "journal title" using either the basic or advanced search screen.