Finding Primary Sources: Home

Finding primary sources using the library catalog

1. Go to library.louisville.edu. Locate the library catalog search box at the top of the page.
2. Search using words like papers, records, letters, diaries, manuscripts, and narratives, along with the person or subject you're interested in, to find historical documents or first-person accounts. (For example, we might search for Virginia Woolf letters to find the author's first-person accounts.)

Finding primary sources using databases

1. Go to library.louisville.edu. Click on Databases: A-Z under Quick Tools.
2. Click on the All Database Types drop-down at the top of the screen and choose Primary Sources.
3. You can also narrow these Primary Source databases down by subject area by clicking the All Subjects drop-down and choosing your subject area.

Finding primary sources in special collections

1. Visit Archives & Special Collections for information on local primary source collections.