Challenges of Securing Access to Primary Source Resources

[Dio]

My current writing argument on the importance of fraternal connections in events from antebellum American history requires access to letters and other primary source correspondence between William Lloyd Garrison, Samuel May, and other writers in the abolitionist movement. Many of the volumes of letters between these people exist in printed bound volumes published between 1971 and 1982. The available copies in the university library and city library have all suffered various levels of damage from natural disasters since the 1980s, and the copies of the letters remain unavailable in digitized forms. I managed in procuring a water damaged copy of volume two and five from the city library.

I have also struggled with accessing other primary sources for Alexander and Hephaestion beyond the assigned texts because these other primary sources require my travel to Macedonia from North America. Some of these sources only exist in microfilm archives in remote parts of Macedonia. I sometimes loathe the process of procuring accessible primary source materials for essays.

[Buster's Uncle]

Can you even read classical Greek?

[Dio]

Can you even read classical Greek?

That is another issue beyond the physical distance. Many of the resources on those people exist only in translated modern Greek and other languages from Eastern Europe. The professor requested we ignore most of those resources since the course is a reading colloquium with a research paper. This filter on primary sources restricted my options for research topics.

[Buster's Uncle]

My sister, a retired academic, has continued her research into the life and works of Anna Cora Mowatt, a Victorian writer/actress.  She's found librarians/archivists at various collections around the country VERY helpful.  -They don't get called upon constantly, and it's nice to have their work not be for nothing.

-Mind you, she can "Doctor Mylochka" them when she makes contact, which we're sure helps...

[Trenacker]

To twist on Buster's Uncle's suggestion, which is a very good one, also try reaching out to eminent professors in the field. Let them know you're struggling to obtain source material. They may have digitized documents relevant to your research interests.

No comfort here, but the enduring importance of physical archives is precisely why sabbaticals and research junkets are still so important in the preparation of serious scholarly material. That said, if you're still a student, even one in a PhD program, I can't imagine you're expected to dig to that depth.

The complexity of writing credible papers on remote topics in history, including issues to do with translation from antiquated English or non-English languages, helped sharpen my interest in less remote subjects, like Cold War history.

[Elok]

I am told that I have access to actual scientific studies via my work, and I would love to use that to find out what evidence exists to support some of our practices.  But I've never been able to find it, or flag down a knowledgeable coworker at an opportune time to show me.