New Electronic Resources: March 2006 Archives

The libraries are pleased to announce our subscription to FIAF International Film Archive Database. Produced by the International Federation of Film Archives, the database includes indexing to over 300 international periodicals on film and television, selected bibliographies, and a directory of archives and research centers.

• International Index to Film Periodicals 72-present
• International Index to TV Periodicals 79-present
• Treasures from the Film Archives – finding aid for archival film material worldwide
• International Directory of Film/TV Documentation Collections
• Bibliography of FIAF members' publications

Tips: When in the database, choose the component that you want to search from the red arrow in the upper right, next to the label "change databases." Please also note that the subscription allows for 4 Temple students, staff, or faculty to search the database at one time. This number can be increased should use warrant it.

Please feel free to contact me with any questions about this resource.

--Jenifer Lee Baldwin

Manuscript catalogs connect advanced history researchers with important primary documents housed in obscure and not-so-obscure collections all over the country. Generations of scholars have turned to the National Union Catalog of Manuscript Collections (NUCMC) to track down collections critical to historical research.

ArchiveGrid is a new database from the Research Libraries Group (RLG) that also allows researchers to locate relevant manuscript collections. "Thousands of libraries, museums, and archives have contributed nearly a million collection descriptions to ArchiveGrid. Researchers searching ArchiveGrid can learn about the many items in each of these collections, contact archives to arrange a visit to examine materials, and order copies" (ArchiveGrid). RLG is providing free access to ArchiveGrid through May 31, 2006. After this date ArchiveGrid will remain free if RLG receives additional funding to continue the project. If funds are not found, ArchiveGrid will be made available to institutions as a subscription.

All records in the NUCMC catalog are said to be available in ArchiveGrid. Given that ArchiveGrid is a brand new resource, researchers should consult both databases for the sake of completeness. Graduate students and senior scholars should cross-check online search results against the print version of NUCMC.

--David C. Murray

Postscript: History researchers might also wish to consult Ready, Net, Go!, an index/guide to archival research on the web created by the Special Collections Division of the Howard-Tilton Memorial Library, Tulane University.

Two new collections of full-text journals have been added to our JSTOR content:

Arts & Sciences Complement

"The Arts & Sciences Complement is intended to offer participants a method to seamlessly add journals related to the core Arts & Sciences I, II, III, and IV Collections. For the Arts & Sciences Complement, journals may be focused in any of the more than thirty arts, humanities, and social sciences disciplines covered by JSTOR. Our aim is to introduce important titles that we were unable to include in earlier collections and to capture journals that cross discipline boundaries. A minimum of 150 titles will be included by the end of 2008."

Biological Sciences

"The Biological Sciences Collection will include at least 100 titles when it is completed in 2007. This collection brings together the twenty-nine journals available in our existing Ecology & Botany Collection with more than seventy titles new to JSTOR. Coverage in this collection offers greater depth in fields such as biodiversity, conservation, paleontology, and plant science, in addition to introducing new areas such as cell biology and zoology."

Both collections currently including dozens of journals, some going back to the beginning the of the twentieth century. See the complete list at the links above.

--Derik A Badman

Classical Music Library: streaming audio of beautiful music!

For listening pleasure, cultural stimulation, classroom enrichment, and study and research, Temple University Libraries are pleased to announce the addition of Classical Music Library to our electronic resources. Classical Music Library provides streamed audio of an extensive array of classical music repertoire. Listeners can browse composers’ works, or search for music by instrument, period, title, genre, or performer. The “folders” feature allows each person to construct their own individualized playlists, or to take advantage of ready-made “themed” playlists. These themed playlists include the major anthologies used to teach the history of music as well as playlists for specific artistic movements, composers, artists, genres, music appreciation, mood music, music for occasions, and period music. In addition, Classical Music Library contains a reference section with information and images about composers, music history, and musical terms.

Classical Music Library is available here.

For help using this service, questions, and/or feedback, contact Anne Harlow.

Enjoy!

--Anne Harlow

The Libraries are pleased to announce the acquisition of Pennsylvania County Histories to 1900. This database provides full-text access to PA county histories written during the late 19th Century. Philadelphia, Berks, Bucks, Chester, Delaware, and Montgomery counties all receive extensive coverage. Researchers will appreciate the inclusion of beautiful period maps, illustrations, and portraits of individuals. The histories are our main source of information about important local citizens, some of whom received little or no coverage in the regional and national press of the day.

Observes Temple historian Greg Urwin, "Nineteenth century county histories customarily listed the names of all the men who enlisted in volunteer units, and often gave their service records. These books also often contained brief biographies of prominent locals (usually men) and descriptions of prominent businesses."

For more on the history of Philadelphia and surrounding counties, check out the following titles in the Diamond catalog:

Berks County (Pa.) -- History
Bucks County (Pa.) -- History
Chester County (Pa.) -- History
Delaware County (Pa.) -- History
Montgomery County (Pa.) -- History
Philadelphia County (Pa.) -- History

--David C. Murray