Background Resources
Encyclopedias and dictionaries provide background information and can be used to identify key people, events and dates. Many also include short bibliographies.
- Britannica Online
- Online version of the Encyclopedia Britannica. UW Only.
Encyclopedia of African-American culture and history - example Reference, Undergraduate E185 .E54 1996 Encyclopedia of American economic history Reference, Undergraduate HC103 .E52 1980 Encyclopedia of American foreign policy Reference, Undergraduate JX1407 .E53 Encyclopedia of American Social History Reference, Undergraduate HN57 .E58 1993 Encyclopedia of the American West Reference, Undergraduate F591 .E485 1996 Encylopedia of the United States in the Twentieth Century Reference E740.7 .E53 1996 The encyclopedia of women's history in America Reference, Undergraduate HQ1410 .C85 1996
Secondary Sources: Books
Use the following databases to locate books in the UW Libraries and in other libraries around the region, nation and world. Books unavailable at the UW can be requested through the Interlibrary Borrowing Service.
- UW Libraries Catalog
- A listing of the books, journal subscriptions and other material available at the University of Washington Libraries.
- OhioLINK
- Use OhioLink to access chapters of recent books, use the "Words" search option.
- OCLC WorldCat
- A listing of books, journal subscriptions and other material available in hundreds of major libraries in the U.S. and abroad. UW only.
- Dissertation Abstracts
- Index to dissertations since 1861, those from 1980 onward include an abstract. 60,000 dissertations available in electronic format (for a fee). UW Only.
Secondary Sources: Articles
Use indices/abstracts/bibliographies to find articles (and sometimes books, dissertations, etc.) on a topic. Most indexes are arranged by subject or include a subject index. Indexes/abstracts are ongoing publications; bibliographies tend to be one volume and are more narrowly focused on a specific topic.America History and Life (AHL) is the most useful index in finding secondary material on American history topics. The other indices listed here are general in nature but can also be useful since they tend to be more up-to-date than AHL. For a list of other databases see the history subject page and the complete list of library databases.
Once you identify articles you need make sure you have the complete citation (author, title, journal name, volume, pages and year), then look in the UW Libraries Catalog for the journal name (do a title search for the journal name to see if the UW subscribes) to see if and where the journal is kept (library location and call number).
Articles from journals which the UW does not own can be requested through the Interlibrary Borrowing Service.
- America History & Life - example
- Major index to articles in U.S. and Canadian history. Also includes selected coverage of dissertations and books. UW Only.
- Arts & humanities citation index
- Index to articles in all fields of humanities. Part of the Web of Science, from the search screen, choose Arts & Humanities Citation Index. Earlier years available on CD-ROM network and in print. UW Only.
- Expanded Academic Index
- Index to approximately 1500 journals and magazines in all disciplines. Includes some full-text articles. UW Only.
- Research Library
- Index to articles in all fields, full-text articles available for selected journals and magazines. From the menu, choose Research Library Complete. UW Only.
Primary Sources:Books
Use the following tactics to find primary sources in the UW Libraries Catalog:
- Limit your search by year of publication.
- Search for books written by key participants and organizations.
- Use the subject headings "sources," "correspondence," "personal narratives," and "diaries" in conjunction with your search.
- Browse the shelves in the appropriate subject area.
Primary Sources: Articles
The following are indices to magazine, journal and newspaper articles covering most of the 20th century. Many one-volume bibliographies also include listings for primary sources. To find bibliographies in the UW Libraries Catalog follow this format while doing a Keyword search:
su:bibliography and your topic keywords for example
su:bibliography and blacks and armed forces finds Blacks in the American armed forces, 1776-1983: a bibliography.
for example su:bibliography and blacks and armed forces finds Blacks in the American armed forces, 1776-1983: a bibliography.
| American Periodical Series Index -- Index to American magazines published between 1700 and 1899. | web | UW Only |
| New York Times Index, 1851+ -- 1863-1905 also on web. | Reference | Shelf 16 |
| Pacific Northwest Regional Newspaper and Periodical Index -- current years, 1997- also on web. | Special Collections | |
| PAIS (Public Affairs Information Service bulletin), 1915+ -- 1972- also on web. | Reference | Table 10 |
| Periodicals Contents Index (PCI) -- covers roughly the period 1900-1960 of major humanities and social sciences journals. | CD-ROM | In library use |
| Poole's Index to periodical literature, 1805-1906 | Reference | Table 10 |
| Reader's Guide to Periodical Literature, 1890- - example | Reference, Undergraduate | Table 10 |
Primary Sources: Manuscripts The UW Libraries has a manuscripts collection focusing on Seattle and Pacific Northwest history as well as an archives of UW related material. A collection scope as well as as selected finding guides and digitized photographs are available online.
In addition to the local history collections, the libraries also has a number of microfilmed collections of manuscripts. We have fairly strong collections in womens, African American, and labor history. We also have collections dealing with political and diplomatic history such as presidential papers.
Most guides to these sets are located in the Microforms and Newspapers Collection under the call number for the microfilmed set.
There are some guides to manuscript collections available online. Some of this material may be in the UW Libraries but others must be acquired through Interlibrary Borrowing or by visits to the National Archives or other manuscript repositories.
- History Universe
- Online collection of finding aids to microfilm sets published by University Publications of America (UPA). The UW Libraries does own some of these sets including major portions of the NAACP Papers, Records of the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters, Records of the National Association of Colored Women's Clubs and the Peers Inquiry of the Massacre at My Lai. UW only.
- NAIL - National Archival Information Locator
- "NAIL is a searchable database that contains information about a wide variety of NARA's holdings across the country." Includes links to digital copies for some material.
- National Union Catalog of Manuscript Collections (NUCMUC)
- Catalog to manuscript collections located throughout the United States.
Primary Sources: Selected Web Sites
There are many web sites which include excerpts or a small selection of primary sources. The sites listed here are substantial collections of primary sources both published and unpublished. For other resources check the web sites listed on the history page or search the web.
- American Memory
- 60 digital collections of primary sources including manuscripts, printed material, photographs, video and music from the Library of Congress. Most material covers the period before 1930 (due to copyright). Collections include the Alexander Graham Bell family papers, American Life Histories from the Federal Writers Project, and Voices from the Dust Bowl.
- Avalon Project at Yale Law School: Documents in Law, History and Diplomacy
- Collections of documents primarily covering the 18th, 19th and 20th centuries. Documents from the 20th century section include excerpts from Foreign Relations of the United States series and World War II documents.
- Freedom of Information Act - Electronic Reading Room
- Digitized collections of frequently requested FBI documents released under FOIA dealing with prominent individuals and events. Collections include Cesar Chavez and the United Farm Workers, the Weatherman and Thurgood Marshall.
- New Deal Network
- A collaborative effort of the Franklin & Eleanor Roosevelt Institute, the FDR Presidential Library, Marist College and IBM that includes a "Photo Gallery, consisting of digital images gathered from the National Archives, the Franklin D. Roosevelt Library, and other collections; and this Document Library, consisting of speeches, advertisements, letters, articles and administrative documents."
- Project WhistleStop
- Collection of digitized documents from the Truman library. Documents cover topics ranging the Desegregation of the Armed Forces to the formulation of the Truman Doctrine.