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Finding primary sources in archives and libraries
Whether you are beginning a junior paper, a senior thesis, or a doctoral dissertation in history, the first challenge is to identify a cache of primary source material that addresses the issue, person, place, or period that interests you. This guide offers advice on finding primary sources that are not available at Princeton, and how to get the most out of your time when you are visiting another library or archive. For some general suggestions about finding primary sources, see Primary sources: a guide for history majors. For advice on finding primary sources in the Princeton University Library system, see Finding primary sources at Princeton.
Guides to world archives and libraries
Finding printed and online guides for libraries and archives
Once you have identified a likely archive or library, it's helpful to locate a guide or inventory of the collection(s). While more and more archives have web sites and online catalogs, in some cases you will need to consult a printed guide.
- Check the web site of the library or archive to see if they have online descriptions or inventories of their collections.
- To find printed guides, search the Main
Catalog for the name of the collection and the word catalogs
United States
- Library of Congress
- National Archives
See Research at the National Archives for information on catalogs and finding aids. And consult the Guide to Federal Records OR the printed Guide to federal records in the National Archives of the United States. Compiled by Robert B. Matchette with Anne B. Eales ... [et al.]. Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1995. General and Humanities Reference (DR) CD3026 1995.
- American National Biography
- Records of the presidency: presidential papers and libraries from Washington to Reagan. Frank L. Schick, with Renee Schick and Mark Carroll. Phoenix: Oryx Press, 1989.
Social Science Reference Center (SSRC) CD3029.82 .S35 1989
- Guide to research collections of former United States senators, 1789-1995: a listing of archival repositories housing the papers of former senators, related collections, and oral history interviews. Karen Dawley Paul; Diane B. Boyle, editorial assistant. Washington: Government Printing Office, 1995.
Princetoniana Collection (PRNCR) CD3043 .P39 1995
- Directory of genealogical and historical society libraries, archives, and collections in the US and Canada. Edited by Dina C. Carson. Niwot, CO: Iron Gate Pub., c1994.
General and Humanities Reference (DR) Z675.G44 C37 1994
- Directory of archives and manuscript repositories in the United States. 2nd ed. Phoenix: Oryx Press, 1988.
General and Humanities Ref. (DR): Ready Reference CD3020 .D49 1988
- Articles describing archives and manuscript collections in the United States: an annotated bibliography. Compiled by Donald L. DeWitt. Westport, Conn.: Greenwood Press, 1997.
General and Humanities Reference (DR) CD3022.A2 D478 1997
- Directory of Corporate Archives in the United States and Canada
- Archives USA is a database of more than 5,000 repositories of primary source materials across the United States.
Canada
- National Archives of Canada
- Directory of archives. Ottawa, Ont.: Canadian Council of Archives, c1996-
General and Humanities Reference (DR) CD3620 .D57
Europe (General)
United Kingdom
- National Archives
- Oxford Dictionary of National Biography
- British archives: a guide to archive resources in the United Kingdom. Editors, Janet Foster and Julia Sheppard; consultant editor. Houndmills, Basingstoke, Hampshire; New York: Palgave, 2002.
General and Humanities Reference (DR) CD1040 .F67 2002
- Public Record Office handbooks (e.g. The Second World War: a guide to documents in the Public Record Office. John D. Cantwell. Kew, Richmond, Surrey: Public Record Office, National Archives, c1998.)
Do a keyword search in the Main Catalog for "public record office handbooks" to find them all.
Ireland
- National Library of Ireland
- Directory of Irish archives. Edited by Seamus Helferty and Raymond Refaussé.
Dublin: Four Courts, 2003.
General and Humanities Reference (DR) CD1101 .D57 2003
France
- Bibliotheque Nationale
- Archives Nationales
- Les Archives nationales: état général des fonds. Publié sous la direction de Jean Favier. Paris: Archives nationales: [diffusé par la Documentation française], 1978-1980.
General and Humanities Reference (DR) CD1196 1978a
- Archives and libraries in France: with 1991 supplement. Erwin K. Welsch.New York, N.Y.: Council for European Studies, 1991.
General and Humanities Reference (DR) Z797.A1 W447 1991
Germany
- Archives and libraries in a new Germany. Erwin K. Welsch and Jurgen Danyel, with Thomas Kilton. New York: Council for European Studies, 1994.
General and Humanities Reference (DR) CD1220.W447 1994
- Archive: Archive im deutschsprachigen Raum. Berlin, New York, de Gruyter, 1974.
General and Humanities Reference (DR) CD1000.A72 1974
Russia
- Archives of Russia: a directory and bibliographic guide to holdings in Moscow and St. Petersburg. Edited by Patricia Kennedy Grimsted; compiled by Patricia Kennedy Grimsted, Lada Vladimirovna Repulo, and Irina Vladimirovna Tunkina; with an introduction by Vladimir Petrovich Kozlov. Armonk, N.Y.: M.E. Sharpe, c2000.
Russian Studies Reading Room (SLAV). Firestone B-F-l CD1710.A76 2000
Latin America
- A handbook of Latin American & Caribbean national archives. Ann K. Nauman.
Detroit, Mich.: Blaine Ethridge Books, c1983.
General and Humanities Reference (DR) CD3680.N38 1983
- Guide to materials on Latin America in the National Archives of the United States. Compiled by George S. Ulibarri and John P. Harrison. Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1987.
Firestone Library (F) CD3028.L37 U547
Next steps
Now, plan your trip. Check the web pages of the library or archive you plan to visit for information about:
- Access (Is the collection open for research? Do you need a letter of introduction? Will you need to register before using their collections?)
- Hours (Are they open on the weekend? Closed for renovations?)
- Photocopying (Is self-service copying possible, or must you have copies made by their staff? What are the fees? Can you use a digital camera?)
- Availability of materials (Are materials paged from remote storage? How long will you have to wait? Are some materials temporarily inaccessible?)
- Arrangement of materials (Are there indexes, inventories, or finding aids for manuscript collections?)
- Practicalities (Directions, parking?)
Also, you may want to consult Archives Made Easy, a web site that provides tips for researchers visiting many archives in the U.S. and elsewhere.
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