Bibliocycle

As recently as a generation ago, primary source research in American history required a great deal of patience and persistence.  Some of the best resources for contemporaneous accounts of historical events–newspapers–were available, if at all, on microfilm.  Few high school collections had the budgets necessary to offer users access to  the micro forms or the equipment needed to view them.  Fast forward to 2009.  Phillips Academy students  are indeed fortunate in being able to draw from a vast trove of digitized primary source material, including full-text access to important historical newspapers licensed by the OWHL.  The librarians are very proud of the resources that we offer, and frequently remind students that they can’t get to this excellent content using Google, because the materials are proprietary and hence not available on the free Internet.

While this remains true, the list of excellent free resources sponsored by universities and government agencies continues to grow.  A case in point is a rich site offered by  the Library of Congress.  The LC  has created Chronicling America: Historic American Newspapers as part of  the National Digital Newspaper Program.  This site provides  digital access to historically significant  United States newspapers published between 1836 and 1922, and is freely available on the Internet.  The site is searchable and browsable, and the full-text page views are in PDF format and have durable URLs.  The site will continue to grow as additional states receive grants to digitize local papers.

Students of history have a much easier time these days finding primary source materials, so that they can devote their efforts to the hard work of interpreting and using them.  Come to think of it, that will still require patience and persistence.