National History Day Subject Guide

Use AND, OR, and NOT to connect search terms.

When you are creating a search to use in a library database, it's different than searching in the Google search engine.  You cannot type in a question or a whole sentence. In order for a library database to understand your search, you will connect your search terms using the Boolean connectors AND, OR and NOT.

Search Examples:

magna carta 

magna carta AND king john

magna carta AND (king john or england)

You will see the FIND IT button in many of the Albertson Library's article databases.  If you do not see a link to the full text article, such as HTML or PDF full text, select the FIND IT button to possibly link to the article in another database or on a publisher's site.

You can access these databases only at Boise State University's Albertsons Library or with a Boise State username and password:

Newspapers:

• New York Times, Historical (1851-2017)
• Los Angeles Times, Historical (1881-1997)

 
History Databases:

• America: History and Life (scholarly articles from history journals - history of North America)
• Historical Abstracts (scholarly articles from history journals - history of the world, excluding North America)

Other Databases:

• JSTOR
• See also the History subject guide at: http://guides.boisestate.edu/history

Note: ​If you do not have a Boise State University ID, you will not be able to access these databases off-campus. However, you can come to campus with a parent (with photo ID such as a driver's license) and obtain a login and password to use one of the four guest computers on the 1st floor of the Albertsons Library.

You can access these databases anywhere.  All you have to do is enter your Idaho Zip Code and City. Some of these databases may also be available through your school's or public library's site.

• The LiLI databases are freely available to all residents of Idaho.
• Go to: http://lili.org/
• Select a database from the list.  You will then be prompted to enter your Zip Code and City.
• Some good databases for finding articles on the Grades 9-12 page:
  • Academic Search Premier (articles from magazines, journals and newspapers)
  • Digital Public Library of America (digital information related to American history)
  • Explora Secondary (research for secondary schools)
  • Gale Virtual Reference (online encyclopedias)
  • History Reference Center (includes primary sources)
  • Masterfile Premier (mostly magazines)
  • Newspaper Source Plus (newspaper articles)
  • World Book Advanced (For high school and new college students.  An online general encyclopedia that includes some primary source documents)​​​

Note:  If a database link does not work, follow the instructions above for going directly to the lili.org site.