CERLConsortium of

European ResearchLibraries

Dr David J. Shaw, Secretary

National Library of Scotland

3 September 2003

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CERL• The Consortium was formed in 1992 on the

initiative of research libraries in many European countries.

• We currently have 44 full members, 31 other members, and 83 associated libraries.

• Our primary objective is to record the European printed heritage: all books printed in Europe during the hand-press period, i.e. before c.1830, in our Hand Press Book database.

• Web address : http://www.cerl.org/

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CERL members in the UK

• British Library, London• National Library of Scotland,

Edinburgh• National Library of Wales,

Aberystwyth• University of London Libraries

(ULL and UCL)• University of Oxford Libraries

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Hand Press Book databaseHPB

• 1,287,469 records for books printed in Europe from mid-15th to mid-19th centuries

• 18 contributing libraries, with more records added each year

• Full list of contributors on http://www.cerl.org/HPB/hpb.htm

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The HPB is searchable by

• Author • Title• Imprint town• Printer or publisher• Date range• Language• Holding institution

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Advanced search

• Searches can be modified and combined

• Records can be output in a variety of formats

• MARC output is available for derived cataloguing

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CERL Thesaurus• Contains variant forms of names of

– places– imprint names– personal names

• CERL hopes to add– provenance information– printers’ devices

• Can combine place and imprint names to show all printers who were active in a certain place

• Is freely available ! http://www.cerl.org/Thesaurus/thesaurus.htm

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Variant imprint places

• How do you find all the books printed in Paris?

• The Thesaurus lists 48 different forms

• All can be searched for in one operation

en Parisiois, Lutecia, Lutecia Parisiorum, Lutetia, Lutetia Parisiorum, Lutetiae, Lutetiae Parisiorum, Lutetiae-Parisiorum, Parhisii, Parhisiis, Parige, Pariggi, Parigi, Parishe, Parisi, Parisiae, Parisii, Parisiis, Parisioi, Parisius, Parisk, Parisorum, Parissi, Parisu, Pariz, Parrhisiae, Parrhisii, Parrhisiis, Parrhisium, Parrhisius, Parrhysiis, Parsii, Parys, W Paryzu

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Variants for EdinburghEdinburgi Edinburgiensum Edinburgium Edinburgk Edinburgum Edinburum Edingborough Edingburg Edingburgh Edingurgh Edinum Edninburgh Edynburg Edynburgh Endinburgh

Alata Castra Alatus Burgus Aneda Burgus Alatus Castra Alata Castra Puellarum Dun Eudain Eden-Bourgh Edenborough Edenbourgh Edenburg EdenburghEdenburgum Edibourg

EdimbourgEdimbourgh Edimburg Edimburga Edimburgh Edimburghum Edimburgm Edimburgum Edin-Bruaich Edinborough Edinbourg Edinbourgh Edinburg Edinburga Edinburge

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Printers and publishers

• For each imprint place, a list of imprint names can be obtained

• Each name can be selected for more detailed biographical information

Adams, William Anderson, Andrew (1680) Balfour, John Baskett, John Bell, John Brown, William Bryson, James (1639) Bryson, James Bryson, Robert (1640) Cairns, John (1678) Calderwood, John (1685) Charteris, Henry

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Assisted Searching

• The CERL Thesaurus is used to support Assisted Searching on the HPB database

• Available for imprint places and imprint names

• Assisted searching on personal names is under development

• This is how it works...

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CERL activities

• developing the Hand Press Book database• developing the CERL Thesaurus• organising or participating in seminars and

workshops on the history of the book and computer-based catalogues of printing before 1830

• publishing papers arising from the annual CERL Seminar

• investigating technological issues relating to cross-searching of web-based catalogues of printed books and manuscripts

CERLContact information

For Membership details: D.J.Shaw@cerl.org

For information about the HPB / CERL Thesaurus MarianLefferts@cerl.org