New resource: Heritage of the Printed Book Database (HPB) formerly Hand Press Book Database
The
HPB bibliographic database from CERL,
free to TCD under our CONUL
agreement, has been added to the New Resources page and will have a record in
the catalogue and a link from the main databases page in due course.
The
HPB Database (previously called the Hand Press Book
Database) is a steadily growing collection of files of catalogue records from
major European and North American research libraries covering items of European
printing of the hand-press period (c.1455-c.1830) integrated into one file.
This makes it possible for information to be retrieved in one single search
across all files. As the digitisation of collections in contributing libraries
progresses, more and more catalogue records point to digital presentations of
the early printed books.
The
HPB Database is of interest to librarians and any one
else with academic pursuits across many fields of study that use printed books
as source material. It is especially valuable for research in intellectual
history, social history, and transmission of thought — as well as in the
history of printing and the history of the book. It may be accessed for
information retrieval and downloading by CERL member
institutions, their staff and users.
