The University of Kansas Libraries, with help from the English Department, are pleased to announce the availability of Early English Books Online (EEBO), a major resource for humanities research and teaching. EEBO is a searchable database of digital images of every book, pamphlet, and broadside printed in England or its colonies, or in English anywhere in the world, between 1475 (the first book printed in English) and1700.

The database currently includes 96,000 works and is expected to reach 125,000 works when complete. EEBO is based on the revised editions of Pollard & Redgrave?s Short-Title Catalogue (1475-1640) and Wing?s Short-Title Catalogue (1641-1700),and incorporates the Thomason Tracts collection (1640-1661).

EEBO is a major interdisciplinary resource that includes important early works in religion, science, exploration, political science, law, literature, music, and other fields ? including works by Bacon, More, Erasmus, Boyle, Newton, Galileo; musical exercises by Henry Purcell and novels by Aphra Behn; prayer books, pamphlets, and proclamations; almanacs, calendars, and many other primary sources. The search engine helps locate books by title, author, or subject. Enhanced indexing allows scholars to pinpoint maps, portraits, coats of arms, music, and illustrations. The original page image is presented online for viewing, printing or downloading.

EEBO?s collection of texts and its searching capabilities complement the holdings of original printed and manuscript material from this period held in KU?s Kenneth Spencer Research Library.

Acquisition of this important research tool has been made possible by several private gifts to the KU Endowment Association, including the Hall Fund for British History, the Spencer Fund, the Eson Fund, and the English Department?s William Savage Johnson Fund. Tuition Enhancement funds have also helped make this acquisition possible. The Libraries and the English Department are grateful for this support. The database is accessible to KU students, faculty, and staff through the Libraries? website. For further information or to schedule an introduction to searching the database, contact Rich Ring, liaison for English and History, at richring@ku.edu or 864-3425.

February 9, 2004
3:30 p.m.
Johnson Room, Spencer Research Library

This session is co-sponsored by the British Seminar and the Early Modern Seminar.