Library

Library Instruction

If You Need This Type of Primary Source ... Then Do This

Autobiographies, memoirs, diaries, interviews, speeches, letters, manuscripts...

Search OneSearch or WorldCat by author (Frank, Anne) OR by subject heading and an appropriate subheading (Frank, Anne -- Diaries). Appropriate subheadings include:

  • correspondence
  • diaries
  • early works to 1800
  • interviews
  • personal narratives
  • sources

Consult Using Library Catalogs to Find Primary Sources

Newspaper or magazine articles from a specific time period...

Use an appropriate database that indexes or provides full-text of articles dating back to the specific time period. If you are not sure of which database to use, Ask a Librarian.

Photographs...

  • pictorial works
  • photographs

Use the CSUMB Library's guide to Finding Images on the Internet and at CSUMB.

Statistics, surveys, opinion polls...

Consult the CSUMB Library's guide to Statistical Information. Consult PollingReport.com

Records of organizations and government agencies...

For organizations: search OneSearch or WorldCat by the name of the organization as author or corporate author. For U.S. government agencies use FirstGov.

Video recordings, audio recordings, and works of literature, art or music from a specific time period...

Ask a librarian

Research reports in the sciences or the social sciences...

Consult the CSUMB Library's guide to Distinguishing Scholarly Journals from Other Periodicals.

Any primary sources not listed above...

Consult the CSUMB Library's guide to History.