Cresap
National History Day
This year's theme for National History Day is Triumph and Tragedy in History. More information can be found here.
Types of Sources: Archives, Databases, & Encyclopedias
Archives are typically a collection of historical records or the physical place in which they are located. They are usually PRIMARY source documents that have been gathered together - sometimes to show the function of a particular person or organization. For example, the Brooklyn Public Library has an archive of materials documenting the history and people of the Borough of Brooklyn.
Databases are subscriptions that provide access to a variety of scholarly (peer-reviewed) journals as well as trade magazines and newspapers. Typically they are SECONDARY sources, but can sometimes be primary sources (i.e., newspaper articles).
Encyclopedias are reference materials that are a TERTIARY source; that means they are created from both primary and secondary sources. They are extremely useful in order to get background information and keyword to use in your next search.
Archives
Largest library in the world, with millions of books, recordings, photographs, newspapers, maps, and manuscripts in its collections.
Search the Brooklyn Collection online OR make an appointment with Ms. Jen Hoyer to visit the collection on your own time.
*Please create an account; there are rules regarding using the resources from this source!
Archive of Brooklyn newspapers, including photographs
More information IN PERSON than online, but you can still search the information online. Their location is quite close to GWHS.
*Great for Battle of Brooklyn
Search the online collection OR visit the Archives in New York City!
Court cases, arrest records, photos, etc.
Search the online collection OR visit their location in NYC. *Helpful for Crown Heights & Margaret Sanger
Search the online collection OR visit their location in NYC. *Helpful for Crown Heights & Margaret Sanger
Encyclopedias
Reference content as well as videos, newspapers, magazines, primary sources and more.
*Authenticate with location
Reference articles as well as Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary
*Authenticate with location
Databases
Access to millions of articles from over 17,000 scholarly journals and other authoritative sources.
*Authenticate with location
Primary sources, reference, and multi-media content from the ancient world to today's headlines.
*Authenticate with location
Archives and current issues of newspapers, including the NY Times
Primary sources, reference, and multi-media content from US History.
*Authenticate with location
Works Cited
For our purposes, we will be using MLA format to cite our sources. Look at the template for examples.
You can use the following guidelines from Purdue OWL to create your citations. If you use the citation creator in Gale, Brittanica or Library of Congress, be sure to DOUBLE CHECK it for correctness. Remember, they should always be in ALPHABETICAL order and the name of the page is Works Cited.
An image from an archive:
- Author (last name, first name). "Title/description of material." Date (day month year). Call number, identifier or box/folder/item number (if applicable). Collection name. Name of repository, location, URL. Date accessed.
- Parks, Gordon. "Mr. James A. Colston, youthful president of Bethune-Cookman College, talking with his father about the administration problems, Winter Park, Fla." Feb. 1943. Farm Security Administration Collection. Library of Congress, www.loc.gov/item/91783777/. Accessed 14 Nov. 2018.
- *Note: if there is no author listed, start with the title/description in quotations.
An encyclopedia article:
- "Title of Article." Title of Encyclopedia, Day Month Year. URL. Accessed Day Month Year.
- Example: "Bill of Rights." Britannica Academic, Encyclopædia Britannica, 3 Jun. 2016. academic.eb.com/levels/collegiate/article/Bill-of-Rights/63682. Accessed 14 Nov. 2018.
A scholarly journal:
- Author(s). "Title of Article." Title of Journal, Volume, Issue, Year, pages, URL. Accessed Day Month Year.
- Example: Wheelis, Mark. “Investigating Disease Outbreaks Under a Protocol to the Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention.” Emerging Infectious Diseases, vol. 6, no. 6, 2000, pp. 595-600, wwwnc.cdc.gov/eid/article/6/6/00-0607_article. Accessed 8 Feb. 2009.