Introduction to Ripped from the Headlines

Stories in the news rarely come out of nowhere. In fact, many of them are the culmination of long histories. They also don't have just one side or one interpretation. Nor do they happen in a vacuum -- they often affect, and are affected by, many other things around them. In order to fully understand the stories we see, hear, or read about, we need some background so that we can put the stories into context and begin to form our own opinions about what happened and what the implications are.

The University of Kentucky Libraries has a wealth of resources that can be used to gain that understanding. We have databases and books covering scholarly material on almost every topic -- from politics and economics to history and science. Here you can find out how scholars who are experts in their fields have interpreted and analyzed the issues that have lead up to our current day situation. We also have access to the latest current events via our newspaper subscriptions. Here you can read how different journalists have presented the story from a variety of angles. And, we have databases and other sources containing primary source materials as well as our own archival holdings in our Special Collections Library. Here, you can see and read how people have reported and interpreted events from the past that might have bearing on our present day state of affairs. 

So, let your curiosity take you on a journey. This site is designed to let you move from one question to the next and follow wherever your curiosity takes you. And often, the more you know, the more questions you have.  Hopefully this site will help you get started. Where you go afterwards, is up to you. Check out our Research Guide!