Primary sources are the "building blocks" of history and include materials produced by contemporaries or observers of a given historical period. Examples of primary sources include government documents, business documents, personal letters, diaries, and photographs.
Secondary sources are materials such as book and articles that are produced about an historical event or period. These materials are often produced by experts in the field.
A Tertiary source aggregates primary and/or secondary sources and do not include commentary or analysis. Examples include almanacs, overviews, indices, and bibliographies.
There are a variety of repositories. Among these are archives, libraries, and museums.
Archives - in a very general sense, an archive is a repository where a variety of materials (most often documents and photographs) are stored. The materials may be public records or from private collections. The types of materials available will vary among archival institutions.
Libraries - often libraries will possess archival materials that are relevant to a specific region. For example, the Kern County Library's Jack Maguire Local History Room contains materials related to Kern County history.
Museums - while many museums will have documents and photographs, they also collect and preserve materials such as paintings, sculptures, scientific materials, and historical materials.
