|
PRIMARY SOURCES
What is a primary source?
A primary source is original
material, recorded in various formats, during the time of the event or
person in which you are interested. Primary sources can also be
recorded after the events, such as an autobiography.
Many materials are considered
primary sources, for example:
Diaries
|
Letters
|
Government Documents
|
Newspapers or Other
Periodicals
|
Speeches
|
Interviews
|
Treaties and
Agreements
|
Autobiographies
|
Memoirs
|
Oral History
|
In what
formats are primary sources available?
Primary sources are available in many formats. Original documents,
books, microfilm or microfiche, artifacts, CD-ROMs, DVDs, VHS, Audio
tapes, MP3s, films, digitized versions available online. Researchers
can also conduct an interview with a person involved in the event. The
formats in which primary sources can be found will continue to evolve
with the changes in modern technology.
How
do I cite a primary source?
Citing the material depends on
the citation format that your professor asked you to use. Copies of
books of the more common citation formats (APA, MLA, Turabian, and
Chicago) are available for use in the library. The books have an index
located in the back where you can look up the specific type of material
you need to site. In addition below are some suggested websites to help
you locate citation information.
http://library.cnu.edu/style.html
http://library.cnu.edu/guides/gen.htm#Style
http://lcweb2.loc.gov/learn/start/cite/index.html
http://cas.memphis.edu/~mcrouse/elcite.html
How
do I evaluate a primary
source?
Primary source materials should
be critically evaluated just as you would evaluate any source that you
use in your paper. Be sure to take into account who created the
material and whether or not they are biased toward a particular point
of view or were an objective observer.
Evaluate all materials found on the internet carefully. Be aware of the
site - is it a legitimate website? - is there a chance they may have
altered the information in some way in order to fit their point of
view? Try and stay with reliable government and educational websites or
sites recommended by your professor or a library - don't just hope for
the best with Google.
Suggested ideas for evaluating
the site include: Who sponsors the site? Is this a reliable
organization? Is an author or webmaster listed as being available for
contact? Check the about area of the site to find the reason it was
created. Does the purpose seem legitimate or was it created to support
a specific point of view? Where did the website locate the primary
sources that have been digitized?
More detailed information on primary sources can be found from the
following web pages:
Introduction:
Using Primary
Sources
( http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/mod/modsbook01.html#Introduction:%20Using%20Primary%20Sources
)
Information on primary sources
provided by the Internet History Sourcebooks Project.
Library
of Congress Learning
Page - What are Primary Sources
( http://lcweb2.loc.gov/learn/start/prim_sources.html
)
A site designed by the Library of Congress to explain the difference
between a primary and secondary source. The site describes different
types of primary source materials from artifacts and documents to oral
histories and photographs.
Using
Primary Sources on the Web
( http://www.lib.washington.edu/subject/History/RUSA/
)
Provides information written by
the Instruction & Research Services Committee of the Reference and
User Service Association History Section in the American Library
Association. Discusses primary sources on the internet including how to
locate them, how to evaluate them, and how to cite them.
Where
do I find primary sources?
Today there are many options for
locating primary sources. Below are some of the ways students can
access primary source materials through the Trible Library,
on the internet, and selected local repositories.
Check the bibliographies of secondary sources. The authors have done
the research and tell you where to find it. Check the online catalog to see if the library
has the sources the author listed, use the interlibrary loan system to
try and get the materials from another library, and look at any
websites listed.
Use the library's online catalog ( http://read.cnu.edu
)
The online catalog is a search engine of the print and media resources
owned by the library.
Suggested terms to look for include - diary,
diaries, letters, papers,
documents, documentary or
correspondence.
Combine these these terms with
the event or person you are researching.
