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Online Primary Sources
- RISM (Répertoire International des Sources Musicales)RISM is recognized within the music world as the central place for the documentation of music primary sources. The online catalogue includes RISM’s publication Series A/II (Music Manuscripts after 1600, the bulk between 1600-1800). The catalogue also includes the ongoing indexing that has been completed by the RISM working groups since the publication of these volumes.
- News ResourcesLinks to news sources for contemporary and historical news.
- AM Explorer
Access millions of pages of primary source collections across the entire portfolio of Adam Matthew Digital, spanning content from the 15th-21st centuries.
- American Memory ProjectPrimary source materials from The Library of Congress, includes digital items such as George Washington's letters, Civil War photographs, women suffrage materials, early maps, etc. Coverage:16th century to present; varies by collection.
- Center for Research LibrariesCRL, a non-profit consortium of colleges, universities, and libraries, has numerous research materials in addition to those found in their catalog. Searchable Special Collection Databases in the Music Topic Guide include music manuscripts, opera and libretti, periodicals, sheet and printed music, and New York Philharmonic programs.
- Google News ArchiveSearch results include content from a number of sources that are freely accessible as well as content that requires a fee. Articles related to a single story within a given time period are grouped together to allow users to see a broad perspective on the topics they are searching. Users can also see a historical overview of the results by browsing an automatically generated timeline.
- Alternative Press IndexA database of journal, newspaper, and magazine articles from over 300 international alternative, radical, and left periodicals. Coverage: 1969-present (includes archives)
- Early English Books Online (EEBO)Contains digital facsimile page images of virtually every work printed in England, Ireland, Scotland, Wales and British North America and works in English printed elsewhere from 1473-1700 - from the first book printed in English by William Caxton, through the age of Spenser and Shakespeare and the tumult of the English Civil War.
- New York Philharmonic Digital ArchivesThe Philharmonic Archives contain hi-res digital reproductions of scores, parts, programs, and images from the years 1943-1970. Search by conductor, artist, and season.
- Media History Digital LibraryScanned and searchable, the MHDL brings together trade publications, books and fan magazines covering media, film, broadcasting and music that are in public domain. Dates of coverage are from the mid 1800s-1960s. Trends can brought to light using the ArcLight tool.
What are primary sources?
A Primary source is an original document or object created at the time being studied or by a participant in the events being studied at a later date. It is an original source of information, which allows the researcher to get as close to the historical event or time period as possible.
Primary sources include:
- newspapers
- photographs
- memoirs, autobiographies, diaries
- interviews
- a journal article reporting NEW research or findings
- letters
- manuscripts
- artifacts
- records of organizations and agencies of government
A Secondary source analyzes or interprets historical events, time periods, and primary sources. They are a step removed from what is being studied.
Secondary sources include:
- textbooks
- magazine articles
- histories
- criticisms
- commentaries
- encyclopedias
Special Collections
- Special Collections, Preservation, and University ArchivesVisit if you are looking for rare books, local historical documents, University archives, or any one of the many unique archival collections housed in Special Collections.
