Circulation Desk
(Renewing, ILL, Checkin/Checkout)
508-626-4650
Reference Desk
(Database help, Using materials)
508-626-4654
FSU's Whittemore Library requires that users who are off-campus authenticate through Canvas. Canvas accounts are set up through Blackboard, not the library, so while we will help as much as possible to get you onto our databases from off-campus, sometimes we may have to refer you back to Canvas or to the Information Technology Services Help Desk to get your account set-up properly. Below we have included a link to the ITS Self Service Portal for help in resolving any problems with Canvas.
Welcome to the Henry Whittemore Library Primary Resources in History LibGuide! Please feel free to contact a librarian at any time during your research process.
Primary sources are first-hand accounts of an event or a period of time created by participants or observers. Primary source materials are usually created during the time period being studied. Primary sources are materials that have not undergone any sort of evaluation or interpretation. Examples of primary sources include:
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Diaries and Autobiographies |
Interviews - "On the scene" Interviews - "Oral History"* |
Letters |
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Novels |
Poems |
Plays |
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Maps |
Newspaper articles |
Speeches |
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Audio/ video recordings |
Musical scores |
Artifacts |
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Photographs |
Court records |
Wills |
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Government records |
*Primary sources may also include materials that were created by a witness of a time period or event, but at a later date. Examples of these types of primary sources include autobiographies and oral interviews.
Secondary sources are contemporary documents such as articles, books and other materials that summarize, interpret and evaluate the data provided by the primary sources. Secondary sources are usually created by historians, scholars or authors. Examples of secondary source materials include:
The bibliography of a secondary source may be useful to locate a primary source. For example, if you find a journal article related to your research topic, check the bibliography of that article for primary sources that the author used.
Frequently used links.