For example: civil
war diary as a keyword search leads you to resources
such as:
Captain Greenlee Davidson, C.S.A. : diary and
letters, 1851-1863 / [compiled by] Charles W. Turner. (Rare Books E605
.D26 1975 )
A diary from Dixie, as written by Mary Boykin
Chesnut, wife of James Chesnut, Jr., United States senator from South
Carolina, 1859-1861, and afterward an aide to Jefferson Davis and a
brigadier-general in the Confederate army ; ed. by Isabella D.
Martin and Myrta Lockett Avary.
( General Collection E487.C524
D5 )
A Confederate girl's diary [microform] / by
Sarah Morgan Dawson ; with an introduction by Warrington Dawson and
with illustrations.
( Microforms MICRO
LAC 16356 )
Also search by subject for specific people and events, then scan the
titles for those keywords or others such as memoirs, autobiography,
report, or personal narratives.
For example: a subject search for Kennedy, John F.
leads to:
Report of the Warren Commission
on the Assassination of President Kennedy. Introd. by Harrison E.
Salisbury . With additional material prepared by the New York times
exclusively for this edition. (General Collection E842.9
.A55 1964 )
Letters to Kennedy /
John Kenneth Galbraith ; edited by James Goodman. (General
Collection E842
.A4 1998 )
Search for specific people that you are aware of that were involved in
the event, knew the person, or for the person himself as authors.
For example: an author search on Nixon, Richard
leads
to:
RN : the memoirs of Richard Nixon .
(General Collection E856
.A35 1988 )
And author search on Liddy, G. Gordon leads
to:
Will : the autobiography of G. Gordon Liddy
. (General Collection E860.L713
W6 )
Examples
of Primary Sources available in the Trible Library
General
Great Books of the Western
World (General Collection AC1 .G786 )
A 54 volume set that includes, among others,
Dialogues / translated by Benjamin Jowett. The
seventh letter / translated by J. Harward. [Plato] (v. 7)
A letter concerning toleration . [Translated
by William Popple] Concerning civil government, second essay
. An essay concerning human understanding . By John Locke. The
principles of human knowledge , by George Berkeley. An
enquiry concerning human understanding , by David Hume. (v. 35)
American state papers . [ Declaration
of independence , Articles of confederation and the U.S.
Constitution ] The Federalist , by Alexander Hamilton,
James Madison and John Jay. On liberty, Representative government
[and] Utilitarianism , by John Stuart Mill. (v. 43)
The origin of species by means of natural
selection . The descent of man and selection in relation to
sex . [Charles Darwin] (v. 49)
Capital , by Karl Marx. Edited by Friedrich
Engels. [Translated from the 3d German ed. by Samuel Moore and Edward
Aveling. Rev., with additional translation from the 4th German ed., by
Marie Sachey and Herbert Lamm] Manifesto of the Communist Party
, by Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels. [Translated by Samuel Moore, and
edited by Friedrich Engels] (v. 50)
Major works. [Sigmund Freud] (v. 54)
Harvard Classics (General Collection AC1 .H339)
A 45 volume set that includes, among others,
The autobiography of Benjamin Franklin (v.
1)
An inquiry into the nature and causes of the
wealth of nations / by Adam Smith (v. 10)
The voyage of the Beagle / by Charles Darwin
(v. 29)
American historical documents, 1000-1904 (v.
43)
American
American history told by
contemporaries / edited by Albert Bushnell Hart. (General
Collection E173
.H325 )
I. Era of colonization, 1492-1689.--II. Building of the republic,
1689-1783.--III. National expansion, 1783-1845.--IV. Welding of the
nation, 1845-1900.--v. Twentieth century United States, 1900-1929.
The complete works of Captain John Smith
(1580-1631) / edited by Philip L. Barbour. (General Collection F229.S652
C65 1986 ) 3 volume set
Diary and autobiography of John Adams / L.H.
Butterfield, editor ; Leonard C. Faber and Wendell D. Garrett,
assistant editors.
(General Collection E322.A3
B988 D5 )
v. 1. Diary, 1755-1770 -- v. 2. Diary, 1771-1781 -- v. 3. Diary,
1782-1804. Autobiography to October 1776 -- v. 4. Autobiography,
1777-1780.
