Thursday, September 10, 2020

Thoughts on Informational Databases

 After taking a look at a number of informational databases that are actually more accessible than one would think, a few interesting ones stuck out:

Historical Washington Post Database

My local Fairfax County Public Library has a full-page archive of the Washington Post coverage of politics, society, and events dating all the way back to 1877. This would be a great resource to go back and see how certain events and time periods were documented at the time, compared to how we view them now.

Civil War in Words and Deeds

This database, through the Library of Virginia, seems to present accounts of the Civil War which likely would not have been displayed to the general public through the reporting of the time. Namely, this database includes compilations of the reasons individuals volunteered, as well as the daily trials and tribulations of the war from a soldier's perspective. 

Gale Legal Forms

This was another sort of niche database through the Library of Virginia that contains legal forms containing details on Virginia divorces, wills and estates, real estate, bankruptcy, landlord tenant, power of attorney, name change, business incorporation. Seems like a useful resource if you are interested in finding something very specific about a particular legal event.

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