Many libraries and organizations are making digital materials available online.
To find these collections, use a search string with terms relevant to your topic in Google or another search engine. For example:
digital collection site:edu "african methodist episcopal church"
You can also try the same search limiting to site:org rather than site:edu BUT:
Be careful!
EDU = educational institution
ORG = organization, which can mean almost ANY kind of noncorporate organization. If you aren't familiar with the organization, do some research on it! Who are they? What do they promote? Are they reliable?
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Questions to ask when you are assessing online primary-source collections:
Use Google, Wikipedia, & other sources to research the authors, organizations, or institutions responsible for the page and its funding.
Don't just trust the About page!
Once you start finding good secondary sources (books, articles) on your topic, it can be very useful to look at those sources' citations to see what primary sources they cite. Often this can help you identify and locate relevant primary sources, or at least identify types of primary sources that you may want to seek out for your particular topic.
Citations in secondary sources can also help you find other relevant secondary sources.
If you find a good secondary source, you can also look that source up in Google Scholar (works for both books and articles!) and see a list of books/articles that have cited that source by clicking the "Cited by" link under the citation. For information about connecting Google Scholar with the library’s online holdings, see this research guide: https://research.library.gsu.edu/googlescholar.
These primary-source databases are available to GSU affiliates.
If you are accessing them from off campus, you will be asked to sign in with your Campus ID and password.
Selecting this link will bring you a filtered list of all AM primary source content within the Database A-Z list. Previously: Adam Matthew Digital Collection
History Vault's Black Freedom Struggle in the 20th Century is a collection of primary sources, including government records, organizational papers, speeches, and other documents. It also includes ProQuest's University Publications of America (UPA) and Black Freedom Struggle I and II.
This link opens in a new windowAn encyclopedia of history, this database is a collection of videos providing footage of seminal historic events and hundreds of profiles of great American leaders and personalities.
Select "Newspapers" in the Databases by Subject dropdown menu on the library's homepage to get a listing of all of our newspaper databases
(both current and historical).
***Please note: The library no longer subscribes to Nexis Uni.***
Try these databases for current newspaper coverage:
This link opens in a new window This link opens in a new windowThis database features a wealth of new material and a new, dynamic interface that makes it easier than ever to explore the events that shape our world
This link opens in a new windowProvides access to Chronicle.com daily news, data, and analysis of current issues faced by universities dating back to 1989. Also provideds access to the Almanac of Higher Education, The Trends Report, and other newsletters with the creation of a free account.
See also our Newspaper Holdings research guide for more information about current and historical newspaper holdings.
AS THE ONLY major daily newspaper in the Atlanta area, The AC provides a glimpse into the political, economic, cultural, and social life of the southeastern United States. Content ranging from Reconstruction through the late 20th century.
This indexing provides access to top news stories, and covers bibliographic information, companies, people, and products ranging from 1987 - current.
This long-running daily afternoon paper served as the newspaper of record for the nation's capital, covering national politics and the daily activities of every branch of government.
Founded in 1928 by W. A. Scott, the Atlanta Daily World became the first successful African American daily newspaper in the United States.
The digitized Chicago Defender served as the de facto national black newspaper in the U.S., and was the most influential African-American newspaper of the 20th century. Coverage: 1910 to 1975.
Nearly 120 years of coverage from Georgia's most influential newspaper. A comprehensive digital archive of local, state and national history.
GSU Library Special Collections and Archives: Located on the 8th floor of Library South. Collection areas are Southern Labor, Popular Music, Women's Collections, Georgia Government Documentation Project, University Archives, Rare Books, and Photographs.
Atlanta History Center Archives (Kenan Research Center): Collects primary and secondary source materials in all formats conveying the history of Atlanta and the culture of the American south. Besides Atlanta materials, collection strengths include the Civil War, southeast family history, architecture & decorative arts, and garden history.
Atlanta University Center Archives and Special Collections: Collections primarily document the African American experience through civil rights, race relations, education, literature, visual and performing arts, religion, politics, and social work.
Georgia Archives: Run by the Archives & History Division of the Georgia government - collects, manages, and preserves official records of Georgia from 1732 to the present. Materials include vital records, land records, federal and state census records, photographs, and more.
Auburn Avenue Research Library on African-American Culture and History: A division of the Atlanta-Fulton Public Library System - the nation's second largest archives specializing in the history of African Americans and Africans in the Diaspora.
The William Breman Jewish Heritage & Holocaust Museum: This cultural center and archive collects artifacts and information about Jewish history. Areas of strength include the Holocaust and the experience of Jews in the Southeast, particularly Georgia and Alabama.
Emory University's Stuart A. Rose Manuscript, Archives and Rare Book Library (MARBL): Collections span more than 800 years of history — with particular depth in modern literature, African American history, and the history of Georgia and the South.
Hargrett Rare Book and Manuscript Library of the University of Georgia: Includes the Rare Book Collection, Historical Manuscripts, and the Georgiana Collection. Subject interests include Georgia, book arts, theater, music, history, literature, journalism and genealogy.
Jimmy Carter Library & Museum: Part of the Presidential Libraries system administered by the U.S. National Archives and Records Administration
National Archives - Southeast Region, Atlanta: Regional library administered by the U.S. National Archives and Records Administration
Georgia Historical Society: Oldest and most distinguished collection of materials related exclusively to Georgia history in the nation. Locations in Atlanta and Savannah.