Documentary history of the Truman presidency
/ general editor, Dennis Merrill. (General Non-Circulating E813
.D56 1995 ) 30 volume set
Documentary source book of American history,
1606-1926 , edited with notes by William MacDonald.
(Reference E173
.M135 )
Documents of American History (Reference E173.C734
D6 ) V.1 (To 1898) and V.2 (2. Since 1898)
Early western travels, 1748-1846 : a series of
annotated reprints of some of the best and rarest contemporary volumes
of travel : descriptive of the Aborigines and social and economic
conditions in the middle and far west, during the period of early
American settlement / edited with notes, introduction, index,
etc., by Reuben Gold Thwaites. (General Collection F592
.T54 ) 10 volume set
Letters of Louis D. Brandeis . Edited by
Melvin I. Urofsky and David W. Levy. (General Collection E664.B819
A4 ) 3 volume set
Library of American Civilization (LAC)
A title search on Library
of American Civilization will allow you to browse through the
over 9000 titles included in this collection of microfiche.
Print indexes to the LAC are also available in the library's microform
area with a second copy on the print index shelves:
The microbook library of American civilization . ( E178
.M626 )
[v.1.] Author catalog -- [v.2.] Title catalog -- [v.3.] Subject catalog
-- [v.4.] Biblioguide index.
Many of the titles included in this set are also available online.
Terry Ballard at Quinnipiac University has compiled a list
( http://www.quinnipiac.edu/x1849.xml )
Official records of the Union and Confederate
Navies in the War of the Rebellion . Ser. 1, v. 1-27; Ser. 2, v.
1-3 (General Non-Circulating E591
.U58 )
Official records of the Union and Confederate
navies in the war of the rebellion : Ser. I, v. 1-27, Ser.
II, v. 1-3 / Published under the direction of the ... Secretary of
the Navy by Richard Rush ... [et al.] ( Nautical E591
.U54 1987 ) multi-volume sets
The papers of Ulysses S. Grant . Edited by
John Y. Simon. (General Collection E660
.G756 1967 ) 16 volume set
Runaway slave advertisements : a documentary
history from the 1730s to 1790 / compiled by Lathan A.
Windley. (General Collection E446
.W73 1983 )
Speeches and orations of John Warwick Daniel ,
comp. by his son, Edward M. Daniel. (General Collection E661.D184
S7 )
The War of the Rebellion : a compilation of the
official records of the Union and Confederate armies / prepared
under the direction of the Secretary of War by Robert N. Scott.
Washington, Govt. Print. Off., 1880-1900. (General
Non-Circulating E464
.U6 1971 ) multi-volume set with a Supplement set
Virginia
Official letters of the
governors of the State of Virginia . (General Collection F221.V817
O3 )
v. 1. The letters of Patrick Henry.--v. 2. The letters of Thomas
Jefferson.--v. 3. The letters of Thomas Nelson and Benjamin Harrison.
Virginia historical index ... by E.G. Swem..
(Reference F221
.S974 v.1 and v.2)
Not a primary source itself, but an index to several works containing
primary source materials on Virginia such as The
Virginia magazine of history and biography (Periodicals), Virginia
historical register (Reference F221 .V819), Hening's
Statutes at large, being a collection of all the laws of Virginia,
1619-1792 (Reference KFV2425.2 1809 and Rare Books KFV2425.2
1619a), and Calendar
of Virginia State papers and other manuscripts preserved in the Capitol
at Richmond, 1652-1869 (Reference F221 V817).
World
Calendar of state papers,
domestic series, of the reigns of Edward VI, Mary, Elizabeth [and James
I] 1547-1625 : preserved in the State Paper Department of Her Majesty's
Public Record Office / edited by Robert Lemon. (General
Non-Circulating DA25
.E3 1967 ) 12 volume set
A descriptive catalogue of the works of the
Camden Society : stating the nature of their principal contents, the
periods of time to which they relate, the dates of their composition,
their manuscript sources, authors, and editors, accompanied by a
classified arrangement and an index, and by some illustrative
particulars that have arisen since their publication / by John
Gough Nichols.
