Primary Sources: ...in Digital Collections

This guide will assist you in discerning what primary sources are and where they can be located.

Digital Collections

Many digital collections available online through open access digital repositories contain primary sources that are publicly available for free. Primary sources are also available through the library's subscription-based databases accessible via MyCoyote.

When searching for and using online primary sources it is important to evaluate the credibility of the source. A helpful guide on finding, evaluating, and using online primary sources can be found on the Reference and User Services Association's (RUSA) website, http://www.ala.org/rusa/sections/history/resources/primarysources.

Open Access Digital Repositories

California Digital Newspaper Collection
The California Digital Newspaper Collection is a growing repository of historical California newspapers published from 1846-present, including the first California newspaper, the Californian, and the first daily California newspaper, the Daily Alta California. It also contains issues of current California newspapers, collected as PDFs, that are part of a project to preserve and provide access to contemporary papers.
California Revealed
California Revealed provides online access to archival materials including books, newspapers, photographs, audiovisual recordings, and more that tell the incredible stories of the Golden State.
Calisphere
Calisphere provides online access to unique and historically important primary source materials from libraries, archives, and museums throughout California.
Chronicling America: Historic American Newspapers
Chronicling America provides access to digitized historic newspapers from cities across the United States.
CSUSB Scholarworks
CSUSB ScholarWorks contains select digitized materials including newspapers, photographs, oral histories, and newsletters from the John M. Pfau Library Special Collections and University Archives.
Digital Public Library of America (DPLA)
DPLA connects people to photographs, books, maps, news footage, oral histories, personal letters, museum objects, artwork, government documents, and other materials held within America’s libraries, archives, museums, and other cultural heritage institutions.
Library of Congress
The Library of Congress is the largest library in the world, with millions of books, recordings, photographs, newspapers, maps and manuscripts in its collections. Select materials from their vast collection have been digitized and made publicly accessible online.
National Archives Catalog
The National Archives Catalog contains digital versions of the U.S. Government’s collection of documents that record important events in American history.

