Research Librarian
Alana Kumbier
they/them or she/her
Contact:
Frost Library
413-542-5454
Subjects: Arabic, Asian Languages & Civilizations, Black Studies, Chinese, Classics, History, Japanese, Philosophy
Cambridge-specific resources
Online Resources
- Historic Cambridge Newspaper CollectionNewspapers include the Cambridge Chronicle (1846-2015), the Cambridge Press (1887-1889), the Cambridge Sentinel (1903-1947), and the Cambridge Tribune (1887-1941)..
- Online Collections - Cambridge Public LibraryDigitized text, newspaper, photo, and video collections from the Cambridge Room at the Cambridge Public Library.
- Cambridge Buildings and ArchitectsThis comprehensive database, created by Hail when he was a librarian at Harvard's Graduate School of Design, lists Cambridge buildings by street, including the style of the building (i.e., three-decker), when it was built and by who, and any structural changes.
- City of Cambridge Annual Reports (1846-2006)These books were published annually and include reports on the projects and finances for each of the city’s department, including the School Department, School Committee, and Cambridge City Hospital. From 1946 to 1941, the annual reports were filled with details like department employee rosters and salaries. With the city’s adoption of the Plan E form of government in 1942, the format of the annual reports changed. The reports were substantially reduced in length and the department budgets were published separately.
At Frost Library
- Cambridge Chronicle (Microfilm)Microfilm version of the paper, covering Jan. 1970 - Dec. 2005. AC Frost Library / AC Microforms / AN C15
Archives in Cambridge
- Cambridge Archives ProjectThis site is a guide to archival collections documenting the history of Cambridge, MA, and where they can be found
- Cambridge Historical SocietyResearch resources from the Cambridge Historical Society
Find archival collections to work with
- Archive GridSearch over 5 million records describing archival materials, bringing together information about historical documents, personal papers, family histories, and more.
- WorldCat This link opens in a new windowCore catalog for library holdings worldwide. You can limit search results to Archival Material.
- Primary Sources Research GuideConnects you with primary source collections from Amherst and beyond. Also includes search tips to find primary sources in the library catalog and archives.
Government Documents
- American Presidency ProjectFor documentation on Nixon, Reagan and other U.S. presidents. Archives include executive orders, speeches, press conferences, and more.
- Congressional Publications This link opens in a new windowIndex to U.S. congressional material, some full text.
- U.S. Congressional Serial Set (1817-1976) This link opens in a new windowReports, documents, and journals of the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives. Preceded by American State Papers.
- HeinOnline This link opens in a new windowFull-text legal materials back to volume 1, historic English law and more.
Ancestry
- Ancestry Library Edition This link opens in a new windowAccess to more than 1.2 billion names, primary-source documents, census records, and images, with a variety of genealogical and historical research features.
Historical Newspapers
- Historical Newspapers (ProQuest) This link opens in a new windowCombined search of the historic Boston Globe, Chicago Defender, Chinese Newspapers Collection, Hartford Courant, Los Angeles Times, New York Amsterdam News, New York Times, South China Morning Post, Times of India, and Washington Post.
- America's Historical Newspapers (1690-1980) This link opens in a new windowSearchable archive of American newspapers including Early American Newspapers (1690-1922) and Hispanic American Newspapers (1808-1980).
- Alternative Press Index (1969 to present) This link opens in a new windowCovers alternative, radical, and left periodicals, newspapers, and magazines.
- Alt-PressWatch (1970 to present) This link opens in a new windowFull-text newspapers, magazines, and journals of the alternative and independent press.
- Ethnic NewsWatch (1959 to present) This link opens in a new windowNews and analysis from ethnic popular and scholarly publications.
How do I find primary sources on the Internet?
-
Do a search in Google (or the search engine of your choice)
- Combine keywords that describe your topic with keywords to retrieve primary sources or digital collections from archives and museums
For example
- "Vietnam veterans" oral histories
- "African American" women nurses "digital collection"
- 17th century recipes archives
- "Chinese immigration" letters
Common primary source keywords include:
- "primary sources"
- sources
- documents
- texts
- manuscripts
- "digital collections"
You can also try keywords for kinds of primary sources:
- "oral histories"
- "personal narratives"
- letters
- correspondence
- interviews
- diaries
Remember to evaluate the sites you find -- even a quick check to see if a site is produced by an archives, museum, governmental agency, or educational institution can help you determine whether this is a legitimate, trustworthy source for information. The best sites for primary sources will provide you with the information you need to cite your sources.
Other research guides
To see if a librarian has already identified digital primary sources related to your topic, do an Internet search for a term or phrase related to your research plus the phrase "research guide" or LibGuide.
- For example: Search for history of medicine "research guide".