( General Non-Circulating DA20 .R91 1st Ser. )
Multi-volume set. See Catalog
for individual volume titles.
English historical documents / general
editor, David C. Douglas. (General Collection DA26
.E58 ) 10 volume set
Historic documents of Year (General
Non-Circulating E839.5
.H57 ) Multi-volume set
Horace Walpole's correspondence with George
Selwyn, Lord Lincoln, Sir Charles Hanbury Williams, Henry Fox [and]
Richard Edgcumbe .
Edited by W. S. Lewis and Robert A. Smith. (General Collection DA483.W2
A41 v.30 )
The Lisle letters / edited by Muriel St.
Clare Byrne. (General Collection DA335.L5
L771 ) 6 volume set
The major international treaties of the twentieth
century : a history and guide with texts / edited by J.A.S.
Grenville and Bernard Wasserstein.
(Reference JX171
.G828 2001 )
Memoirs of Louis XIV and the regency, by the Duke
of Saint- Simon , translated by Bayle St. John, with a special
introduction by Léon Vallée.
(General Collection DC130.S2
A3 M5 ) 2 volume set
They saw it happen : an anthology of
eye-witnesses' accounts of events in British history, 1689-1897 /
by T. Charles-Edwards and B. Richardson ; with a foreword by David
Mathew. (General Collection DA470.C477
T4 )
Uncovered
Editions . See the online catalog for specific titles and
call numbers.
"... are historic official papers which have not previously been
available in a popular form. The books have been chosen for the quality
of their story-telling. Some subjects are familiar, but others are less
well known." [from the Uncovered
Editions website
(http://www.timcoatesbooks.com/uncovered/uncovered_main.html)]
Works
issued by the Hakluyt Society . See the online catalog for
specific titles and call numbers.
"The Hakluyt Society publishes historical accounts of travel and
explorations, and voyages of discovery."
[From the Society's
website (http://www.hakluyt.com/index.htm)]
Ancient
Ancient records of Egypt;
historical documents from the earliest times to the Persian conquest,
collected, edited, and translated with commentary, / by James Henry
Breasted. (General Collection DT57.B828
A5 ) 5 volume set.
The complete works of Aristotle : the revised
Oxford translation / edited by Jonathan Barnes. (Aristotle
384-322 B.C.)
(General Collection B407
.S6 1984 ) 2 volume set
The Jugurthine War [and] The conspiracy of
Catiline . Translated, with an introd. by S. A. Handford.
(Sallust 86-34 B.C.)
(General Collection DG207.S169
H236 1963 )
Loeb Classical Library . See the online
catalog for specific titles and call numbers.
"The Loeb Classical Library® is the only series of books which, through
original text and English translation, gives access to all that is
important in Greek and Latin literature. Epic and lyric poetry; tragedy
and comedy; history, travel, philosophy, and oratory; the great medical
writers and mathematicians; those Church fathers who made particular
use of pagan culture--in short, our entire classical heritage is
represented here in convenient and well-printed pocket volumes in which
an up-to-date text and accurate and literate English translation face
each other page by page. The editors provide substantive introductions
as well as essential critical and explanatory notes and selective
bibliographies." [From the Loeb
website (http://www.hup.harvard.edu/loeb/)]
Speeches
General
Speeches
Vital
Speeches of the Day (check for Journal Finder for
availability dates)
The publishers of Vital Speeches believe that "the important addresses
of the recognized leaders of public opinion constitute the best
expressions of contemporary
thought in America, and that it is extremely important for the welfare
of the nation that these speeches be permanently recorded and
disseminated." [From the Vital Speeches
website ( http://www04.mcmurry.com/product/VITAL/
)]
The world's best orations; from the earliest
period to the present time . David J. Brewer, editor; Edward A.
