Q. What are primary sources?

A primary source is typically an original record or artifact created at or around the time an event took place.  It can also be a first-hand account documented after the event under study. 

Here are some examples:

These are good guidelines.  However, if you are working on a project for your class, it is very important to make sure that you and your instructor are in agreement about what constitutes an acceptable source.  

You can find tips on using the online catalog to find primary sources as well as additional details in our U.S. History and Primary Source Documents guides.