LibGuides Home: History Day: Find Articles, Books, etc. in Databases

How To Find Articles, Books, Documents, etc. In CSL Databases

The Connecticut State Library (CSL) has a collection of indexes and databases to help you find articles - and many include books, government documents, and other resources. They cover different date ranges.

Some, like Reader's Guide to Periodical Literature, we have only in print. If you come to the library in person, a librarian can help you learn how to use it.

Many of our databases are online. When it is a subscription database from a commercial vendor, you will need a card from the Connecticut State Library (your school or public library card will not work).

Below are tips to get a CSL library card, find databases and determine which have remote access and which require you to be in our building to use. A list of suggested databases follows.

Get a CSL Library Card - History Day Students

We have a page that explains how to get a library card, with links to apply for a card.

People under the age of 18 must have their legal guardian sign/fill out the form. We do not have resources specifically for students/children and therefore legal guardians must give consent for people under 18 years to access our resources.

If you come to the CT State Library to use archival or other restricted access material, you will need to get a Secured Collections Card. Instructions are on this page:

Get a Library Card
Instructions and application forms.

Can't get a CSL library card? Check with your teacher and/or school librarian - sometimes they have alternative solutions. We do have a Photo Duplication Unit that can scan copies (within copyright restrictions) for a fee. This takes time and requires you to plan ahead.

Reproduction and Publication of Connecticut State Library Collections - CSL Policies
Explains cost and options for Reproduction and Publication of Connecticut State Library Collections. Please contact the library for requests.

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CSL reserves the right to restrict the use or reproduction of rare, fragile, or intrinsically valuable materials, to limit the number of photographic prints/captures, and to limit the type of reproduction options available. For example, some items are limited to face-up copying only, and encapsulated items are not removed from their protective enclosures. Where an individual has donated papers, manuscripts, etc. with the understanding that they will not be reproduced, then the reproduction rights of the library or archives shall not be construed as justifying a violation of such an agreement.

Get Databases From Home

Until we have time to update, please use the handout in the file below.

How to Use Subscription Databases From Home
This is a Word document that shows how to get to CT State Library subscription databases that allow remote access.

Suggested Databases

These are only a few suggestions of databases you may access from home with a CT State Library card. There are more: some have remote access, others that may be used within our building in Hartford. For a complete list of databases, please see:

A-Z Databases
Lists databases (subscription and free) available through the Connecticut State Library (CSL). Some subscription databases have remote access which require a card from CSL.

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See the box of icons which explain access.

Suggested Databases

The focus is on the current year's theme.

Newspapers will be listed in next section.

Icons for database access. Blue card and researchIT CT icon = remote access with card. Unlocked= freely available. Locked= must be in the building

American Indian History Online
Biographies, events, primary sources, timelines, images, maps and charts, tribes and culture areas. Remote access with a library card issued by the Connecticut State Library.
American Periodicals Series Online, 1740-1940
Search terms should language of the time. Good for popular culture. Vendor: "This database contains periodicals published between 1740 and 1940, including special interest and general magazines, literary and professional journals, children's and women's magazines and many other historically-significant periodicals."
Civil Rights and Social Justice
This HeinOnline database covers civil rights in the United States as their legal protections and definitions are expanded to cover more and more Americans. Containing publications from the Commission on Civil Rights, legislative histories on landmark legislation, briefs from relevant U.S. Supreme Court cases, and more.
Civil War - Connecticut Colored Troop Enlistments, 1863-1865
Index to African-American and non-white minority troop enlistments from Connecticut during the Civil War taken from the original enlistment papers stored in the Connecticut State Archives.
Colonial State Papers
Provides access to thousands of papers concerning English activities in the American, Canadian, and West Indian colonies between the sixteenth and eighteenth centuries. Also included is a digitized version of The Calendar of State Papers, Colonial: North America and the West Indies 1574-1739, which contains bibliographic records and extracts for thousands of additional documents.
Connecticut Court Records,1666-1974
Encyclopedia of American Immigration
Covers U.S. immigration history from the earliest colonial settlements to the present.
Indigenous Peoples of the Americas (HeinOnline)
While this database focuses on the legal aspects, there are many additional resources too. Under OTHER RELATED WORKS tab, you can find many resources. Ex. a 1836 Collection of Portraits of the Most Celebrated Chiefs of the North American Indians

