Special CollectionsKeys to History Research

Databases

Book Collections

• Faculty Publications• Local History• Friends Donations• Civil War – Gilhula• Military History – Bateman• Rare Books• Find them in the online catalog• Some are in closed stacks • Some used with a book stand

Primary Sources

• First hand accounts of events or direct evidence concerning a topic

• Characterized by content, not format• Letters, diaries, journals, legal documents,

memoirs, autobiographies, oral histories, dissertations, newspapers, government documents, speeches and other manuscript and archival material are examples of primary sources. Material published from these sources may still be primary sources.

Political Papers

• Congressional Papers (80-01) of Otto E. Passman (1900-1988) who served in the United States House of Representatives, Fifth District of Louisiana from 1947-1977.

• Papers (87-01) of James A. Noe (1890-1976) State senator from 29th Senatorial District in 1932, active in Huey Long administration, Lieutenant Governor in 1934, Governor from January to May 1936. Active in the oil and gas industry, owned farms, radio and television stations.

Manuscripts

• Print Finding Aids provide information on various collections that are unique to ULM. Material may be original, microfilm, microfiche or photocopies.

• Original material requires special care in storing and in handling.

• Original material is research material and will require time to access.

ULM Archives

• Catalogs• Yearbooks – Chacahoula• Campus Newspapers – The Pow Wow and

Hawkeye• Theses and Dissertations• University Publications• Department Publications• Photographs

Newspapers

• Check on-line catalog for availability• Some local weekly newspapers and The News

Star, Monroe daily are available in the media department.

• The News Star is not indexed – search chronologically

• Online sources include America’s Historical Newspapers database, The Louisiana Newspaper Project and Chronicling America Historic American Newspapers

ULM Databases

• America’s Historical Newspapers• EbscoHost• History Reference Center• ProQuest Theses and Dissertations• Louisiana Digital Library

Other Potential Sources

• Web sites of other institutions• Library of Congress• Presidential Libraries and Websites• Association Websites

The Society of American Archivists maintains a listing of repositories containing primary sources.

Cyndy Robertson, MLIScrobertson@ulm.edu