THE EIGHTEENTH CENTURY

The Eighteenth century. [microform] Woodbridge, Conn., Research Publications, [1983 - ] Lower Level Film 5597

CUL owns reels 1 - 3780 only. We stopped subscribing to the set in 1987, but occasionally acquire additional units as opportunities arise.

Online access: Eighteenth Century Collections Online (ECCO)

Scope:

The Eighteenth Century is a continuing project to microfilm approrimately 200,000 items from the British Library's Eighteenth Century Short Title Catalogue (ESTC). The contents of the ESTC database have been combined with records for early imprints to form the English Short-Title Catalog Database.

The Eighteenth Century Short Title Catalogue was to include "all relevant items printed and for published in the British Isles, colonial America, the United States (1776 - 1800), Canada, and territories governed by Britain during any period of the eighteenth century, in any language; and all relevant items printed wholly or partly in English, or other British vernaculars, in any part of the world." (ESTC, An Eighteenth-Century Short Title Catalogue, p. 2)

Items which are omitted include engraved material (maps, music, views, portraits ); printed forms intended to be completed in manuscript (indentures, warrants, passports); trade cards, labels, tickets, invitations, bookplates; playbills, concert and theatre programs. playing cards, games, periodicals issued more frequently than once a year, etc.

The British Library's file of relevant eighteenth century holdings forms the core collection and is augmented by records of eighteenth century imprints in North American libraries. These are collected by the North American center for ESTC (ESTC/NA) located at Louisiana State University. The British Library, for its part, canvasses libraries in Europe and Australasia for additional titles. Editorial teams in both London and Baton Rouge, Louisiana, are currently entering records online in the Research Library Groups's data base, RLIN.

In 1994 the ESTC database began including records for pre-1701 items. These records provide access to materials listed in UMI's Early English Books, (EEB) both the 1475-1640 and 1641-1700 components, as well as items contained in UMI's Thomason Tracts (1640-1660) set. The database also includes some records for materials that do not appear in the later portion of EEB.

  • English Short Title Catalog (RLG's Description)
  • English Short Title Catalog (Connect)
  • Eureka (Telnet) Search Guide for ESTC

    BIBLIOGRAPHIES and GUIDES

    The Eighteenth century: guide to the microfilm collection. Woodbridge, CT, Research Publications, Inc., 1984- . REF Film 5597 Index (or Guide), 5 vols.
    This index provides access to the approximately 35,000 individual titles on the reels of microfilm which comprise units 1 - 74. It provides points of entry through three separate indexes: main entry, title, and subject.
    The subject index is divided into eight broad subject categories: Religion and Philosophy; History and Geography; Social Science; Literature and Language, Fine Arts; Science, Technology and Medicine; General Reference; and Miscellaneous. Volume 4, however, consists of separate fascicles for units 41-56, uncumulated. Arrangement is by author or (in cases where no author is given) title main entry within the section for each unit. No subject index is included.
    All items listed within each index are arranged alphabetically and the citations in each case give reel number and position number on the reel.

    ESTC: an eighteenth century short title catalog. Stanford, CA, Research Libraries Group, April 1982. REF Uncataloged. Kept behind Olin Information Desk.
    This handbook tells how to search the ESTC database -- in "classic RLIN"-- describes the bibliographic fields, and explains catalog and catalog maintenance functions.

    RELATED SETS:

    Early American imprints: first series. 1639-1800. (Evans)

    Return to Imprints Home Page
    Updated, 2/17/03
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