In contrast to primary sources, secondary sources are interpretations that come out of an analysis of patterns and differences that appear in primary sources and their contexts. The author of a secondary source is usually focusing on a topic and intending to communicate with researchers. A secondary source will use primary sources as its foundation and examine those primary sources in order to find meaningful relationships among the different perspectives and understandings found in those primary documents. In essence, primary sources are the basic materials from which history is written. Proceed to question 8 and question 9 for a discussion of how you can work with primary sources.
Libraries collect published material, also known as secondary sources.
The holdings of one library may be duplicated in whole or in part by the holdings of another. If a book is lost or stolen it probably can be replaced. Archives collect original unpublished material or primary sources. Since archives collect any medium that records information, the format of collections may be diverse and may include letters and diaries, photographs, maps, architectural drawings, computer tape, video and audio cassettes. The size of a collection may range from a single document to hundreds or even thousands of metres of material.