Medieval & Renaissance Studies

The types of primary sources you might use in your research in medieval and renaissance studies are in many ways no different than any other field, but, there is a good change you'll find yourself leaning towards the following types of materials in your research in the field 

• Illuminated manuscripts,

• Maps

• Diaries and journals

• Letters

But don't forget that you can also find and use the same sorts of documents you might in your work in history, education, or sociology. So continue to make use of the following types of primary resources in your work

• data and statistics

• documents produced by organizations and government agencies, decrees, etc.

• speeches

• interviews

There are a number of libraries around the world that offer digitized access to some of there holdings. Here is a non-comprehensive list of places to start: 

• Free Library of Philadelphia
• Cambridge University
• The Morgan Library and Museum
• Harvard University
• The British Library
• Johns Hopkins University
• Bibliotheque nationale de France

Barnard and Columbia archives both have a limited number of manuscript holdings that you can search for in CLIO and see in person, but you may find that there are local libraries here in New York City or New York State that have relevant resources. Depending upon your assignment you may decide to plan a research trip in a different, city, state, or country specifically to visit and access a particular resource. 

If this is the case, take the plunge and go! It's exciting and a real privilege to have the chance to access primary source materials in person. So, if you have questions about visiting special libraries and archives, we can create a plan together to get you through every step of the way, from contacting institutions and requesting materials, to you your actual visit, so that you feel confident in making the most of your visit.