San José Public Library offers numerous primary resources in our digital collections to research Presidents' Day topics! Use our digital collections to locate primary sources such digital images and videos, original text documents, letters, diaries, articles, and more. Many of the databases also provide useful features like citations, download options, and saving articles.
What are primary sources? The ALA (American Library Association) provides this definition:
Primary sources are the "raw materials" of history. They are original documents, objects, and images created at the time being studied. They are history. Another way to define primary sources is by contrasting them with secondary sources which are accounts or interpretations created at a later date by someone who did not have first-hand experience. Primary sources are not just text-based documents or journal entries, but, as you will see as you explore this guide, primary sources are also photographs, videos and sound recordings, maps, newspapers, oral histories, sheet music, and 3D artifacts.
Primary eResources Offered Through San José Public Library
- Explora
- Gale Primary Sources
- MyHeritage
- Newspapers.com
- New York Times (limited access)
- San Jose Mercury News Historical Archive
Some examples of interesting Primary Source finds (users will need to sign in with their library account information)
- President Kennedy's 1961 State of the Union address to Congress (Explora)
- The Mercury News’ presidential endorsement for the 1960 election. Their recommendation may surprise you. (San Jose Mercury News Historical Archive)
- Roosevelt's “Landslide” win headline, published on November 9, 1932 (San Jose Mercury News Historical Archive)
- Telegram to then President Jimmy Carter, by Egyptian news correspondents, hailing him as "The Greatest American President" for his role in trying to establish peace during the Arab-Israeli conflict. (Gale Primary Sources)
- Letters and messages related to President Lincoln. Some examples are funeral arrangement details, photos of the house where Lincoln died, etc. (MyHeritage)
Other Website eResources
- Biblioboard (available to anyone located in the Santa Clara County area)
- California Digital Newspaper Collection (from 1846 to present)
- DPLA Digital Public Library of America
- DocsTeach (National Archives) users will need to create a free account
- Fordham University
- Internet Archive
- Library of Congress digital collection
- Life Photo Archives
- Spartacus Educational
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