Rutgers University Libraries: Subject Research Guides: New Jersey

David Kuzma
Reference Archivist
kuzmadav@rci.rutgers.edu
May 31, 2006

Research Resources: Subject Research Guides:
New Jersey

This guide is intended to serve as a starting point for those researching New Jersey history. With this in mind, while compiling the guide preference for inclusion was given to material that is available at several Rutgers Libraries (and likely to be held by some public libraries) rather than rare or unique resources. This guide is, of course, only a selection of material that is available in the Rutgers University Libraries; the researcher is encouraged to continue searching for additional sources.

Any serious inquiry into the history of New Jersey will lead the researcher to Special Collections and University Archives, located on the lower level of the Alexander Library, and which consists of two elements: Special Collections, which is the largest, most comprehensive library documenting New Jersey history and culture and one of the finest collections of state and local history in the country and the Rutgers University Archives, which serves as the final repository for the historical records of the University.

IRIS, the online catalog of the Rutgers University Libraries, is the best place to begin your research. Additional manuscript material held by Special Collections and University Archives, but not yet cataloged in IRIS, can be found by searching the RLG Union Catalog (RLIN) (Rutgers-restricted Access) or RLG Union Catalog [Publicly Accessible]) and (WorldCat (OCLC) (Rutgers-restricted Access) or WorldCat [Publicly Accessible]). For additional manuscript material, researchers will also want to consult the manuscript card catalog located on-site in the Special Collections and University Archives reading room.

Proquest Historical Newspapers: New York Times database (Rutgers-restricted Access) should not be overlooked as a valuable tool in researching New Jersey history as happenings in New Jersey were often reported in addition to New York news. The database includes the Times from its first issue (September 18, 1851) to three years prior to the current year. More current New Jersey newspapers are available through the NewsBank database Access World News (Rutgers-restricted Access).

Material published by the State of New Jersey can be found in the Government Documents section of the Alexander Library and Government Publications section of the Library of Science and Medicine .

A guide to a wealth of electronic resources containing current information on and about New Jersey is also available through the Rutgers University Libraries Electronic Reference Sources.