Subject Guides: Finding Primary Sources: Databases with Primary Sources

Archives & Special Interest Databases

MemoryBC
MemoryBC.ca is a portal where you can access descriptions of archival materials preserved in repositories throughout British Columbia.
ArchivesCanada
Through the ArchivesCanada national database, hundreds of individual archival institutions across the country (each with holdings such as documentary records, maps, photographs, sound recordings, videos and more) regularly produce descriptions of these holdings, and make those descriptions accessible to the ArchivesCanada portal via their provincial/territorial network.
ArchivesCanada-Virtual Exhibits
The ArchivesCanada portal also provides links to virtual exhibits and photo databases residing on the web sites of individual archives or Provincial/Territorial Councils.
Exploration Place Online Database
(at the Fraser-Fort George Regional Museum) – Prince George’s regional museum offers an extensive collections of photographic and archival materials pertaining to this community which are accessible via their on-line database.
Historical Chinese Language Materials in British Columbia
An Electronic Inventory - Developed by the Asian Library, Centre for Chinese Research at UBC and David Lam Centre at SFU, this database of records features archival materials, virtual exhibitions of photo collections and images, and links to related materials and listings of organizations.
Internet Archive
Internet Archive is a non-profit library of millions of free books, movies, software, music, websites, and more.
Library and Archives Canada Collections
Browse LACs collections by topic including photograph collections, censuses, Aboriginal heritage, exploration and settlement, military heritage, etc.

Databases Containing Primary Sources

Listed below are the names of useful databases containing primary documents.

British Columbia

BC historical newspapers (UBC Open Collections)
The BC Historical Newspapers project, hosted by UBC's Open Collections, features digitized versions of historical local papers from around the province. The titles date from 1859 to 1995.
Northern BC digital collection
Digitized publications related to Northern BC history, culture and industrial development.

Canada

The Canadian National Digital Heritage Index (CNDHI)
The Canadian National Digital Heritage Index (CNDHI) is an index of digitized Canadian heritage collections located at Canadian universities and provincial and territorial libraries. Currently the index references nearly 1400 collections.

Canadian historical newspapers
This is a list of freely accessible Canadian historical newspapers compiled by SFU library staff. The Google document this record links to provides a title list and the URLs for each title.
Canadian newsstream
ProQuest database providing full text access to a variety of Canadian newspapers.
Globe and Mail : Canada's heritage from 1844
Full text access to Globe and Mail, from 1844 - 4 years ago.
Treaties, surrenders and agreements
Open Access collection of historic Canadian Indian treaties, land surrenders, and related agreements. Hosted by Library and Archives Canada.

North America

Empire online
Collection of primary source documents related to imperialism from Columbus' 1492 voyage to the 21st century. Documents include maps, manuscripts, pamphlets, paintings and books.

Europe

Eighteenth Century Journals
Digital archive of rare journals printed between c.1685 and 1835 document all aspects of eighteenth-century social, political and literary life of the time.
Defining Gender, 1450-1910
Collection of primary source documents related to masculinity and feminity during the 15th - 19th centuries. Focus is on Great Britain covering topics such as social conduct and etiquette, marriage and family life, consumption, leisure activities, and the philosophy and practice of education.
Mass observation online
Original manuscript and typescript papers created and collected by the Mass Observation organization which studied the everyday lives of ordinary people in Britain from 1937 until the mid-1950s.
InteLex Past Masters
Collection of primary source documents from important philosophers and women writers, based on authoritative editions from academic and university publishers and organizations.

United States of America

World

Points to the past
Provided by Gale, this is an online platform to access primary source documents. This collection is available to the residents of British Columbia through a partnership with UBC, SFU and UVic.
Slavery, abolition and social justice, 1490-2007
Collection of primary source documents related to slavery and abolition studies dating from 1490 to 2007, supported by scholarly essays, tutorials, a visual sources, chronology, and bibliography.

Websites with Primary Sources

English Broadside Ballad
Making broadside ballads of the seventeenth century fully accessible as texts, art, music, and cultural records.
Internet History Sourcebooks Project
The Internet History Sourcebooks Project is a collection of public domain and copy-permitted historical texts presented cleanly (without advertising or excessive layout) for educational use.
The Latin Library
A collection of Classical, Christian, Medieval, and Neo-Latin texts in Latin.
Library and Archives Canada
Library and Archives Canada (LAC) preserves and makes accessible the documentary heritage of Canada. It also serves as the continuing memory of the Government of Canada and its institutions. This heritage includes publications, archival records, sound and audio-visual materials, photographs, artworks, and electronic documents.
Library of Congress Digital Collections
The Library of Congress is the largest library in the world, with millions of books, recordings, photographs, newspapers, maps and manuscripts in its collections.
Perseus Digital Library
Their flagship collection, under development since 1987, covers the history, literature and culture of the Greco-Roman world.