American Indian Studies

This short 2.5 minute video created by Suffolk County Community College Library provides a broad outline of what Primary, Secondary, and Tertiary Sources are, with examples of each.

You may be surprised to know that there are several special collections or archives located in the United States, in California, in Chico, and on campus. There are several types of Archives, distinguished by their funding sources and the material types they collect.

• College and university archives preserve materials related to a specific academic institution. One example is Meriam Library University Archivesoffice is located on the Chico State campus library, room 305. MLUA collects materials focused on the history of the Chico State campus.
• Government archives are repositories that collect materials relating to local, state, or national government entities. The Butte County Hall of Records, the California State Archives, and the National Archives are a few examples of county, state, and federal government repositories.
• Historical societies are organizations that seek to preserve and promote the interest in the history or a region, a particular historical period, non-government organizations, or a certain subject. The collections of a historical society typically focus on a state or a community, and may be in charge of maintaining some governmental records as well. Butte County Historical Society, Tehama County Genealogical & Historical Society, and Colusi County Historical Society work to preserve Butte, Tehama, Colusa, and Glenn counties history respectively.
• Special Collections are institutions containing materials from individuals, families, and organizations considered to have significant historical value. Often a special collections repository will be a department within a library, holding the library's rarest or most valuable rare books, original manuscripts, and collections of local history for the community. Meriam Library Special Collections office is located on the Chico State campus library, room 305. MLSPC collects materials related to Northeastern California service area: including the history of the Chico State campus, the environment, primary industries, and people of our Northeastern California service area.
• Museums are similar to archives, but usually emphasize exhibiting or displaying their collections. Museums also collect and preserve diverse collections, artifacts, or artwork rather than books and papers. Some museums might also have libraries or archives, or be within a library or archives. 

The following list of potential collections is not exhaustive, but organized to give you a start on your primary source research