Find Resources

clp smirky logo
Find the information you need with the Library’s Enhanced Search Experience!

Access thousands of reliable research resources with just a few clicks using the search box above.  Select “articles” to search individual journal, magazine and newspaper articles or “databases” to find subject-specific collections of information.

Still not sure where to start?  Keep scrolling to browse an alphabetical list of all the Library’s online resources, including genealogy, online learning, language learning, test prep homework help, consumer reports and more

(We want to provide you with a great online experience.  Let us know how we’re doing here!)

19th & 20th Century American Railroad Journals

Carnegie Library digitized 186 volumes of 19th & 20th Century American railroad journals. These titles comprise state of the art professional and technical literature of the period, reflecting the primary role the railroads played in the United States, and of Andrew Carnegie’s commitment to promote industrial and technological advancement through the public library. These materials were scanned as part of the Lyrasis Mass Digitization Collaborative, with support from the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation.


ACLU American Civil Liberties Union Papers: Parts I & II

This resource is available to CLP cardholders only.

Part I: Making of Modern Law, 1912-1990

The American Civil Liberties Union Papers, 1912-1995 collection of papers spans the majority of the twentieth century and focuses on civil rights, civil liberties, race, gender, and issues relating to the U.S. Supreme Court.

Part II: Southern Regional Office

This collection is comprised of digitized materials documenting the ACLU’s legal battle to enforce the Civil Rights Act of 1964 in thirteen Southern states. Consisting of case files, correspondence, newspaper clippings, manuscripts, and more, this collection offers a primary source perspective on civil rights issues from voting rights to the dismantling of the Jim Crow system.



American Marketplace

American Marketplace, a digital exhibition comprised of manufacturer’s and mail-order retail catalogs tracks the development of American industrialization and its relationship to the consumer class. Many well-known companies in industries such as agriculture, shipping, railroad, automotive, and early aviation are represented in the American Marketplace collection, as well as the mail-order catalogs that sold their products to the new middle class. Together, they tell the story of American industry and domestic economy, the American workplace and American home life, in a time of rapid growth.


American Music

This resource is available to CLP cardholders only.

This site contains over 12,000 tracks (with more added regularly) that illustrate our country’s history through music. Songs by and about American Indians, miners, immigrants, slaves, children and many others are included. Of particular interest is the index by historical event. Note: When accessing this resource from outside the library enter Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh in the “Search by institution name” box. You will then be prompted to enter your Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh library card number.



Archives of Sexuality & Gender: LGBTQ History and Culture Parts I & II

This resource is available to CLP cardholders only.

Part I: With material drawn from hundreds of institutions and organizations, including both major international activist organizations and local, grassroots groups, the documents in the Archives of Sexuality & Gender: LGBTQ History and Culture since 1940 details important aspects of LGBTQ life in the second half of the twentieth century and beyond. Historical records of political and social organizations founded by LGBTQ individuals are featured, as well as publications by and for lesbians and gays, and extensive coverage of governmental responses to the AIDS crisis. The archive also contains personal correspondence and interviews with numerous LGBTQ individuals, gay and lesbian newspapers from more than 35 countries, reports, policy statements, and other documents related to gay rights and health.

Part II: This collection enables students, educators, and researchers to thoroughly explore and make new connections in subjects such as LGBTQ history and activism, cultural studies, psychology, sociology, health, political science, policy studies, human rights, gender studies, and more. Selection of materials for this milestone digital collection is guided by an advisory board consisting of leading scholars and librarians in sexuality and gender studies. This fully-searchable collection brings together approximately 1.5 million pages of primary sources on social, political, health, and legal issues impacting LGBTQ communities around the world.



Black Freedom Struggle in the United States: A Selection of Primary Sources

The Black Freedom Struggle resource features select primary source documents related to critical people and events in African American history. By centering on the experiences and perspectives of African Americans, it is hoped that this collection imbues the study of Black history with a deeper understanding of the humanity of people who have pursued the quest for freedom, and the significance of movements like Black Lives Matter.