There are a number of digital collections of primary sources that you can explore via the University of Toronto Libraries. This guide introduces them mainly by region. It also includes some of freely accessible online collections.
Program and course guides for Classics, History, History of Religions, and Women, Gender and Sexuality Studies also showcase primary sources that are relevant.
To see the list by vendor, please visit the History Resources at the UTM Library page and find primary sources by vendor A-Z.
If you have specific questions and comments on this page or primary sources, if you need a research consultation, and/or when you find broken links, please contact the Liaison Librarian for the Department of Historical Studies, Yayo Umetsubo at yayo.umetsubo@utoronto.ca.
The UTL LibrarySearch does not have a way to produce lists of primary sources. However, using one of the following words (Subject) in your search will help you find the source material you seek:
☆ An Example of How to Search ☆
Go to LibrarySearch (Advanced Search) and tweak Search filters. Choose Subject and enter the most important concept/person/theme in a search box. Select Books under Format
☆ NOTE ☆
Take advantage of Bibliographies and Reference lists in books and journal articles. In addition, use Oxford Bibliographies Online, they may give you the title of a primary source you can start searching for.
Subjects (or Subject headings) are used to identify items on a specific topic and to collocate items on the same topic. The following Subjects can be used to find primary sources:
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Subject Headings |
What Does This Include? |
Used with... |
Example(s) |
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Autographs |
Collections or discussions of the person's autograph or handwriting (H 1110) |
Names of people |
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Biography |
Biographical works focus on the personal aspects of the individual's life, critical works on the individual's professional, intellectual, or artistic achievements (H 1330) |
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Correspondence |
Official correspondence or correspondence involving corporate entities, including heads of state acting in their official capacity, is not covered (H 1480) |
Names of people |
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Description and Travel |
Names of both cities and larger places for descriptive works and accounts of travel, including the history of travel, in those places (H 1530) |
Places |
Europe, Eastern -- Description and travel -- Early works to 1800 |
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Diaries |
Registers or records of personal experiences, observations, thoughts, or feelings, kept daily or at frequent intervals (H 1538) |
Names of persons |
Scott, F. R (Francis Reginald), 1899-1985 -- Diaries Gay men -- Sexual behavior -- United States -- 21st century -- Diaries |
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Early Works to 1800 |
Early printed works and manuscripts, editions, and post-1800 adaptations and reassembled works (H 1576) |
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Sources |
Collections of writings, such as legal documents, letters, diaries, family papers, etc., compiled for use by students, scholars, etc., in their research on the history of those topics, and for works discussing source materials of all types. |
Countries |
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Interviews |
Transcripts of what was said during the course of interviews or conversations with one or more persons on one or more occasions, and works about those interviews (H 1678) |
Names of people |
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Manuscripts |
Use for works discussing writings made by hand, typewriter, etc. by or about the person |
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Maps |
Individual maps or collections of maps |
Countries, etc. |
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Notebooks, sketchbooks, etc |
Collections or discussions of the person's notebooks or sketchbooks (H 1110) |
Names of people |
Leonardo, da Vinci, 1452-1519 -- Notebooks, sketchbooks, etc |
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Pamphlets |
Use under 16th, 17th, and 18th century period subdivisions of European and American history and under individual wars, for short, separately published, usually polemical, essays or treatises regarding controversial issues of contemporary interest, especially political or religious matters (H 1095) |
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Personal Narratives |
Names of events and wars for collective or individual eyewitness reports and/or autobiographical accounts of these events and wars (H 1928) |
Holocaust, Jewish (1939-1945) -- Hungary -- Personal narratives Algeria -- History -- Revolution, 1954-1962 -- Personal narratives, Algerian |
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Pictorial Works |
Works consisting primarily of pictures (H 1935) |
Several platforms offer access to historical newspapers. To identify which platforms would meet your needs, LibrarySearch's Newspaper page could be helpful.
