| Readex to Dramatically Enrich Its Digital Edition of Early American Imprints with Newly Discovered Materials An abundance of rare printed items from the Library Company of Philadelphia enhance a venerable resource January 13, 2010 (NAPLES, FL) –Early American Imprints, Series I and II, the definitive resource for researching every aspect of 17th- and 18th-century America, has been dramatically expanded. In early 2010 Readex will release Early American Imprints: Supplements from the Library Company of Philadelphia, 1670-1819, a new resource featuring rare and unique holdings from the Library Company that form the largest collection of early American imprints to have been identified and cataloged during the last 40 years. Spanning from 1670 to 1819, these remarkable printed materials, particularly valuable for studying popular culture, offer new terrain for exploration, and represent a significant contribution to early American letters. “These collections are rich in imprints that have never before been available in the digital Early American Imprints because they came to light after the completion of the bibliographies on which it was based,” says James N. Green, the Library Company’s Librarian. “By adding them to their Archive of Americana, Readex has made it even more truly the national digital library of early American print.”
Early American Imprints: Supplements from the Library Company of Philadelphia includes nearly 2,000 newly discovered books, pamphlets and broadsides that are fully integrated with Early American Imprints, Series I and II. The new collection, available in two parts, includes items relevant to a host of humanities topics and representing numerous genres of colonial print, many emanating from the middle and lower orders of society. Its surprising content is garnering acclaim among academic researchers. “This astonishing number of newly discovered books, broadsides and pamphlets from the Library Company of Philadelphia are an invaluable resource to scholars,” says Philip F. Gura, William S.Newman Distinguished Professor of American Literature and Culture, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. “Their addition to the Readex digital editions of Early American Imprints, Series I and II: Evans and Shaw-Shoemaker will greatly expedite scholarship in American history, literature, and culture generally.”
“This digitized supplement does more than fill gaps with its unique items,” says Sally Hadden, Associate Professor of History and Courtesy Professor of Law, Florida State University. “It's chock full of amazing broadsides and one-of-a-kind items that will broaden student research papers and handsomely illustrate journal articles yet to be written. Graduate students will finally have access to these unusual essentials—intriguing sources that vibrantly illustrate life in early America. No library should be without it.” About the Library Company of Philadelphia
The Library Company is an independent research library specializing in American history, society and culture from the 17th through the 19th centuries. Founded in 1731 by Benjamin Franklin, the Library Company is America’s first successful lending library and oldest cultural institution. Its collections include the pre-1820 imprints of the Historical Society of Pennsylvania, which are on deposit and are included in this Supplement. About Readex, a division of NewsBank
For more than 50 years, the Readex name has been synonymous with research in historical materials and government documents. Recognized by librarians, students and scholars for its efforts to transform academic scholarship, Readex offers a wealth of Web-based collections in the humanities and social sciences, including the Archive of Americana; World Newspaper Archive, created in partnership with the Center for Research Libraries, and the Foreign Broadcast Information Service Daily Reports. # # # For more information, contact Readex Marketing Director David Loiterstein by calling 1.203.421.0152 or emailing dloiterstein@readex.com.
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