LibGuides: Research Guide to Archives and Special Collections: Online Primary Sources Research

Primary Source Databases at LMU Library

In addition to LMU Digital Collections, a vast array of primary source collections is available via the LMU Hannon Library’s online databases. Here is a list of Primary Source Collection Databases.

Browse the database descriptions for topics, time periods, and types of primary source materials in the collections.

Digital Collections on the Internet

This is a select list of freely-available digital collections, including a variety of digitized primary source materials from archives, libraries, and cultural institutions.

Calisphere
Calisphere provides free access to unique and historically important artifacts, including over one million photographs, documents, letters, artwork, diaries, oral histories, films, advertisements, musical recordings, and more. The digital collections are from the University of California, as well as libraries, archives, and museums across California.
Digital Public Library of America
DPLA connects people to the riches held within America’s libraries, archives, museums, and other cultural heritage institutions. All of the materials found through DPLA—photographs, books, maps, news footage, oral histories, personal letters, museum objects, artwork, government documents, and so much more—are free and immediately available in digital format.
Internet Archive
The Internet Archive is an American digital library that provides free public access to collections of digitized materials, including moving image archive, audio archive, web archive, millions of digitized books, and more.
Library of Congress Digital Collections
Large collections of digitized materials from the Library of Congress are available online.
Los Angeles Public Library Photo Collection
The LAPL Photo Collection contains images from the 1850s to the present, documenting all aspects of life in Southern California, with an emphasis on Los Angeles.
The Met Collection
More than 406,000 images of public-domain artworks from The Met (Metropolitan Museum of Art) Collection are available for free and unrestricted use.
National Archives Online Exhibits
Digital exhibitions of various themes featuring primary sources housed in the U.S. National Archives.
Old Maps Online
The easy-to-use getaway to historical maps in libraries around the world.
Smithsonian Libraries: Digital Collections
Over 35,000 digitized books and manuscripts, as well as digitized photo collections, ephemera, and seed catalogs.
Umbra Search: African American History
Umbra Search brings access to 726,000+ digitized materials relating to African American history and culture from over 1,000 libraries and archives across the country.
World Digital Library
The WDL is an international collaboration, led by the Library of Congress, with the support of UNESCO. The WDL makes available on the Internet, free of charge and in multilingual format, significant primary materials from all countries and cultures.