ImagesOUTSIDE THE U OF M
History Day in Minnesota
JUST THE BASICS
If you didn't see this page before you arrived on campus, use our handy
Quick Steps (pdf) Fall 2007
BEFORE YOUR VISIT
You can begin your research at the University of Minnesota Libraries from your home or school with any computer linked to the Internet. The Libraries home page describes the libraries and lists many of the electronic resources available from our campus libraries. The home page includes a search box leading into MNCAT, our online catalog. Make a list of the most promising resources so you can use them when you visit campus. Decide which library is best for your topic, check the hours, and take a tutorial to guide your research process. Visit the section of this guide that explains BOOKS.
Before coming to visit the U of M Libraries in person, find as much about your topic using resources close to home: your school and public library, and also by using quality Web resources. Your time at the U of M Libraries will be spent more efficiently if you get a good start. Here are some ways to get ready for research:
- Read enough about the topic so you have a basic understanding of the historical context and major issues.
- List several words or phrases connected with your topic, including subject, important people, events and places. Use these words and phrases in your online searches.
- Think about the types of publications that might be helpful-- newspapers, secondary sources, diaries, census data, photographs, recorded interviews, government or legal documents, company records, etc.
- Think about which research tools will help you find the information you need. In other words, what book and article databases might be the most useful, what libraries will have the type of information you need.Different types of publications are indexed in different ways (article indexes, book catalogs, archive collection finding aids, picture databases, etc.) and housed differently in various campus libraries. Some useful databases are described and listed in the sections dealing with finding primary sources and secondary sources. A lock icon (
) means you must either search from a campus library or authenticate yourself as a University of Minnesota-Twin Cities affiliated user to access the resource from off-campus. All other resources (without this icon) are publicly available on the Internet. Although this can seem complicated remember that teachers, librarians, parents and History Day staff can help.
Getting Started
- Use the sections in the left sidebar (Primary Sources, Secondary Sources, Finding Books, etc.)
- To view library resources recommended to U of M undergraduates who are beginning history research at the U, visit the CourseLib page for Hist3959 "How to Do History" course.
Teachers: For additional information on planning a class visit, contact:
the History Day Hot Line:
By Telephone: 612/625-6416
Or by e-mail: histday@hist.umn.edu
The History Day Program Assistant at the University of Minnesota is available to answer questions from students, teachers and parents getting ready for History Day. The History Day Hotline is also your gateway to the resources of the University of Minnesota.
General Information about school visits is also available at For High School Teachers who want to bring their Class to Wilson for non-History Day research.
URL: http://wilson.lib.umn.edu//historyday/begin.html
Page Coordinator: Susan Gangl