Skip to Main Content
Step by Step Instructions
Finding primary sources using the library catalog
- Go to library.louisville.edu. Locate the library catalog search box at the top of the page.
- 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records, letters, diaries, manuscripts, and narratives, along with the person or subject you're interested in, to find historical documents or first-person accounts.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
- Go to library.louisville.edu. Click on Databases: A-Z under Quick Tools.
- Click on the All Database Types drop-down at the top of the screen and choose Primary Sources.
- 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
- Visit Archives & Special Collections for information on local primary source collections.