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.

The collections include reports revealing what was reported to the British government by their governors in the African colonies, statistical reports covering 13 colonies, with some data that pre-dates the abolition of the slave trade, legal notices showing how colonial laws were used to control citizens during wars and uprisings, notices of land sales and colonial reports.

The 13 collections in this series are:

• Colonial Africa in official statistics, 1821-1953
• Malawi under colonial rule, in Government reports, 1907-1967
• South Africa under Apartheid, reports and research by a journalist, 1949-1995
• Gambia under colonial rule, in Government reports, 1881-1966
• Sierra Leone under colonial rule, in Government reports, 1893-1961
• Uganda under colonial rule, in Government reports, 1903-1961
• Zimbabwe under colonial rule, in Government reports, 1897-1980
• Ghana and Togo under colonial rule, in Government reports, 1843-1957
• Kenya under colonial rule, in Government reports, 1907-1964
• Nigeria and Cameroon under colonial rule, in Government reports, 1887-1962
• Colonial Law in Africa, 1808-1919
• Colonial Law in Africa, 1920-1945
• Colonial Law in Africa, 1946-1966

You can access Governing Africa for the duration of the trial period via e-resources trials.
Access available until 21st November 2018.
Feedback welcome.

Access is only available to current students and staff at University of Edinburgh.

Caroline Stirling – Academic Support Librarian for History, Classics and Archaeology