Allen, William Schuyler, associate editors.
(General Collection PN6121
B847 W9 ) multi-volume set
Lend me your ears : great speeches in history
/ selected and introduced by William Safire. (Reference PN6122
.L4 1992 )
Representative American speeches. (General
Collection PS668
.R46 )
The world's great speeches . (General
Collection PN6121
C782 W9 )
Multicultural
and Women's
Speeches
The voice of Black America;
major speeches by Negroes in the United States, 1797-1971 .
Edited, and with commentary by Philip S. Foner.
(Reference E185.F673
V8 )
Voices of multicultural America : notable
speeches delivered by African, Asian, Hispanic, and Native Americans,
1790-1995 / Deborah Gillan Straub, editor. (Reference PS663.M55
V64 1996 )
Indian oratory ; [electronic resource] : famous
speeches by noted Indian chieftains [by] W.C. Vanderwerth.
Foreword by William R. Carmack.
Available via CNU's NetLibrary
subscription
(http://0-www.netlibrary.com.read.cnu.edu/)
Man cannot speak for her / Karlyn Kohrs
Campbell. [Volume II - Key texts of early feminists] (General
Collection HQ1154
.C28 1989 V.2)
We shall be heard : an index to speeches by
American women, 1978 to 1985 / by Beverley Manning. (Reference PS408
.M37 1988 )
Does not contain the actual speeches, but provides information on where
to locate them.
British
Speeches
Orations of British orators,
including biographical and critical sketches ; with a special
introduction by Julian Hawthorne.
(General Collection PN6121
.O64 )
Greek
and Roman Speeches
Greek orations; Lysias,
Isocrates, Demosthenes, Aeschines, Hyperides and Letter of Philip
/ edited, with an introd. by W. Robert Connor.
(General Collection PA3481.C752
G7 )
Greek political oratory ; selected and
translated with an introduction by A. N. W. Saunders. (General
Collection PA3634.S257
G7 )
In praise of later Roman emperors : the
Panegyrici Latini : introduction, translation, and historical
commentary, with the Latin text of R.A.B. Mynors / C.E.V. Nixon
and Barbara Saylor Rodgers. (General Collection PA6166
.P36 1994 )
Newspapers
The full-text of back issues of
some newspapers are available in Trible Library.
The New York Times
Microfilm (September 18, 1851 - Current) [Paper copy is retained until
microfilm is received]
Proquest
Historical New York Times (September 18, 1851-December 31, 2001)
[Subscription Database]
Newsbank
Access World News (January 1, 2000 - Current) [Subscription
Database]
Factiva
(Rolling 90 days available) [Subscription
Database]
The (London) Times
Microfilm (1969-1978)
The
Times Digital Archive (1785-1985) [Subscription Database]
The Virginia Gazette
Microfilm (1736-1780)
Online
(1753-1780) [Free Online Resource]
The Wall Street Journal
Microfilm (1965 - Current) [Paper copy is retained until microfilm is
received]
Factiva
(June 13, 1979 - Current) [Subscription
Database]
Proquest
Research Library (January 2, 1984 - Current) [Subscription
Database]
The Washington Post
Microfilm (1977 - Current) [Paper copy is retained until microfilm is
received]
Newsbank
Access World News (January 1, 1977 - Current) [Subscription
Database]
Factiva
(January 1, 1984 - Current) [Subscription
Database]
Other
Newspapers
Newsbank
Access World News, LexisNexis
Academic and Factiva
are databases to which the library subscribes
where you can find electronic back issues of various newspapers.
Go to the database to see the available titles or use Journal Finder to look
up a specific title.
Subscription
Databases
Trible Library subscribes to a
number of resources through which you may be able to locate primary
source materials. Below are some of the databases and information
on what you may be able to locate there. Other databases may contain
re-prints of primary source materials located in a journal article on a
specific topic.
