In honor of Universal Human Rights Month, The New York Public Library has created this list of online resources to help you explore all aspects of human rights—nationally and internationally. These online resources are accessible to anyone with a  New York Public Library card.  

1.  ACLU American Civil Liberties Union Papers 1912-1995

The ACLU digital archive includes more than 2 million pages of primary resource materials from the organization's archives. Patrons can explore legal briefs, newspapers, internal memoranda and committee reports dealing with human rights issues, as well as other major topics, such as the Civil Rights movement and the Vietnam War.

2. Archives of Sexuality and Gender

This database contains 18 digitized archival collections exploring LGBT history and culture since 1940. Patrons can find excellent resources concerning human rights and the LGBT community, for example, The Human Rights Situation of the LGBT : Shadow Report Submitted to the United Nations Human Rights Committee and Born Free and Equal Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity in International Human Rights Law.

3. Brill Online Books and Journals

This online resource contains thousands of e-books and e-journals, including the collection, "Human Rights and Humanitarian Law E-Books Online, 2017". This collection includes current titles covering human rights issues all over the globe, for example, Ending War Crimes, Chasing the War Criminals and Blurring Boundaries: Human Security and Forced Migration.

4. Cambridge Core

Through the Cambridge Core database, NYPL patrons can access hundreds of books and journals published by Cambridge University Press, covering many areas of studies.  This database also provides extensive coverage on human rights issues, with books such as, Human Rights in Emergencies and Beyond Human Rights.

5. Credo Reference

If you are in need of a quick introduction to issues relating to human rights, the Credo Reference database is a great place to begin. You can begin your research with the Encyclopedia of Human Rights in the United States, Encyclopedia of Human Rights Issues Since 1945, and The Atlas of Human Rights.

6. Ethnic NewsWatch (1959-present)

This resource provides a large collection of ethnic, minority, and native newspapers, magazines and journals published in the United States covering human rights issues nationally and internationally.

7. IMF eLibrary Texts

This database is a full-text collection of virtually all publications from the International Monetary Fund since 1946. The collection includes important titles such as, Human Rights and the IMF and the Human Development Report.

8. Modern Genocide: Understanding Causes and Consequences

This database covers genocides globally from 1904, from the Herero Genocide to the Darfur Genocide. Researchers can explore the causes, consequences and international reaction to these genocides through various formats, including photographs, videos and government documents. 

9. Sage Knowledge

This social sciences database includes thousands of e-books, journal articles, videos, interviews, handbooks and other reference materials. Patrons can view thousands of current works focused on human rights, such as, The Sage Handbook of Human Rights, Crime and Human Rights: Genocide and Atrocities, and Human Rights and Peace: Ideas, Laws, Institutions and Movements.

10. United Nations iLibrary 

Perhaps one of the best sources to research international human rights issues, the United Nations iLibrary provides publications across a broad range of UN programs—this includes statistical compilations as well as thematic treatments of major international issues covering human rights. Patrons can read works such as, The Universal Declaration of Human Rights, The Global Report on Trafficking in Persons, and Women's Rights are Human Rights.

11. Very Short Introductions 

Oxford University Press's Very Short Introduction series provides concise overviews of a topic, covering all areas of humanities, law, medicine, science and the social sciences. This series provides an extensive collection of issues dealing with all areas of human rights from torture to civil liberties.