Although Black History month has now come to an end, we wanted to highlight some of our resources that are available year-round regarding the work of people of colour. This is also a way to kick-start a series of blog posts we intend to write shining a spotlight on some of our favourite lesser-known databases available to staff and students at the University.
A lot of work goes into creating and curating collections of resources like these, and they can often prove invaluable in helping to better direct and inform research. Part of our job as Graduate Trainees is learning more about what collections our readers have access to, so that we can signpost them to readers in need!
African Writers Series
- About: Here you can read the full text of over 250 works of fiction, poetry, drama and non-fictional prose published by Heinemann’s African Writers Series. Heinemann’s has an over 40-year history in publishing postcolonial writings by prominent African authors, including important figures such as Ama Ata Aidoo, Steve Biko, Buchi Emecheta, Nadine Gordimer, Bessie Head, Doris Lessing, Nelson Mandela, Dambudzo Marechera, Christopher Okigbo, Okot p’Bitek and Tayeb Salih.
- Where can you find it? You can access the database here OR go to SOLO > Databases A-Z (under useful links tab on SOLO’s homepage) > All databases are listed in alphabetical order – you can scroll down until you find the database, or you can use the little search box (top right-hand corner) which will allow you to search for specific databases!
Black Authors 1556-1922
- About: Curators of the Afro-Americana Imprints collection created the database ‘Black Authors 1556-1922’ using resources from the Library Company of Philadelphia; a library that specialises in 17th-19th century American history research. The database has over 550 works written by Black authors, including fiction, poems, play, sheet music as well as biographies, cookbooks, letters, sermons and more.
- Where can you find it? You can access the database here OR go to SOLO > Databases A-Z (under useful links tab on SOLO’s homepage) > All databases are listed in alphabetical order – you can scroll down until you find the database, or you can use the little search box (top right-hand corner) which will allow you to search for specific databases!
Black Drama, Third Edition
- About: Here you can find (and read in full!) over 1,700 plays written by a wide variety of playwrights from America, the Caribbean or Africa in the mid-19th century. This collection comprises of many works that are out of print or that are normally very difficult to find. You can browse the collection by title, playwrights, genres or subjects.
- Where can you find it? You can access the database here OR go to SOLO > Databases A-Z (under useful links tab on SOLO’s homepage) > All databases are listed in alphabetical order – you can scroll down until you find the database, or you can use the little search box (top right-hand corner) which will allow you to search for specific databases!
Black Studies Centre
- About: This digital collection of primary and secondary sources combines several key resources that record and expound on Black experiences across history. It includes scholarly essays, articles, indexes, and the historical full-text of one of the most influential black newspapers in the US, The Chicago Defender.
- Where can you find it? You can access the database here OR go to SOLO > Databases A-Z (under useful links tab on SOLO’s homepage) > All databases are listed in alphabetical order – you can scroll down until you find the database, or you can use the little search box (top right-hand corner) which will allow you to search for specific databases!
Black Thought and Culture
- About: This incredible collection contains approximately 100,000 pages of non-fiction writings by major American black leaders – teachers, artists, politicians, religious leaders, athletes, war veterans, entertainers, and other figures – covering 250 years of history. Much of the material in this collection was previously inaccessible but is now presented in one easy to access and searchable database.
- Where can you find it? You can access the database here OR go to SOLO > Databases A-Z (under useful links tab on SOLO’s homepage) > All databases are listed in alphabetical order – you can scroll down until you find the database, or you can use the little search box (top right-hand corner) which will allow you to search for specific databases!
Oxford African America Studies Center
- About: The Oxford African American Studies Center is an incredible resource for African histories, encyclopaedias, and biographies. With over 10,000 articles it is one of the most comprehensive collections of scholarship on the lives and events shaping African and African-American history and culture.
- Where can you find it? You can access the database here OR go to SOLO > Databases A-Z (under useful links tab on SOLO’s homepage) > All databases are listed in alphabetical order – you can scroll down until you find the database, or you can use the little search box (top right-hand corner) which will allow you to search for specific databases!
