On trial: African American Newspapers and Times-Picayune

*The Library now has now purchased access to ‘African American Newspapers, Series 1 and 2’. See New to the Library: African American Newspapers.*

Thanks to a request from a student in HCA the Library currently has trial access to two newspaper databases from Readex, African American Newspapers, Series 1, 1827-1998 and New Orleans Times-Picayune (1837-1922). Between them giving you access to around 170 years of newspaper archives and useful if you’re looking at African American history, American history, the Antebellum South, the Civil Rights movement and more.

You can access both databases via the E-resources trials page. Access is available both on and off-campus.

Trial access ends 30th November 2018. Continue reading

On trial: State Papers Online, Part III

Thanks to a request from staff members in both HCA and ECA the Library currently has trial access to State Papers Online, Part III: The Stuarts: James I to Anne, 1603-1714: State Papers Domestic from Gale Cengage. This database is a digital collection of English government documents originating primarily from the seventeenth century that allow you to take an in-depth view of some of the issues dominating England at that time.

You can access the database via the E-resources trials page. Access is available both on and off-campus.

Trial access ends 21st November 2018.

State Papers Online, Part III documents one of the most compelling and turbulent eras in Britain’s social, political and religious history. The era’s internal struggles come to life through a wealth of primary source documents including: royal and diplomatic correspondence, reports and parliamentary drafts from civil servants and provincial administrators. Continue reading

On trial: Governing Africa

I’m happy to let you know that thanks to a request from a student in HCA the Library currently has trial access to a series of digital collections from British Online Archives, called Governing Africa: British records from African countries under colonial rule. The series includes 13 collections that between them have over 2,500 primary source documents, covering nearly 30 countries including Malawi, South Africa, Gambia, Sierra Leone, Uganda, Zimbabwe, Ghana, Kenya and Nigeria and have documents dating from 1808-1995.

As we’re currently in Black History Month and with the University’s Africa Week 2018 starting later this week it seemed an appropriate series for the Library to get on trial for staff and students.

You can access the database via the E-resources trials page.

Trial access ends 21st November 2018. Continue reading

On trial: Area Studies – Japan, China and Southeast Asia

The Library currently has trial access to two primary source databases from Adam Matthew, Area Studies: China and Southeast Asia and Area Studies: Japan. These provide digital access to primary source materials spanning more than 500 years, selected from the extensive microfilm back catalogue of Adam Matthew Publications.

You can access both the databases via the E-resources trials page.
Access is available both on and off-campus.

Trial access ends 12th November 2018. Continue reading

On trial: East India Company digital archive

Thanks to a request from a student in HCA I’m pleased to let you know that the Library currently has trial access to the primary source database East India Company from Adam Matthew. This unique digital resource allows students and researchers to access a vast and remarkable collection of primary source documents from the India Office Records held by the British Library, the single most important archive for the study of the East India Company.

You can access the database via the E-resources trials page. Access is available both on and off-campus.

Trial access ends 16th November 2018.

Continue reading

On trial: British and Irish Women’s Letters and Diaries

*The Library has access to British and Irish Women’s Letters and Diaries, 1500-1900 until 31st July 2024 as part of ProQuest Access 350.*

Thanks to a request from a 4th year dissertation student in HCA the Library now has trial access to Alexander Street’s digital collection British and Irish Women’s Letters and Diaries, 1500-1900. Spanning more than 400 years it brings together the personal writings of women from England, Scotland, Ireland and Wales.

You can access the database via the E-resources trials page.
Access is available on-campus. For off-campus access you must be connected to the VPN.

Trial access ends 16th November 2018.

Extending back to the 1500s, the collection lets you view history in the context
of women’s thoughts—their struggles, achievements, passions, pursuits, and desires. The collection shows the various shapes and formats of the diary as it evolved, including the travel diary, offering detailed accounts of journeys and descriptions of places; the daily personal diary, in which women reflected more broadly on aspects of their lives; letter diaries, wherein a daily dated letter to a recipient served simultaneously as a diary entry; and other forms. Continue reading

New to the Library: Literary Print Culture

I’m pleased to let you know that the Library now has access to Literary Print Culture: The Stationers’ Company Archive, 1554-2007 from Adam Matthew. Sourced from the archive of The Worshipful Company of Stationers & Newspaper Makers, located at Stationers’ Hall in the City of London, this resource allows access to a vast and unique collection of primary source documents.

You can access Literary Print Culture: The Stationers’ Company Archive via the Databases A-Z list and Primary Source database list. You can also access it through DiscoverEd. Continue reading

On trial: Women’s Magazine Archive

*The Library has now purchased access to the ‘Women’s Magazine Archive, collection I and II’. See New to the Library: Women’s Magazine Archive.*

Thanks to request from a student in HCA the Library currently has trial access to ProQuest’s Women’s Magazine Archive, collection I and II. This unique database comprises archival runs of leading women’s consumer magazines of the twentieth century.

You can access the database via the E-resources trials page.
Access is available on-campus. For off-campus access you must be connected to the VPN.

Trial access ends 14th November 2018. Continue reading

Battle of Cable Street: through our newspaper archives

On this day, 4th October, in 1936 large crowds of people gathered in London’s East End, an area of the city that had a large Jewish population, in an attempt to stop a march through the area by the British Union of Fascists (BUF). The protests turned into a riot with anti-fascist demonstrators clashing with Police, large numbers of demonstrators were arrested and even larger numbers of them (and Police) were injured. But they did manage to prevent the march from taking place.

In this week’s blog post I’m using some of the Library’s digital newspaper databases to find primary source material about the Battle of Cable Street (as the demonstrations became known).

Screenshot from Illustrated London News, October 10, 1936, p. 635. From The Illustrated London News Historical Archive.

Continue reading