American Decades
(CD-ROM; in library use only)
A CD-ROM resource for locating a wealth of 20th century
information. It includes: biographical entries,
approximately 1500 original overview and subject specific essays, a
timeline, nearly 200 primary documents, images and an assortment of
lists.
Congressional
Universe from LexisNexis
Provides access to laws, bills, the Congressional Record, etc.
Factiva
Primarily a business database, Factiva does contain the full-text from
a number of newspapers.
Facts.com
From the main page ( World News Digest tab), select Historic Documents
. Documents can be browsed by year or by title. Contains documents from
the Mayflower Compact in 1620 to documents related to current issues.
HarpWeek
Digital access to Harper's Weekly - "America's leading 19th century
illustrated newspaper ."
Available dates: 1857-1865 (The Civil War Era), 1866-1871
(Reconstruction I), and 1872-1877 (Reconstruction II).
JSTOR
This journal database contains issues of scholarly journals, many
dating back to the 1800's. Not everything in JSTOR is a primary
source, but primary source materials may be available in these early
issues or even as reprinted or excerpted materials in later issues.
LexisNexis
Academic
Provides access to newspapers and legal documents, as well as business
information.
New
York Times (1851-2001)
Provides digital images of the New York Times newspaper. Can be
searched or browsed.
Newsbank
Newsbank consists of three separate databases: Academic Library
Collection, Access World News, and Business Newsbank.
Academic Library Collection
Under the Explore Academic Library Collection area, click the History
area. From here you can browse the available historical documents and
speeches. You can also perform a search and limit it by checking
Documents in the Limit to area. Newspaper articles are also available
in this database.
Access World News
Access the full-text of newspaper articles from local, regional, and
international papers.
Business Newsbank
Newspaper articles specifically geared toward business related topics.
SIRS
Databases
Perform a search. On the results page click on the Primary
Sources tab and also the Gov't Docs tab to limit the results.
Another option is to browse documents. Click on the Database Features
tab. Under the SIRS Government Reporter database you can click on
Historic Documents or National Archives Documents to see documents by
title or subject. Clicking on U.S. Supreme Court will allow you to
access selected court cases.
The
Times Digital Archives
Provides digital images of the (London Times) newspaper. Can be
searched or browsed. Sunday dates are not available.
Internet
Sites
Use the
drop down filter menu to select a subject or browse through the all the
listing. A Google
Custom Search is also available.
Other Local Resources for
Primary Source Materials
Information about finding
materials in local libraries, archives, repositories, etc
Christopher Newport
University -
Trible Library Archives ( http://library.cnu.edu/archives.html
)
Materials focus mainly on
Christopher Newport University, for example, student and faculty
publications. In addition the archives contains music collections,
including Cary McMurran, Harold Chapman and Josephine Hughes
collections. Also available are some papers donated by Alan
Diamonstein.
College of William and
Mary - Swem
Library ( http://swem.wm.edu/ )
"The Special
Collections in the Earl Gregg Swem Library of the College of
William and Mary in Virginia define and enhance the history of the
University and promote and preserve the scholarly pursuits of its
faculty, students, alumni, visiting scholars, and friends. The Special
Collections contribute to the excellence of our scholarly reputation by
providing the College with the rare books and unique manuscript and
archival materials that make primary research possible."
The available collections include: The Martha Barksdale Papers,
The Papers of the Jamestown Corporation, as well as other Manuscript
Collections .
This library also serves as a Federal Depository Library.
Hampton Public Library
Special
Collections: The Virginiana Room ( http://www.hamptonpubliclibrary.org/special/virginiana.html
)
A collection of materials on local
history and genealogy.
