Digital Literacy and Reference Librarian
Anacely Lopez Murphy
She/Her/Hers
Contact:
St. Mary's University
Louis J. Blume Library
One Camino Santa Maria, San Antonio, TX 78228-8608
Louis J. Blume Library
One Camino Santa Maria, San Antonio, TX 78228-8608
210-436-3673
Website
Primary Source Databases
Blume Library databases that may be used to find primary sources depending on the focus of a research project. Check out the Online Primary Sources page for free digitized sources on the Internet.
- Hispanic American Newspapers, 1808-1980 This link opens in a new windowHispanic American Newspapers, 1808-1980, represents the single largest compilation of Spanish-language newspapers printed in the U.S. during the 19th and 20th centuries. The distinctive collection features 368 Hispanic American newspapers, including many long scattered and forgotten titles published in the 19th century. It is based on the “Recovering the U.S. Hispanic Literary Heritage Project,” a national research effort directed by Nicolás Kanellos, Brown Foundation Professor of Hispanic Studies at the University of Houston.
- Historical Newspapers: New York Times with Index This link opens in a new windowThis historical newspaper provides genealogists, researchers, and scholars with online, easily-searchable first-hand accounts and unparalleled coverage of the time's politics, society, and events.
The Historical New York Times with Index (1851-1993) provides search capability using subject terms and topics for focused and targeted results in combination with searchable full text, full page, and article-level images from the Historical New York Times.
Coverage: 1851 - 2020
Subject coverage - Historical local, regional, national and international news
Microfiche and Microfilm Sources
The Blume Library has several collections of primary materials on microfilm and microfiche.
- American Culture SeriesThe Blume Library has Part 1 of the series which includes books and pamphlet dated 1493-1806. Works within the set are listed and described individually in the Library Catalog. NOTE: Much of this material can be found online after determining the information from these records.
- Bexar ArchivesThe Handbook of Texas Online describes the collections as "the Spanish and Mexican records of Texas, assembled in San Antonio during its long history as the capital and principal community of Texas." Blume Library's microfilm copies covering years 1717-1836.
NOTE: Link in this record. Online materials, in translation, can be found in the Bexar Archives Online. The physical collection is available at the Briscoe Center at the University of Texas Austin. - Meet the Press InterviewsInterview transcripts from NBC's Meet the Press program dating from the 1950s to the 1970s. Interviews within the set are listed and described individually in the Library Catalog.
- Spanish Archives of Laredo - Laredo ArchivesDocuments and records of the growth and development of the borderland city of Laredo from 1755 to 1848. The Reference Collection has a microfilm set of the collection and indexes. The Blume Library's Special Collections houses the original documents. 3,245 records. NOTE: Includes link to digitized content.
- Texas as Province and Republic, 1785-1845 based on the bibliography of Thomas W. StreeterStreeter Archive - A collection of primary documents from early Texas history, printed in Texas, the greater United States, Mexico, and Europe. The microfilm collection includes these documents. There is a separate bibliography located on top of the microfilm cabinets, entitled Bibliography of Texas, 1785-1845. The entry about Thomas Streeter in the Handbook of Texas Online describes his collection and bibliography.
- Witchcraft in New EnglandPrimary documents and historical records of witchcraft in New England, with a primary focus on the witchcraft occurrences in Salem Village in the Massachusetts Bay Colony in 1962.The first microfilm in the set includes a 5-page description of the materials included in the set. NOTE: Materials on this topic are available online from the Salem Witch Documentary Archive project.
Using the Microform/Microfiche scanner:
- Wake the computer.
- Load the Microfilm onto the spools of the machine. Or, for Microfiche, slide the film beneath the glass.
- Click on the "ImageViewer" software icon on the Desktop.
- To view the image, select the "zoom in" option from the toolbar at the top of the window.
- Once you have the image in place, click on "auto-adjust" to bring the image into view.
Troubleshooting the Microfiche Scanner:
- If the light for the Scanner will not turn on, please turn off both the computer and the scanner by using the Surge protector on the floor under the desk.
- When the computer reboots, the scanner should also reboot and the light should turn on.
- When the light for the scanner turns on, you can turn on the computer and click on the "ImageViewer" software on the Desktop.
Additional Blume Library Collections
Helpful guides related to history research at the Blume Library.