Subscription-based Databases

American Historical Periodicals, Parts 1-7 This link opens in a new window
Searchable digital images of more than 6,500 historical periodical titles dating from 1693 to 1923. Covers the American Colonial era through World War I and the start of the Roaring Twenties. Sourced from the American Antiquarian Society.
American Indians and the American West, 1809-1971 This link opens in a new window
Primary documents from the U.S. National Archives, a series of collections from the Chicago History Museum, plus selected first-hand accounts on Indian Wars and westward migration. The two major collections from the 20th Century are Records of the Bureau of Indian Affairs and records from the Major Council Meetings of American Indian Tribes.
Archives of Latin American and Caribbean History, Sixteenth to Twentieth Century This link opens in a new window
Archival historical documents provide information about the indigenous peoples of the region, the Conquest (la Conquista), colonial rule, religion, struggles for independence, and political, economic, and social progress and issues in newly independent nations.
Archives of Sexuality and Gender This link opens in a new window
Digitized primary sources for the historical study of sex, sexuality, and gender. Includes four collections:
LGBTQ History and Culture Since 1940, Parts I and II;
International Perspectives on LGBTQ Activism and Culture;
Sex and Sexuality, Sixteenth to Twentieth Century.
Arte Público Hispanic Historical Collection, Series 1 & 2 This link opens in a new window
Full-text content from the "Recovering the U.S. Hispanic Literary Heritage" Project, preserving U.S. Hispanic history, literature, and culture from colonial times until 1960. Series 1 focuses on literature and creative works. Series 2 focuses on civil rights leaders, religious thinkers, and women writers in the United States from the late 19th to mid 20th century. 80% of the content is in Spanish. Access to Series 1 was funded by a Student Success Initiative one-time project grant.
Asian American Drama This link opens in a new window
Contains 252 plays by 42 playwrights, together with information on related productions, theaters, production companies, and more. Half of these plays have never been published before. Covers the late 19th century through contemporary drama.
Asian Life in America, 1704-today This link opens in a new window
This primary source collection offers an expansive window into centuries of Asian American history and daily life – as well as the ways popular culture has portrayed and perceived people of Asian descent. Includes Series 1: 1704-1941, Series 2: 1942-2017, and Series 3: 2018-today.
AVON (Academic Video Online) This link opens in a new window
Streaming video: More than 80,000 video titles from producers such as California Newsreel, PBS, Bloomberg, Annenberg Learner, Sony Picture Classics, and others.
Black Drama, Third Edition This link opens in a new window
Full text of more than 1,700 plays written from the mid-1800s to the present by more than 200 playwrights from North America, English-speaking Africa, the Caribbean, and other African diaspora countries.
Black Life in America: 1704-today This link opens in a new window
From Black-owned newspapers to mainstream news publications, BLIA offers a window into African American history, culture, and daily life—as well as the ways the dominant culture has portrayed and perceived people of African descent. Includes Series 1: 1704-1877, Series 2: 1878-1975, and Series 3: 1976-today.
Black Thought and Culture This link opens in a new window
100,000 pages of non-fiction writings by major American Black leaders—teachers, artists, politicians, religious leaders, athletes, war veterans, entertainers, and other figures—covering 250 years of history.
Chicago Defender (1909-2010): ProQuest Historical Newspapers This link opens in a new window
Historical coverage of a Chicago newspaper produced by and for the Black community. Digital images available, fully searchable.
Decolonization: The Politics of Independence in Former Colonial Territories This link opens in a new window
Brings together digitized archival material from former colonies and Commonwealth nations across Africa, Asia, the Caribbean, Australasia, and the Americas, to provide valuable primary source material created for local audiences by local actors during a period of enormous global change. Collections: Papers of African Trade Unions; Political Pamphlets from the Institute of Commonwealth Studies; The Trades Union Congress Archive.
Digital Theatre Plus This link opens in a new window
Streaming video of major US and British theatre productions plus streaming audio of spoken-word drama. Also includes written introductions, practical guides, backstage documentaries, and interviews with actors and directors. You will always be asked to login via MyCoyote, both on and off campus.
Docuseek2: Complete Collection This link opens in a new window
Streaming video: More than 2,400 documentaries from producers such as Bullfrog and Icarus Films. Unlimited viewing for CSUSB users.
Gender Watch This link opens in a new window
Covers gender and sexuality issues in all subject areas; includes feminist, LGBTQ, and men's studies publications, both scholarly and popular.
Hispanic Life in America, 1704-today This link opens in a new window
The experience and impact of Hispanic Americans as recorded by the news media. Includes Series 1, 1704-1942: Spanish colonialism through World War II. Series 2, 1943-2009: Immigration, labor rights and civil rights. Series 3, 2010-Today: Hispanic Americans in the 21st century.
Indigenous Histories and Cultures in North America This link opens in a new window
Digital archival materials such as treaties, speeches, diaries, historic maps, and travel journals, covering interactions between Native Americans and Europeans from their earliest contact up to the civil rights movement of the 20th century.
Indigenous Newspapers in North America This link opens in a new window
Digital images of Indigenous print journalism 1828-2016 from the US and Canada. With newspapers representing a huge variety in publisher, audience, and era, discover how events were reported by and for Indigenous communities.
