In research, it is always a good idea to examine the primary sources, and not trust another author to act as an intermediary. Firsthand, contemporaneous accounts of anything that happens – a historic event, a scientific experiment, the minutia of day-to-day life – are irreplaceable for historians decades or even centuries later. Their existence allows later researchers to strip away the layers of exaggeration, dimming memory, hagiography, or demonization that can build up on stories told and retold over time. Primary sources are those created by the participants in the events that are described. These can be diaries and journals, letters and legal contracts, even blogs and emails.
The library offers numerous databases focused on primary source material from a wealth of perspectives. Modern World History Online (and its sister databases, like Ancient and Medieval History Online or American History Online) include an easy-to-access tab on each topic or search page, linking to primary personal, legal, and news content. Other databases are more specialized but contain higher amounts of firsthand content. A database like The Sixties: Primary Documents and Personal Narratives or American Civil War: Letters and Diaries focuses on an era, while British and Irish Women’s Letters and Diaries or North American Immigrant Letters & Diaries are themed around a specific experience. A database like Oral History Online is focused on a specific manner of collecting primary documentation. Many others can be found here (particularly those listed in the first column). Any of these is a great tool for primary source research.
However, the creation and curation of primary material continues, and those sources created today will be equally useful for the scholars of tomorrow. Writing your own journal or diary is a great way to pass forward contemporary knowledge, while also providing a mechanism to make sense of and understand one’s own life. The library holds many books of use to anyone interested in keeping a diary. These range from general guidebooks to teaching resources to helpful materials for reflective personal development through journaling.
The Creative Journal: The Art of Finding Yourself by Lucia Capacchione uses prompts to help writers reflect, release their feelings, and if necessary, heal. Creative Journaling: A Guide to Over 100 Techniques and Ideas for Amazing Dot Grid, Junk, Mixed-Media, and Travel Pages by Renee Day is a guidebook that helps writers express themselves creatively, making a record of their life and thoughts which can include multimedia components.
The Write to Read: Response Journals That Increase Comprehension by Lesley J. Roessing is focused on younger writers; and can easily be merged into teaching for grades 5-12 (it is Common Core-compatible). It helps young writers explore and articulate themselves clearly. Similarly, Creative Expression Activities for Teens: Exploring Identity Through Art, Craft and Journaling by Bonnie Thomas is another book that appeals to younger diarists, offering creative challenges that can be tailored to the individual writer. It also includes a section meant for youth counselors and therapists, which connects diary-writing and self-expression to mental health wellness goals. Theory Into Practice: Unlocking the Power and the Potential of Reflective Journals by Timothy S. O’Connell uses journaling at the college level; and can also be used as a pedagogical tool.
Inner Journeying Through Art-Journaling: Learning to See and Record Your Life As a Work of Art by Marianne Hieb combines diary-writing with art, treating the pair as a holistic therapeutic tool. In the same vein, Little Stories of Your Life: Find Your Voice, Share Your World and Tell Your Story by Laura Pashby encourages amalgamating writing and photography (great for the selfie generation) to build mindfulness and self-understanding. And Journaling the Journey: 25 Spiritual Insights to Light the Way by Larry Pearlman is as much memoir as guidebook; and focuses on personal and spiritual growth.
Need help finding the resources that you need? Ask Us! iueref@iue.edu or click this button:
