LibGuides: History 498: Revolution in Science: Primary Sources

Primary Sources

There are numerous ways to find primary sources for any given topic. The databases and links that follow should be widely helpful. For information on additional databases that could be helpful for your individual topic, please contact us and we will be more than happy to help.

Databases

HathiTrust Digital Library
Over 17 million books, periodicals, and government documents digitized by Google, the Internet Archive, Microsoft, and research libraries. About 2,500,000 of these works can be read online (because they are public domain works, and therefore freely accessible).

WorldCat This link opens in a new window
WorldCat is a worldwide union catalog created and maintained collectively by more than 9,000 member institutions. With millions of online records built from the bibliographic and ownership information of contributing libraries, it is the largest and most comprehensive database of its kind. You can also use WorldCat on the FirstSearch platform.

Examples of Microfilm Collections

Depending on the revolution that you choose to write about, it is highly likely that we have relevant primary sources in our microfilm collections. These sources can range from meeting notes of various organizations to speeches to press releases. In order to find one that is helpful for you, please consult our library catalog and/or contact us for assistance.

The Boris I. Nicolaevsky Collection in the Archives of the Hoover Institution on War, Revolution and Peace
Call Number: FILM 324.247072 B644

Helpful Library Guides and Links

List of 115 ProQuest Trial Databases
This link leads to a list of ProQuest primary source databases that we currently have access to.
University of Illinois Archives
The homepage of the University of Illinois' archives. This site features overviews of their collections and a special search engine for browsing their holdings.
Rare Book & Manuscript Library
The Rare Book & Manuscript Library features an impressive array of original print works including medieval manuscripts and a cuneiform print tablet.
Newspapers Guide
This guide gives you an overview of what newspapers we have available at the library, especially those that have been digitized.
Guide to Digital Collections
A guide to digital collections, organized by broad discipline (History, Philosophy, Religious Studies, and African American Studies). History is subdivided by region and time period.
Primary Source Reprints
This guide identifies primary source reprints that we have in our collections.