What are Primary Sources?
Primary Sources are original sources: they were created by someone who participated in or observed an event. They include diaries, letters, newspapers, government documents, photographs, and other manuscripts.
Historic Newspapers
- ProQuest Historical Newspapers This link opens in a new windowThis database offers full-text and full-image articles for newspapers dating back to the 19th century. Current access includes: The Atlanta Constitution (1868-1984); Chicago Tribune (1849-1993); Los Angeles Times (1881-1993); The New York Times (1851-2013); The Wall Street Journal (1889-1999); and The Washington Post (1877-2000)...and many more.
- Newspapers.com – World Collection This link opens in a new windowNewspapers.com Library Edition offers full page newspaper images with searchable full-text of newspapers. Includes a wide range of small town and big city newspapers.
- America's News This link opens in a new windowThis collection of U.S. news from local, regional, and national sources offers print and online newspapers, blogs, journals, newswires, broadcast transcripts, and videos. Included are news sources from various Alabama counties. Includes historical newspapers and 21st century coverage
- Associated Press Collections Online This link opens in a new windowAssociated Press Collections Online makes the varied resources of the Associated Press Corporate Archives, AP Images, and AP Archive available in an online platform. Coverage from 1840-2013
- African American Newspapers, Series 1 This link opens in a new window
This collection includes the full text of historically significant African American newspapers, published in 36 states.
- Alt-PressWatch This link opens in a new window
Provides news source coverage, viewpoints and perspectives to complement and challenge the mainstream media.
- Chronicling America: Historic American NewspapersA range of newspapers published in mid-late 1800s and early 1900s.
- International Coalition on Newspapers (ICON)"The International Coalition on Newspapers is a project to improve access to and preservation of world newspapers. It includes a freely accessible database of bibliographic information for more than 25,000 newspaper titles from participating institutions. It also includes lists of digitized U.S. and international newspaper titles, many of which are freely accessible online."
Current Newspapers
Included here are newspaper databases with coverage from the last 20-30 years (including the present day).
- ProQuest NewspapersThis newspaper database contains full text articles from major domestic and international newspapers.
- Nexis Uni This link opens in a new windowNexis Uni offers a simple, intuitive research experience, with news, legal and business sources
Government Documents
- ProQuest Congressional This link opens in a new window
Brings together a vast amount of information published by and about the United States Congress. It provides a seamless link to the full range of legislative and public policy resources, including: Congressional documents and related resources as well as a number of publications such as the Congressional Record, United States Code, Code of Federal Regulations, and the National Journal.
- ProQuest Legislative Insight This link opens in a new window
Contains legislative histories and links to the related full-text Congressional documents since 1929. Contains the public-law, all versions of the related bills, specific Congressional Records excerpts and committee hearings, reports and prints. Presidential signing statements, CRS reports, and miscellaneous publications.
- HeinOnline This link opens in a new windowIncludes The U.S. Congressional Serial Set, U.S. Congressional Documents, etc. Also good for legal research
- HeinOnline Foreign Relations of the United States This link opens in a new windowHeinOnline Foreign Relations of the United States presents the official documentary historical record of major U.S. foreign policy decisions and significant diplomatic activity. The series, which began in 1861 under President Abraham Lincoln, contains books and documents from various Presidential libraries as well as different governmental agencies.
- The National Security ArchiveDeclassified reports based on U.S. surveillance.
Legal Research
- Nexis Uni This link opens in a new windowNexis Uni offers a simple, intuitive research experience, with news, legal and business sources, including: print and online journals, television and radio broadcasts, newswires and blogs; local, regional, national and international newspapers with archives; legal sources for federal and state cases and statutes, including U.S. Supreme Court decisions since 1790; business information on U.S. and international companies and executives.
- HeinOnline This link opens in a new windowHein Online provides access to the full-text of legal periodical articles, Supreme Court opinions, U.S. Attorney General opinions, treaties and international agreements, and the Federal Register. Documents are available as photocopy-equivalent PDF files.
- Legal Information InstituteFrom Cornell University Law School. Among other things, the LII is a good place to look up accurate official case information (official titles, etc.). Having accurate case law information can help when searching on sites like Nexis Uni.
Presidential Papers
- The American Presidency ProjectA searchable database containing a large collection of presidential papers/documents.
We have many print collections of Presidential Papers in Gorgas Library. Just go to Scout or The Classic Catalog and do an author search (you'll need to use the drop-down menu by the search bar to change to author) for the president you're looking for (for example: "Reagan, Ronald"). This is a good way to find memoirs also!
Images
- Digital Public Library of America"The Digital Public Library of America brings together the riches of America's libraries, archives, and museums, and makes them freely available to the world."
Streaming Video Resources
- Meet the PressThis database contains streaming video of NBC’s “Meet the Press,” providing most of the show’s footage since it began in 1947.
- Television News Archive"The world's most extensive and complete archive of television news." Streaming video of news clips since 1968.
- 60 MINUTES: 1997–2014The 60 MINUTES: 1997–2014 collection provides access to nearly two decades of CBS News archives, including many episodes not widely seen since their original broadcast. It holds the record for the longest continuously running prime time program in the history of television, and is one of the most respected and influential TV journalism programs in the world.