Skip to Main Content

ENGL 290/490 Research Guide

OneSearch

What is OneSearch?

With OneSearch you can search most databases and the FSU and USMAI catalogs all at the same time!

OneSearch Frequently Asked Questions

Recommended Databases for Historical Newspaper Research

Websites

Library of American Civilization Collection

Library of American Civilization (LAC)

This collection includes approximately 10,000 documents relating to all aspects of American life and literature, from the country's earliest days to the outbreak of World War I (1914). LAC is an excellent treasure trove of primary sources.

Included are pamphlets, periodicals, public and private documents, biographies and autobiographies, fiction, non-fiction, poetry, collected works and papers.

Location

The LAC collection was reproduced as micro-images on ultrafiche microform.  Each flashcard-sized sheet sheet may include up to 1000 pages.  The collection is stored in a cabinet on the 2nd Floor near the microfilm readers. One of the readers has the special lens to read microfiche and you can ask a librarian to assist you.

Other ways to access LAC documents

As many of these old documents are in the public domain (not limited by copyright), freely available digitized collections such as Google Books and HathiTrust may provide Internet access to reproductions.

Microfilm

Image of microfilm drawer

Microfilm

The library has historic newspapers on microfilm on the second floor, including the local Cumberland newspaper going back to the 1870s. Plus, we have a small selection of historic newspapers from the 1700s. A librarian can assist you with the microform reader machines to read and print from microfilm.