Academic

Smithsonian Primary Sources in U.S. History: “A Treasure Trove”

History is not just a list of dates and events. But history taught well is vibrant, relevant, and engaging. And nothing brings history to life like primary sources that give students a close-up look at history as it unfolded.

Gale and Smithsonian have partnered to deliver an online resource that includes unique and seminal primary sources, including documents, maps, historical objects, and other materials from the museums and archives from the collections of the Smithsonian and from Gale’s leading digital collections: Smithsonian Primary Sources in U.S. History.

Designed for use by both teachers and librarians, this resource from Gale supports core and Advanced Placement U.S. history programs. Primary source images are hand-curated by scholars at the Smithsonian – experts who have a unique knowledge of U.S. history as seen through the Smithsonian’s valuable collections and shaped for the school curriculum by an advisory board of teachers.

See how a reviewer feels about the collection of Primary Sources.

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Collaboration Benefits Everyone

Helping Librarians and Academic Faculty Work Together to Achieve Optimal Student Outcomes

In a recent article in Against the Grain, Liz Mason, Gale’s Vice President of Product, addresses a big issue in 21st century education. She discusses a 2015 survey that showed there was a disconnect between academic librarians and faculty. The results revealed that a significant number of faculty members saw no need to consult with librarians and only half used librarians as a resource on matters of curricula when planning courses.

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The Telegraph Historical Archive, 1855-2000: A “Must-have”

Provide multi-disciplinary research with a fully-searchable digital archive of what was once the world’s largest selling newspaper. The Telegraph Historical Archive, 1855-2000 provides a fascinating picture of politics, society, and culture through approximately one million pages of the newspaper’s backfile. Offering a balance of personal interest stories alongside incisive analysis, The Telegraph Historical Archive, 1855-2000 delivers a fascinating glimpse into daily life as it was experienced over the past 150 years.

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7 Primary Source Documents to Read this Thanksgiving

In the article “Thanksgiving — Our American Festival” from the November 1895 issue of American Kitchen Magazine you can get tips on how to prepare the day before Thanksgiving, instructions for cooking dinner, and even includes some recipes and dish suggestions.     If you’re in the mood for some fiction you can read the harrowing short story “Muriel’s … Read more

China from Empire to Republic is a “Preferred Tool”

Provide researchers with unique, firsthand accounts of the cultural interactions and conflicts that gave rise to today’s modern China with China from Empire to Republic:  Missionary, Sinology and Literary Periodicals 1817-1949 Archive. These periodicals illuminate the thoughts of Chinese intellectuals and Westerners, mainly missionaries, about China – and, more importantly, their efforts to understand and study Chinese history, culture, language, and literature.

Read the very first review on this enticing archive:

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Philosophy: Sources, Perspectives, and Methodologies “Inspires Curiosity”

Looking to support researchers’ knowledge in philosophy? Philosophy: Sources, Perspectives, and Methodologies, a valuable primer in the study of philosophy, provides the philosophical information students need. By employing literature, film, art, history, and other disciplines, the twenty-seven thematic chapters identify areas of critical thought and practice in the philosophical study.

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Librarianship and Democracy: Creating an Informed Citizenry – Information Space

Democracy is one of the core values of the American Library Association[1], and, as such, is one of the major values that underlies the contemporary practice of librarianship. I have had issues with democracy being included as one of the core values of the library profession. Not because I don’t believe or support democracy—I do. … Read more

In Secret Kept, In Silence Sealed: revealing the hidden texts in Early Arabic Printed Books from the British Library

By: Elinor Hawkes As an archivist, I firmly believe that preservation and access are two sides of the same coin; one cannot happen without the other. This is particularly true during digitization projects, and on collections such as Early Arabic Printed Books from the British Library where a large body of material is being made … Read more

The “Excellent Content” of British Library Newspapers, Part V

Sourced from the extensive holdings of the British Library, British Library Newspapers delivers a wide range of irreplaceable local and regional voices to reflect the social, political, and cultural events of the eighteenth, nineteenth, and twentieth centuries. These newspapers, emerging during the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries as a crucial channel of information in towns and major cities, provide researchers with a unique, first-hand perspective on history. Support researchers with “excellent content” on United Kingdom history with more than 750,000 pages from 36 newspapers from 1746-1950.

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Dr. Sun Yat-sen, the Man Who Brought China from Empire to Republic

By Yang Liping Sun Yat-sen (孫逸仙aka. 孫中山 or 孫文; 1866–1925) is a Chinese revolutionary and the leader of a series of armed uprisings that led to the downfall of China’s last imperial dynasty (Qing) in 1911 and the founding of the Republic of China in 1912.   November 12 this year marks his 150th birthday. A … Read more