Despite the hype the world wide web is a pretty crappy place for primary sources. Internet based private space may hold masses of libraries worth of material but the promise of a free and open digital library a click away is a very long click away. It is, then, small chirpy of noises of glee I make when I come across primary sources such as the UK’s National Archives and its one million documents now plunked down for all to see on the web.
Trouble is, you do only “come across” these things. I wish there was a card catalogue of accessible web-based primary sources somewhere available. You know…like an organized log of what was one the web…now what would you call that?