Finding and Using Primary Sources: Online Collections

Did you know that Duke has digitized over 1000 collections from its physical collections and archives? These collections can be a great place to start when looking for primary sources.

Want more information on this resource? Check out the Libraries' page on the Digital Collections program and Rubenstein Library's page on teaching with digital collections to find out more.

Here's a list of some online collections that are useful for general research involving primary sources. If you're looking for online primary source collections that pertain to a specific subject, check out the Libraries' subject-specific research guides to learn more.

• Digital Public Library of America -- contains over 42 million images, texts, video, and audio from across the US. Of particular interest are its primary source sets.
• National Archives -- especially useful for American government records of all kinds
• Internet Archive -- contains digitized materials as well as archived webpages 
• World Digital Library -- operated by the Library of Congress
• Digital Library Directory -- searchable database of digital library collections
• Europeana -- online database, operated by the European Union, that gathers cultural heritage material from thousands of European institutions.

Need Help?  Ask a Librarian for help finding primary sources in the library. 

Librarians are available from 9am to 12am most days to help you with your research. You can reach us in person, via chat, phone, or email.

Listed below are some helpful online collections maintained by other local universities and the state of North Carolina.

• North Carolina Digital Heritage Center -- based at UNC, contains the digitized material of multiple institutions across the state
• Eastern North Carolina Digital Library -- based at ECU, contains digitized material pertaining to North Carolina's 41 eastern counties
• North Carolina Digital Collections -- operated by the State Archives of North Carolina
• NCCU Digital Collection -- operated by the HBCU Library Alliance
• NC State Digital Collections & Publications
• UNC Digital Exhibitions & Collections