Indigenous Peoples of North America, Parts 1 & 2 This link opens in a new window
Archival primary sources such as manuscripts, newspapers, images, and more illustrate the historical experiences, cultural traditions and innovations, and political status of indigenous peoples in the United States and Canada. Includes recods of the Indian Rights Association, 1882-1986.
Japanese American Incarceration: Records of the War Relocation Authority, 1942-1946 This link opens in a new window
Archival records relating to the forced removal of Japanese American citizens and residents from their homes following Pearl Harbor. Documents the day-to-day running of the 10 concentration camps. Records include reports and correspondence on issues such as security, education, health, vocational training, agriculture, food, and family welfare.
Latin American Drama This link opens in a new window
Plays written by Latin American playwrights in the 19th-21st centuries. Besides serving as a rich resource for literature scholars, the collection also supports the study of American history, ethnic diversity, immigration issues, and political history.
Latin American Women Writers This link opens in a new window
Complete text of works of literature, memoirs, essays, and more by Latin American women from the colonial period in the 17th century to the present. Text is primarily in Spanish.
Latinx Thought and Culture: The NPR Archive, 1979-1990 This link opens in a new window
Archives of two radio programs: the weekly Spanish-language Enfoque Nacional (1979-1988) and the Daily English-language Latin File (1988-1990) in a searchable database as digitized audio with transcripts. They focus on Latinx issues related to politics, sociology, human rights, the arts, and more with interviews of key figures and news reporting by a new generation of Latino/a journalists at the time.
LGBT Thought and Culture This link opens in a new window
Full text collection of books, periodicals, and archival materials documenting LGBT political, social, and cultural movements throughout the twentieth century and into the present day.
Loeb Classical Library Ebooks This link opens in a new window
More than 500 translated works of classical Greek and Latin literature, including histories, scientific treatises, poetry, plays, and more. Many feature the original language and the English translation on facing pages.
Los Angeles Sentinel (1934 - 2010): ProQuest Historical Newspapers This link opens in a new window
Historical coverage of a Los Angeles newspaper produced by and for the Black community. Digital images available, fully searchable.
Los Angeles Times (1881 - 2015): ProQuest Historical Newspapers This link opens in a new window
Digital images of the Los Angeles Times newspaper from its beginning in 1881 up to 8 years ago. Includes advertisements, graphics, and text. Fully searchable by keyword.
New York Amsterdam News (1922-2010): ProQuest Historical Newspapers This link opens in a new window
Historical coverage of one the oldest and most influential Black newspapers in the U.S. Digital images available, fully searchable.
New York Times (1851 - 2020): ProQuest Historical Newspapers This link opens in a new window
Digital images of the New York Times newspaper from its beginning in 1851 up to 3 years ago. Includes advertisements, graphics, and text. Fully searchable by keyword.
North American Indian Drama, 2nd Edition This link opens in a new window
Contains 244 plays by 48 playwrights representing the stories and creative energies of American Indian and First Nation playwrights of the twentieth century. More than half of the works are previously unpublished.
North American Indian Thought and Culture This link opens in a new window
Includes autobiographies, biographies, Indian publications, oral histories, personal writings, photographs, drawings, and audio files to provide a comprehensive representation of historical events as told by the individuals who lived through them.
Periodicals Archive Online, Foundation Collection 1 This link opens in a new window
Historical backfiles of 215 magazines and scholarly journals, ranging from the 1800's up to the year 2000.
Race Relations in America This link opens in a new window
Digitized archival documents covering three pivotal decades (1943-1970) in the struggle for civil rights in America through the eyes and work of sociologists, activists, psychologists, teachers, ministers, students and housewives.
Sabin Americana: History of the Americas, 1500-1926 This link opens in a new window
Digital images of archival material; includes pamphlets, letters, broadsides, and much more. Features American and European views of the colonization of the Americas, the American Revolution, the days of the early Republic and Jacksonian period, the antebellum period, Civil War, era of Reconstruction and post-Reconstruction, the settlement of the West and the onset of the Gilded Age.
Women's Studies Archive This link opens in a new window
Digitized historical primary sources such as manuscripts, newspapers, magazines, and more, focusing on materials produced by women, not just about women. Includes four collections: Issues and Identities; Voice and Vision; Rare Titles from the American Antiquarian Society, 1820-1922; and Female Forerunners Worldwide.
New York Amsterdam News (1922-2010): ProQuest Historical Newspapers This link opens in a new window
Historical coverage of one the oldest and most influential Black newspapers in the U.S. Digital images available, fully searchable.
Decolonization: The Politics of Independence in Former Colonial Territories This link opens in a new window
Brings together digitized archival material from former colonies and Commonwealth nations across Africa, Asia, the Caribbean, Australasia, and the Americas, to provide valuable primary source material created for local audiences by local actors during a period of enormous global change. Collections: Papers of African Trade Unions; Political Pamphlets from the Institute of Commonwealth Studies; The Trades Union Congress Archive.

Last Updated: Jul 18, 2024 2:54 PM
URL: https://libguides.csusb.edu/primarydocuments
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Subjects: History, Research Skills, Special Collections & University Archives

Tags: primary documents