Doing Historical Research

in Libraries and Archives

 Research in libraries and archives is necessary in the
study of history as these are repositories of primary and
secondary sources that allow us to create narratives of the
past through accepted methods of historical scholarship.
It is imperative upon students to be able to develop an
aptitude toward doing research in these venues so as to
further develop their skills in historical research.
Students of history are usually expected to write
historical essays and/ or historical research papers, and this
entails the collection of data through primary sources on
Philippine History online, HOWEVER, much remains to be
digitized and made accessible to the public.

Doing Historical Research in Libraries and

 Libraries and archives still provide more variety of sources in
different formats such as books, journal articles, newspapers,
magazines, photographs, and even audio and video recordings.
BUT sifting through all the materials available might prove to be a
daunting task for the unacquainted.
Nowadays, libraries have forgone the tedious and antiquated
card cataloging system and have been using the digital version to
catalog their holdings, called the ONLINE PUBLIC ACCES
CATALOG(OPAC). In this system instead of going through each
entry on physical index cards, a simple search will yield the
holdings of the library related to what you are searching for.
Searching by subject will give you a list of sources, primary, and
secondary, to aid you in creating a preliminary biography that you
may later on access physically in the holdings of the library.

Doing Historical Research in Libraries and

 A problem that could arise this way is when the search yields
too may result—sifting through this may need a more refined
search string using more definite keywords to limit the results. For
example, “Philippine history” as a search string would result in
hundreds, even thousands of materials. Limit it to a particular
keyword that focus on our topic, such as “Philippine Revolution,”
“Emilio Aguinaldo,” “Declaration of Independence,” and other
more defined strings.
The catalog lists down all kinds of materials available based
on the subject used in the search. These could be books, journals,
maps, and other materials that fit what you might be looking for.
Do not limit yourself to using books and other published materials
when you may be able to utilize other forms of sources. Materials
that may be too old to be physically handled may also be available
in digital form or microfilm.

Doing Historical Research in Libraries and

 The National Library of the Philippines in Ermita, Manila provides a
rich treasure trove of materials for the student-researcher interested in
Philippine History, especially in their Filipiniana section. It has a valuable
Rizalania collection, several sets of Blair and Robertson’s The Philippine
Islands, 1493-1898, rare filipiniana books. Philippine Presidential Papers,
and other materials that are accessible to the public, especially to students.
Research in archives may be a lot more difficult and prove to be too
advances, but will provide you with many sources not available in the usual
libraries. The National Archives of the Philippines, also in Manila, is an
agency of the government mandated to collect, store, preserve and make
available records of the government and other primary sources pertaining
to the history and development of the Philippines. Most of the materials
here, especially for the years of Spanish colonialism, are in their original
language and may not be accessible to college students. But other
materials may be useful and it would not hurt to ask assistance from the
staffs in the archives.

Doing Historical Research in Libraries and

 The libraries in the University of the Philippines in
Diliman, Quezon City have holdings that could also be useful
in research. The collections particularly in the Main Library
in Gonzales Hall are rich in resources especially the
Filipiniana section, serials, theses, and dissertations.
Other university libraries are also accessible to the
public. The Ateneo de Manila University in Quezon City hold
the American Historical Collection, a rich source for the
American period in the Philippines. The University of Santo
Tomas in Espana, Manila also has collections from the
sixteenth century, owing to the fact that it is the oldest
Catholic University in the country and is a historic site itself.

Doing Historical Research in Libraries and

 Private libraries and institutions also have archives that
may be used for research. The Family History Center at the
Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints is a generous
resource for the research on genealogies. The Chinben See
Memorial Library in Kaisa-Angelo King Heritage Center offers
resources on Chinese and Filipino-Chinese in the Philippines
and in Southeast Asia. The Archdiocesan Archives of Manila
has immense Church data sources. Your city or town may
have its own local archives, museum, or public library where
you may access primary sources and other materials for
your research.

Doing Historical Research in Libraries and