It also features Statutory Compilation of the Indian Law Survey. A Compendium of Federal Laws and Treaties Relating to Indians, Pts. 1-46 (1776-1938), a rare compilation edited by Felix S. Cohen, as well as Cohen's 1940 Temporary Edition of the Handbook of Federal Indian Law. This is a very rare (and apparently unpublished) edition that appears to have been circulated by Cohen only to his colleagues within the Department of the Interior. Here is the description from the Foreward to the 2005 edition of the Handbook:"...the Handbook was first issued in 1940 as a temporary edition with limited circulation in the Department of the Interior. The first printing available to the public in 1941, but the press run was small. The 1942 printing was the first edition widely available." Remote access with a library card issued by the Connecticut State Library.
LGBTQ+ Rights
The LGBTQ+ Rights database is a HeinOnline collection of materials relating to the gay rights movement in America, including an interactive timeline, as well as subject-coded court cases, scholarly articles, books, pamphlets, reports, and more. This collection charts the gay rights movement in America, showing the civil rights codified into law in the 20th and 21st centuries, as well as the inequalities that still exist today.
Milestone Documents in American History
Combines more than 130 full-text primary source documents in American history with expert analysis and commentary. Coverage: from the Revolutionary era to the present day.
New Haven County, County Court Record Indexes, 1666-1837; 1841-1855
Access scanned images of the New Haven County, County Court records.
ProQuest Congressional
Comprehensive index and selected full-text source for Congressional publications. Coverage: 1819-
Slavery in America and the World: History, Culture & Law
This HeinOnline collection brings together a multitude of essential legal materials on slavery in the United States and the English-speaking world. This includes every statute passed by every colony and state on slavery, every federal statute dealing with slavery, and all reported state and federal cases on slavery. Our cases go into the 20th century, because long after slavery was ended, there were still court cases based on issues emanating from slavery. The library has hundreds of pamphlets and books written about slavery—defending it, attacking it or simply analyzing it, including an expansive slavery collection from Buffalo Erie County Public Library. This library will continue to grow, not only from new scholarship but also from historical material that we continue to locate and add to the collection.
U.S. Congressional Serial Set from HeinOnline
The U.S. Congressional Serial Set is considered an essential publication for studying American history. Spanning more than two centuries with more than 17,000 bound volumes, the records in this series include House and Senate documents, House and Senate reports, and much more. The Serial Set began publication in 1817 with the 15th Congress, 1st session.

Newspaper Databases

Some newspaper databases have only historic issues, some only modern, and some have both. Read the date range given in the description. Modern newspapers may give insight into impact over time.

Early American Newspapers, 1690-1922, Series 1 through 7, 10, 18 and Custom CT Historical Newspapers
Full-text of American newspapers, 1690-1922.
Chronicling America: Historic American Newspapers
Search America's historic newspaper pages from 1789-1924 or use the U.S. Newspaper Directory to find information about American newspapers published between 1690-present. You may limit to specific states or newspapers. This database does not include all issues of a newspaper - only runs that met grant requirements. Major newspapers not usually included. You should search using terms of the time period.
Bulletin, The (Norwich, CT)
Full Text 1999 to current. Provided by Newsbank.
Connecticut Post (Bridgeport, Conn.)
Full text 2001 to Current. Provided by Newsbank
Day (New London, CT)
Full text 2006 to current. Provided by Newsbank.
Greenwich Time (Greenwich, CONN.)
Full text 2005 to current. Provided by Newsbank.
Hartford Courant (1764-1997)
Newspaper. Coverage: Access to 1764 - 1997 is a separate subscription provided by the Connecticut State Library and requires a CT State Library card.
Hartford Courant (1992-current)
Newspaper. Coverage: 1992 to current.
Hour, The (Norwalk, CT)
Full text 2006 to current. Provided by Newsbank.
New Haven Register
Full text 1988 to current. Provided by Newsbank.
News-Times (Danbury, CONN.)
Full text 1996 to Current. Provided by Newsbank.
Stamford Advocate Historical Archive, 1829-2004
Full-text newspaper with images, 1829-2004
Stamford Advocate, The (CT)
Full text 2005 to current. Provided by Newsbank.
researchIT CT News & Newspapers
New York Times (1851-2017) with Index (1851-1993)
Historical New York Times with Index.Coverage: Full-text: 1851-2017. Index: 1851-1993.
New York Times (1980-current)
Full text of the New York Times newspaper, 1980 to current. The complete text of recent articles is provided in the ASCII format. The New York Times Book Review and Sunday Magazine are provided in PDF format.