Hampton University -
Harvey Library
( http://www.hamptonu.edu/universityservices/library/
)
The
Peabody Collection ( http://www.hamptonu.edu/universityservices/library/Collections/Peabody.html
)
"The Peabody Collection is a
distinctive group of African American resources housed in the William
R. and Norma B. Harvey Library at Hampton University. The collection
contains more than 30,000 items by and about African Americans. This
includes about 21,300 monographs, 1,200 anti-slavery pamphlets,
vertical file materials, and other documents on slavery and the
Reconstruction period in the United States."
Government
Documents ( http://www.hamptonu.edu/universityservices/library/Collections/Government.html
)
"In 1977, the Federal Government
designated Hampton University as a Selective Depository for housing
government publications. We currently select, receive, and retain
approximately 22 % of the items that are distributed by the United
States Government Printing Office (GPO). The collection includes maps,
posters, microfiche, publications in print, and electronic information
found on the Internet."
John D. Rockefeller,
Jr. Library
(Colonial Williamsburg) ( http://research.history.org/JDRLibrary.cfm/
)
Opened in April 1997, the
Library collects, at a single location, various informational resources
on the culture and history of colonial British America, the
American Revolution, and the early United States. It includes
collections of books, journals, manuscripts, visual resources, and
online services. The Library is available for "scholars, advanced
students, the Foundation's staff, and the public." The site provides
information on accessing the variety of sources available as well as
links to internet sites. Please note that some of the sites are
subscription databases and restricted. Also provides access to the
library's Digital Archive.
The Library of Virginia
( http://www.lva.lib.va.us/ )
The LVA is located in
Richmond. It contains a vast array of materials that would be
useful in the study of Virginia History, among other things. The
website provides information about a number of the collections
available in the Library. Some of these collections are available
online, but be aware that not all of the collections are indexed or
made available online. It is possible to contact the Library to see if
they would have information of use before making plans to visit.
Local Historical
Societies in
Virginia ( http://www.lva.lib.va.us/whoweare/directories/vhs/
)
This website from the Library of
Virginia provides a list of local Virginia Historical Societies.
Contact information as well as a website and e-mail are provided if
available. Historical societies can often provide access to unique
primary source documents.
Mariners' Museum
Library
& Archives ( http://www.mariner.org//library/
)
"... holds the largest maritime
history collection in the Western Hemisphere." The collection includes
over 1,750,000 items ranging from books and magazines, to rare
materials, vessel plans, and photographs. The website provides access
to the Library's online catalog and finding aids. An image database is
also available for searching.
Newport News Public
Library's Main
Street Library Virginiana Room ( http://www.newport-news.va.us/library/virgrm/virgana.htm
)
A collection containing books,
manuscripts, maps, and more on the history of Newport News and
Virginia.
Norfolk State
University Lyman
Beecher Brooks Library ( http://spartan270.nsu.edu/
)
Harrison B.
Wilson Archives "holds various forms of items including books,
manuscripts, photographs, maps, microfilm, folklore items, state
documents, and University records."
Old Dominion University
Libraries ( http://www.lib.odu.edu/
)
Special Collections
- "The Special Collections houses the University Archives, Manuscripts,
and books and printed material relating to Virginia and Tidewater
History. The University Archives includes the non-current permanent
records of the university, theses and dissertations, oral histories,
year books, course catalogs, university publications, and photographs
of yesterday and today. The Manuscripts contain diaries, letters, legal
and campaign files, photographs, and maps that document such subjects
as the Civil War, Virginia politics, military history, African-American
history, Norfolk urban redevelopment, women's history, and local
history."
This library also serves as a
Federal Depository Library.
Virginia Historical
Society ( http://www.vahistorical.org/
)
The Society's mission "is to
collect, preserve, and interpret the commonwealth's past for the
education and enjoyment of present and future generations." In order to
accomplish this goal the Society gives lectures, seminars, conferences
and provides consulting services; publishes teaching materials and
provides training for teachers; it also supports scholarly research
through a fellowship program and minority internships. The Society has
museum of exhibits, operates a research library and has a publication
program. The site provides access to a searchable database of the
library's collections. |
