I need a primary source now!

Having trouble finding primary sources? Want to research outside of Special Collections hours? Can’t visit Hornbake Library in person? No problem! This post is all about finding digitized primary sources in Special Collections and University Archives at UMD.

We have lots of digitized material from Special Collections and University Archives at the University of Maryland that is available 24/7!  Look through photographs, documents, film, and audio on our Digital Collections site, browse photographs and documents on Flickr, and read books and periodicals on the Internet Archive.

Here’s a list of places to look online for our digitized content:

• Digital Collections – includes a wide array of collections, including The Jim Henson Works, the United States Government Posters Collection, the Prange Digital Children’s Book Collections, and much more. You can browse by subject, or check out any of the specific collections. Below are some commonly used digitized collections from Special Collections and University Archives:
  • Maryland Map Collection
  • University Album
  • NLT Postcard Collection
  • Labor Collection in America
  • Maryland Historical Newspapers Project

• UMD Special Collections on Flickr – everything from UMD sports photographs to book covers and illustrations.

• Internet Archive – if you’re interested in University of Maryland-related materials, make sure to check out this page, which includes publications like the campus yearbook, student handbooks, sports media guides, and course catalogs.

• Online Exhibits– covering topics from the War of 1812 to the history of college radio at UMD, explore digitized materials from past exhibits.

• Sound Cloud

• Digitized Material from University Archives

• Digitized Baltimore City Directories

If you’re having a difficult time finding materials on your topic contact us or stop by the Maryland Room to speak with a librarian.