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Primary Sources

This guide is to help users to identify, locate, and use primary sources in their research.

Locating Sources @ Bobst

The circulating collections and Special Collections at NYU contain:

  • manuscripts and other archival materials,
  • correspondence and diaries,
  • photographs, films, artwork, music,
  • posters and prints,
  • government documents and data sets,
  • ephemera and artifacts,
  • serials and books,
  • maps and other resources

Visit the NYU Libraries website and the Special Collections website for details on library holdings.

To find cataloged materials at NYU and consortium libraries, use the NYU Libraries Catalog. You can narrow your search results to NYU Special Collections by selecting that option from the dropdown in the search box. Searches in the catalog will retrieve collection-level descriptions, which are helpful to identify relevant collections.

When searching in the Library Catalog, start broadly and narrow your search based on your results. Consult the subject headings for additional search terms.

Search NYU Libraries Resources

Search here for books, articles, journals and other print materials, videos, sound recordings, e-books, e-journals, databases, and indexes in our local libraries and special collections.

 

Searching NYU Special Collections Finding Aids

To search NYU finding aids, use the Archives Search portal.

You will get results at the collection, series, and folder levels. You can also search within an individual finding aid using <Ctrl F> after clicking on “View This Guide All on One Page.” It is always a good idea to browse the entire finding aid, as archival descriptions at the folder level may not always be that informative.

 

Archival Sources Beyond NYU

See the Archives Beyond Bobst research guide for tips on finding materials in archival repositories around the world.

Using Archives & Manuscripts

Consult the Using Archives & Manuscripts research guide for additional information and assistance.