Where else can I search?
If you've tried all the newspaper collections, you've tried Hathi Trust and Google Books, and you're coming up empty, or you aren't finding sources that are good enough, there are a few search strategies you might try:
Use the site: limiter in google. In google, you can type your search terms and add site:.edu (no spaces!)limit your results to just educational institutions. For example, if you search African American "primary sources" site:.edu you might find some digitized primary source collections at a University or Library.
Search for other library guides! Did you know that most college libraries use the same software to create course guides just like the ones we have at Le Moyne? They are all made with a system called "Libguides". If you want to find library resources on your topic you might try a google search and add the term Libguides to see if any librarian somewhere has created a great research guide for your topic. Example: freedmen reconstruction libguides
Still stuck? Schedule an appointment with me!!!