Think of the kittens!

=^-.-^=

Seriously, though, if you have any questions or would like any help finding sources, please let us know. Librarians can:

• Help save you time.
• Help you find good, scholarly sources.
• Make you feel, in comparison, incredibly cool and socially gifted.

The library has many collections of primary sources. You can find them using the library catalog. You'll find a video on how to find books in the box below this one.

To find primary sources, try adding any of the following words to a keyword search:

• documentary history
• sources
• narratives
• diaries
• correspondence

This short video will walk you through the basics of finding books.

Keep in mind that while there is great stuff on the web, finding good stuff can be very time-consuming. You'll need to carefully evaluate your sources. These websites would be good starting points.

Historians rely on primary sources, but they do not take them at face value. "Like good detectives they evaluate the evidence, approaching their sources analytically and critically." - Mary Lynn Rampolla, A Pocket Guide to Writing in History.

Consider that the author of a primary source:

• May not have had key information concerning the event about which he or she wrote.
• May have misinterpreted facts.
• May have been pushing an agenda.
• May have been unconsciously biased.

When reading primary sources you should be asking yourself the following questions*:

• Who is the author?  What is his or her place in society?
• Why did he or she create the document?
• Who was the intended audience?
• Are there unspoken assumptions or biases?
• What was the historical context in which the source was written?
• How does this source compare to other sources?