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Primary Sources for Humanities and Social Sciences : Archival Sources

Guide to locating primary sources, with an emphasis on online sources, in the UW-Madison Libraries' collections for research in the humanities and social sciences.

Sample Freely Available Archival Collections Online

A growing number of archival materials are being digitized, and researchers are able to access increasing amounts of material online. Below are some sample digital archival collections. For additional collections, see the Online Primary Sources tab and this list.  

Finding Archives and Archival Sources

Archival sources can often be difficult to find, however, there a number of tools that can help you find both local, national, and international archival materials.

Local Archival Collections Online

Below is a sample of local digital collections. For additional collections, see the University of Wisconsin Digital Collections