Research Guides: CMC HIST 126 / History of Medicine in the U.S. / FA25: Find Primary Sources at the Library and Beyond

Primary Sources in Library Catalogs

Primary sources of all types can be found in our regular, circulating books, in special collections, and beyond. Use the following strategies in Library Search to find primary texts and sources in our collections.

1. Author search: Find books by a author, politician, journalist or another type of historical witness.

Example: au:Margaret Sanger

2. Keyword search limited to publication year: Search for a keyword and add a date range under “Filter by".

Example: kw:nurses (filtered to 1939-1945 to pinpoint primary sources published during World War II)

3. Add "sources" as a subject: Add the word "sources" to a search field and select subject by using the dropdown menu.

Example:

kw:United States Navy AND kw:medicine AND su:sources

The Library of Congress Subject subheading “sources” is sometimes used to designate primary source collections of different kinds — as in "Medicine--United States--History--19th century--Sources".

Primary Resources Database

These are selected primary source databases that might help with your search; please use the US History guide to see a much larger range of primary sources online.

American Periodicals

Why search here? Discover articles from a broad selection of historical, U.S.-based periodicals that are not always covered elsewhere, including professional journals and both children's and women's magazines.
Content type: Magazine articles, trade journal articles, scholarly articles, newspaper articles
Coverage dates: 1740-1940

Articles come from labor, trade, literary, scientific, and photographic periodicals.
Language: English
Keywords: American Periodicals Series APS Online
Early American Imprints, Series I-II

Why search here? To explore all aspects of life in the American Colonies and the early U.S. Republic, through books, pamphlets, broadsides and other scarce printed materials published in the American Colonies and early U.S. republic.
Content type: Primary sources, books, pamphlets, broadsides
Coverage dates: 1639-1819

Includes both full text and digital images of materials published in America from 1639-1800 (Series I: Evans) and 1801-1819 (Series II: Shaw-Shoemaker). Both series cover subjects ranging from history, literature and culture to politics, government and society.
Language: English
Keywords: Readex
North American Women's Letters and Diaries

Why search here? Letters and diaries written by women living in North America, along with biographies of people that wrote the documents.
Content type: Primary sources, correspondence, diaries
Coverage dates: 1700s-1950

While titled "North American," the documents mostly come from the United States.
Language: English
Women and Social Movements in the United States, 1600-2000

Why search here? Explore a treasure trove of primary sources that provide insights on women's history, focusing on women in social movements in the U.S.
Content type: Primary sources, pamphlets, correspondence, interviews
Coverage dates: 1600-2000

Themes include human rights, social reform and activism, work and class identity, peace, Women of Color and Indigenous Women, immigration, education, religion, and more
Language: English, Spanish

Special Collections

Special Collections is the Library’s principal repository for print and manuscript primary sources. The collections number nearly 200,000 volumes and more than 11,000 linear feet of a diverse array of literary and historical manuscripts, personal papers, and college archives that span more than 900 years of human history. The collections are available for research, teaching, and study in person, and, increasingly, digitally in the Claremont Colleges Digital Library.

Explore collections on the Special Collections website.
Request materials using your Special Collections Account.
Make an appointment to view your requested materials.

Visit the Special Collections Access Guide for help discovering and requesting Special Collections materials and contact Special Collections with questions.