Find Primary Sources   Tags: archives, manuscripts, primary_sources, rare_books, research, special_collections  

Five College Archives & Manuscripts

Search over 1,500 finding aids (or inventories) describing the archives and manuscripts found at the Five Colleges.

Those less familiar with archival research may start with the Five College Archives & Manuscripts Primary Source Research Guide:

• Getting Started
• Search Five College Collections

Using Primary Sources on the Web (American Library Association - Reference User Services Association)

• Finding
• Evaluating
• Citing Websites

Archive Finder - Directory of primary source materials in U.S., U.K., and Irish repositories.

In The First Person - Indexes thousands of oral histories, letters, diaries, memoirs, autobiographies, etc.; some materials are full text.

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A primary source is a record of an event, an occurrence, or a time period produced by a participant or observer at the time. Typically, primary sources include:

• unique documents or manuscripts (letters, diaries, journals, writings, speeches, photographs, scrapbooks, etc.)
• historic records of an organization (correspondence, memoranda, minutes, annual reports, etc.).
• government documents & maps
• artwork & artifacts
• music & audiovisual materials (film, audio and video tape)
• electronic computer files

Primary sources are often found housed in archival collections. See the Collections at Smith tab of this guide.

They can also be found in published forms, such as newspapers, magazine articles, pamphlets and other printed materials produced during the time period under study. Often they have been digitized and are available online. See:

• Books & More (broadsides, pamphlets, government documents and ephmera)
• Magazines, Journals, Newspapers

College Archives
Nanci Young
(413) 585-2976
nyoung@smith.edu

Sophia Smith Collection
Amy Hague
(413) 585-2970
ssc-wmhist@smith.edu

Mortimer Rare Book Room
Martin Antonetti
(413) 585-2906
mantonet@smith.edu

Hillyer Art Library
Barbara Polowy
(413) 585-2940
bpolowy@smith.edu

Josten Performing Arts Library
Marlene Wong
(413) 585-2930
mmwong@smith.edu

Young Science Library
Rocco Piccinino
(413) 585-2950
rpiccini@smith.edu

Neilson Library Reference
(413) 585-2960
neilref@smith.edu