On trial: Tanzania and Malawi in records from colonial missionaries, 1857-1965

*The Library has now purchased access to the ‘Tanzania and Malawi in records from colonial missionaries’. See New! Tanzania and Malawi in records from colonial missionaries, 1857-1965.*

Thanks to a request from a student in HCA the Library currently has trial access to the digital primary source collection Tanzania and Malawi in records from colonial missionaries, 1857-1965 from British Online Archives. This gives you access to 54,550 digital pages from the Universities’ Mission to Central Africa (UMCA) archives including correspondence, journals, magazines, books, reports, etc.

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

Trial access ends 25th December 2018. 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

New to the Library: Service Newspapers of World War Two

I’m really pleased to let you know that following a successful trial the Library now has access to Service Newspapers of World War Two from Adam Matthew Digital, a brand new digitised primary source collection just released this year. This resource gives you unique insight into the story of war as told by the newspapers and magazines that brought information, entertainment and camaraderie to the forces.

You can access Service Newspapers of World War Two via the Databases A-Z list and Newspapers & Magazines database list. You can also access it through DiscoverEd.

Service Newspapers of World War Two contains an extensive range of both rare and well-known wartime publications for soldiers serving in major theatres around the world. Publications are included from many key nations involved in the conflict, such as the US, Canada, New Zealand, India, and the countries of Europe, Africa and the Middle East. Both Allied and Axis publications are presented, offering a broad view of the war and the experiences of those on its front lines. Continue reading

On trial: The Age of Exploration

Thanks to a request from staff in HCA the Library currently has trial access to a brand new digital primary source collection from Adam Matthew Digital, Age of Exploration. This database allows you to discover through archive material the changing shape of exploration through five centuries, from c.1420-1920.

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

Trial access ends 18th June 2018.
Continue reading

On trial: Secrecy, sabotage, and aiding the resistance

The Library has been given trial access to the British Online Archives (BOA) collection Secrecy, sabotage, and aiding the resistance: how Anglo-American co-operation shaped World War Two. Giving you unique insight into US-UK diplomacy, intelligence sharing, and sabotage operations in enemy territory from 1939-1954.

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

Trial access ends 9th May 2018. Continue reading

Explore black history through Archives Unbound

In this week’s blog post I wanted to highlight a number of primary source databases that you have access to at the University that allow you to discover more about black history.

I’m concentrating on collections available to you through Archives Unbound, which presents topically-focused digital collections of historical documents. There are currently 265 collections in Archives Unbound covering a broad range of topics from the Middle Ages forward-from Witchcraft to World War II to 20th century political history.

You can access Archives Unbound via the Databases A-Z list or Primary Sources database list.

As Archives Unbound covers such a vast range of subjects and collections, searching through the whole database will provide material perhaps from some surprising areas (so it’s very worthwhile doing this), however, I’m going to focus on some of the individual collections. You can access the individual collections by clicking on “Browse Collections”, where you can either browse through an alphabetical list or choose to browse by “Categories” instead.

So here is just a small selection of collections that will allow you to take your research into black history further.

Fannie Lou Hamer: Papers of a Civil Rights Activist, Political Activist, and Woman

Fannie Lou Hamer (née Townsend) was born in Mississippi in 1917. The youngest of 20 children she would go on to become an American voting rights activist and a leader in the Civil Rights Movement. Hamer was instrumental in organising Mississippi Freedom Summer for the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC). She was actively involved in starting the Delta Ministry, and she was one of the founders of the Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party later to become the Vice-Chair. Continue reading

Trial access: British Records on the Atlantic World, 1700-1900

From today the Library has trial access to the primary source collection British Records on the Atlantic World, 1700-1900 from British Online Archives. So for a limited time only you can access the wealth of material in this database spanning two centuries of Britain’s colonisation, commercial, missionary and even literary relations with Africa and the Americas.

You can access the database via the E-resources trials page (under the title British Online Archives: Atlantic Studies Collection). Access is available on-campus. For off-campus access please use the University’s VPN service.

Trial access ends 1st March 2017.

boa_imagecombined Continue reading

Trial access: Digital National Security Archive (DNSA)

*The Library currently has access to Digital National Security Archive (DNSA) until 31st July 2024 as part of ProQuest Access 350.*

And finally…We currently have trial access to the extensive primary source database Digital National Security Archive (DNSA) from ProQuest. This database unlocks a vast trove of important declassified U.S. government documents providing vital primary source material to advance research in twentieth century history, politics, and international relations.

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

Trial access ends 15th February 2017.

IF Continue reading