Using Primary Sources on the Web
Many documents, letters, maps, photographs of ancient artifacts and other primary material are now available online in different formats from free websites or subscription services.
Users of primary sources have always needed to examine their sources critically, but now with the proliferation of electronic resources from a wide variety of web site producers, evaluation is more important than ever before. Users of web resources must consider the authenticity of documents, what person or organization is the internet provider, and whether the electronic version serves their needs.
Sources covering multiple eras or locations
- ArchiveGridPrimary source materials held in archives, libraries, museums and historical societies.
- 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. A wide variety of resources such as texts, images, audio files, video files, and other resources digitized by libraries and other organizations in the United States are available.
- EurodocsEuropean primary historical documents that are transcribed, reproduced in facsimile, or translated.
- European History Primary SourcesIndex of scholarly digital repositories that contain primary sources for the history of Europe.
- Finding Primary SourcesExcellent list of sites with primary sources compiled by California State University Library.
- Getty Research Institute Search Tools and DatabasesResearch tools for art and art history.
- Internet Ancient History SourcebookThe Internet Ancient History Sourcebook is a great place to study human origins, with full text and search on topics including Mesopotamia, Rome, the Hellenistic world, Late Antiquity, and Christian origins.
- Internet ArchiveInternet Archive is a non-profit digital library offering free universal access to books, movies & music, as well as 376 billion archived web pages.
- Internet Modern History SourcebookUse the Internet Modern History Sourcebook to find thousands of sources in modern history. Browse and search to find full texts, multimedia, and more.
- Internet Sites with Primary Sources for U.S. HistoryGuide from BGSU librarian Carol Singer with links categorized by century, state, and region.
- OpenDOARIn the Directory of Open Access Repositories, you can search through freely academic research information with more directly useful resources.
- World Digital LibrarySignificant primary materials from all countries and cultures.
United States only sources
- American Memory Project (Library of Congress)Search all Library of Congress collections, including American Memory, to find written and spoken words, sound recordings, still and moving images, prints, maps, and sheet music.
- Digital HistoryUniversity of Houston’s Digital History database offers a wealth of links to textbook, primary sources, and educational materials in digital history. The database has multimedia, an interactive timeline, active learning, and resources for teachers.
- Discovering American Women's History OnlineAccess to digital collections of primary sources (photos, letters, diaries, artifacts, etc.) that document the history of women in the United States. These diverse collections range from Ancestral Pueblo pottery to interviews with women engineers from the 1970s.
- Internet Sites with Primary Sources for U.S. HistoryGuide from BGSU librarian Carol Singer with links categorized by century, state, and region.
- National Archives CatalogSearch multiple National Archives resources including archival descriptions, digitized and electronic records, authority records, and web pages from Archives.gov and the Presidential Libraries.
Ohio sources
- Cleveland Memory ProjectOnline collection of digital photos, texts, oral histories, videos and other local history resources, built by the Michael Schwartz Library at the Cleveland State University in collaboration with a host of community partners around Northeast Ohio
- Ohio History Connection's Archives/LibraryThe Archives/Library helps people to discover the stories of Ohioans who built our state’s farms, industries, businesses, schools, churches, social organizations, governments and communities.
- Ohio Memory ProjectCollaboration between the Ohio Historical Society and the State Library of Ohio.
- Digital Archives of the Ada Public LibraryIncludes the Ada Herald, the Ada Record, and Ada High School yearbooks. Works best in Chrome.