Primary sources are the original materials from the time something happened. Examples include newspapers, photos, videos, diaries, letters, interviews, government records, and more. Historians use these sources to understand the past and build on each other’s research.
You can find primary sources in archives (like the University of Arizona’s Special Collections), in books, or by searching the library and other search tools such as WorldCat. Some have also been digitized so you can read or view them online - sometimes for free, and sometimes through library databases.
You can find primary sources in archives (like the University of Arizona’s Special Collections), in books, or by using a library’s search tool (an online way to find books and other materials). Some primary sources are also digitized so you can read or view them online - sometimes for free, and sometimes through library databases.
👉 Want to learn more? Check out the Using Primary Sources on the Web guide from the American Library Association.
The University of Arizona Libraries offers access to hundreds of databases with digitized primary sources. Here are a few you can explore.
Note: Visiting students can only use these resources when logged into the University of Arizona Guest Wi-Fi.
Unlock a wealth of archival primary source materials with a single search, including letters, papers, government documents, oral histories, and much more, covering various topics and periods in U.S. history.
Find historical documents, including women's issues, health policy, film studies, the American Indian Movement, Mexican history, Afghanistan and the United States, records of the Persian Gulf War, and the U.S. Middle East Peace Policy.
Find full-text English-language and foreign-language titles covering multiple disciplines printed in Great Britain from 1701 to 1800.
Find Congressional reports, bills, hearings, committee prints, serial set maps, and other documents.
Browse more digitized primary sources databases
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