BIS 227: Rad Womxn in the Global South (Shayne): Digital Archives and Primary Sources

In this guide you will find search tips and useful links to archives, articles databases, and more.

Digital archives and primary source collections

Many universities and knowledge institutions have digitized primary sources in their special collections and archives. This page includes links to archives and museums in the Pacific Northwest that may be useful for your class project. You can also find information on distinguishing primary sources from secondary sources.

Digital Collections in the Pacific Northwest

Selected Digital Collections from UW Libraries

UW Libraries Digital Collections

This site features materials such as photographs, maps, newspapers, posters, reports and other media from the University of Washington Libraries (including Special Collections), University of Washington Faculty and Departments, and organizations that have participated in partner projects with the UW Libraries. The collections emphasize rare and unique materials.

Pacific Northwest Political Marches and Rallies from UW Libraries
Labor Archives of Washington from UW Libraries
Society and Culture Collection from UW Libraries
Many Paths, Many Voices: Oral Histories from the UW Special Collections
King County Snapshots
Led by the Museum of History & Industry (MOHAI), a major regional history museum, and the University of Washington Libraries, a major state university library system, the collaboration included ten smaller historical organizations belonging to the Association of King County Historical Organizations (AKCHO).
Women Who Rock
The Seattle Civil Rights & History Project from UW

Selected Digital Collections from Oregon State University Libraries

Oregon State University Special Collections & Archives

Includes distinctive and unique collections in our signature areas: natural resources, the history of science, university history, and Oregon's multicultural communities. These collections encompass manuscripts, archives, rare books, oral histories, photographs, ephemera, audio/visual materials, electronic and born digital records.

Oregon Multicultural Archives at OSU Libraries
The mission of the OMA is to assist in preserving the histories and sharing the stories that document Oregon's African American, Asian American, Latino/a, and Native American communities.

Selected Digital Collections from Washington State University Libraries

WSU Libraries Digital Collections

Provides access to the academic and cultural heritage of Washington State and the Palouse Region

The Columbia River Basin Ethnic History Archives
Washington State Women's History Selections from WSU Libraries
The time period from 1870 to 1950 was selected to encompass the suffrage movement, important developments in Washington State history, and the general economic and social status of women. Collections in MASC were canvassed to identify and enhance access to particularly interesting or representative documents.

Selected Digital Collections from University of Oregon

Special Collections and University Archives

Special Collections and University Archives holds over 3,000 collections; more than a million items ranging from medieval codices and rare books to literary and historical manuscripts, university archives, original art, photographs, film, architectural drawings, and ephemera.

Cultural organizations with digital collections

Museums and Historical Societies

Women's History Consotium from Washington State Historical Society
The Women's History Consortium, created by state statute (RCW 27.34.360) in 2005 as a Washington State Historical Society-led initiative, is dedicated to preserving and making available resources about Washington women’s history.
Gay and Lesbian Archives of the Pacific Northwest from Oregon Historical Society
The Gay and Lesbian Archives of the Pacific Northwest (GLAPN) was established in Portland, Oregon, by Tom Cook in the early 1990s. Since then the organization has collected archival materials and oral histories from organizations and individuals active in lesbian and gay issues in the Portland area and throughout the Pacific Northwest. Many of these oral histories were gathered by Portland State University students, from the late 90s to present.
Densho Archives
The Densho Archives contain primary sources that document the Japanese American experience from immigration in the early 1900s through redress in the 1980s, with a strong focus on the World War II mass incarceration. The archives are growing as Densho continues to record life histories and collect images and records. We provide these resources to students, teachers, researchers, and the general public for educational purposes.
Wing Luke Asian Museum Digital Collections
The Wing Luke Museum Governor Gary Locke Library and Community Heritage Center collects, preserves and provides access to archives, photographs, artifacts, and oral histories concerning the history, art and culture of local, regional, and national Asian Pacific American communities.
Oregon Historical Society
Oregon Encyclopedia from Oregon Historical Society
King County Collects
Led by the Museum of History & Industry (MOHAI), a major regional history museum, this project was a collaboration of 61 historical organizations belonging to the Association of King County Historical Organizations (AKCHO). Participants are listed below. Follow the links below to browse each one's contribution to the collection.
Museum of History & Industry (MOHAI)
Historical documents, photographs, manuscripts, maps, books, motion pictures, and printed ephemera covering the Seattle metropolitan area, Washington State, and Alaska. Includes more than 600 oral histories.
Seattle Public Library Special Collections Online
Alaska Historical Society

Performances and Interviews

Vimeo and YouTube are great sources for finding performances or interviews with people you are researching.

Primary Sources vs. Secondary Sources

Newspaper articles

Ethnic NewsWatch
Journal, magazine, and newspaper articles written primarily by Black, Indigenous, Latinx, Asian & Pacific Islander, and Jewish people, covering 1959-present.
Alt-PressWatch
Selected newspapers, magazines, and journals of the alternative and independent press.

Access World News
Includes full-text articles from hundreds of US and international news sources. (Select "World" from the left-hand column if you prefer to search sources outside of the US.)

Click to Chat with a UW Librarian

Search tools to locate more archives

Search Archives West

Archives West
Archives West provides access to descriptions of primary sources in the western United States, including correspondence, diaries or photographs. Digital reproductions of the materials are available in some cases.

Search ArchiveGrid

Includes over 5 million records describing archival materials, bringing together information about historical documents, personal papers, family histories, and more. With collections from over 1,000 different archival institutions represented, ArchiveGrid helps researchers looking for primary source materials held in archives, libraries, museums and historical societies.

To find more digital collections:

Try a Google search with your topic of interest and the keywords -- digital collections university --. This search will lead you to to other collections to browse.