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Michelle Baildon
History Librarian
baildon@mit.edu

Finding Primary Sources

How do I find . . .

• Print sources: Use Barton and WorldCat
• Contemporary periodicals and newspapers:
  • ProQuest Research Library
    http://proquest.umi.com/login?COPT=SU5UPTAmREJTPUc2
  • Lexis/Nexis Academic
    http://libraries.mit.edu/get/lexis-nexis
  • Readers' Guide Abstracts (1983-present)
    http://libraries.mit.edu/get/readers-gd
  • Ethnic NewsWatch
    http://libraries.mit.edu/get/ethnic
  • Alternative Press Index
    http://libraries.mit.edu/get/altpress
• Historical periodicals and newspapers:
  • Use indexes:
    • Periodicals Index Online (1770-1990)
      http://libraries.mit.edu/get/perodicals
    • Reader's Guide Retrospective (1890-1982)
      http://libraries.mit.edu/get/readersretro
    • The Wellesley index to Victorian periodicals, 1824-1900
      (Hayden Library - Humanities Reference Z6956.G5.H838)
    • 19th Century Readers' Guide to Periodical Literature, 1890-1899. REF AI3.R286
    • International Index to Periodicals, v. 1-18, 1907-1965. REF AI3.R2861
    • New York Times Index, 1-, 1851-present. REF AI21.N53
    • Poole's Index to Periodical Literature, 1802-1907. REF AI3.P822 1893
  • For other archived US newspapers, the Boston Central Public Library at Copley Square is an excellent resource. The BPL has an comprehensive collection of US and foreign newspapers, many of which are archived from their inception. Lists of BPL newspaper archive holdings can be found at <http://bpl.org/research/newspapers/index.htm>.
• Library digitized sources:
  • ProQuest Historical Newspapers:
    • Boston Globe Historical Archive (1872-1922)
      http://libraries.mit.edu/get/bgjhist
    • New York Times Historical Archive (1851-2002)
      http://libraries.mit.edu/get/nythist
    • Wall Street Journal Historical Archive (1889-1987)
      http://libraries.mit.edu/get/wsjhist
    • Washington Post Historical Archive (1877-1988)
      http://libraries.mit.edu/get/wphist
  • JSTOR
    http://libraries.mit.edu/get/jstor
  • Other members of the Boston Library Consortium (esp. Boston Public Library, Tufts University, and Boston College) have many important digitized collections--pay them a visit!
• Free web sites:
  • American Memory (Library of Congress)
    http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/
  • Making of America (Cornell and Michigan)
    http://www.hti.umich.edu/m/moagrp/
  • Think critically about free Internet sources!

For more strategies and information on finding primary sources in history, see this draft guide.