Cambridge University Library’s trial of RetroNews (French historical newspapers database)

Cambridge University Libraries just started a one-month trial of RetroNews, a database from the Bibliothèque nationale de France, which provides access to about 2000 (primarily French) newspaper titles published between 1631 and 1950. Part of its content is available only by subscription, in contrast to the BnF’s freely accessible material on its digital library Gallica (only 150 of the 2000 RetroNews titles are also available on Gallica).

The subscription to RetroNews offers advanced access to the digitised periodicals and advanced search functions, in particular the option to download results in pdf or text format. It should also be possible to extract search results in csv or xls format; and to request the extraction of text and metadata of a specific search. RetroNews provides access to 4000 items of new editorial content produced by academics and journalists, including articles, interviews, videos, and podcasts / readings of the newspaper pieces by professional actors.

French historical and literary sources in large online databases

Cambridge University Library subscribes to many large literary and historical databases: their sources are mainly in English, but they also contain foreign language material. Gale Primary Sources, which encompasses 26 thematic databases, contains lots of resources in French, as well as other languages. They can be accessed on your device anywhere within the University, and from home with the University of Cambridge VPN.

The database “Archives unbound” is particularly interesting for its primary historical material. It covers “topics” such as African Studies; British and European History; Business and Economic History; Cultural Studies; Gender, Sexuality, and Women’s Studies; Latin American and Caribbean Studies; Law, Politics, and Radical Studies; Middle Eastern Studies; Religious Studies, as well as many others.

Trial access to Catalan titles on Digitalia Catalan ebooks platform

The University of Cambridge has trial access to Digitalia Catalan until the 17^th of May 2021. The platform can be accessed from the following link: https://catalan.digitaliapublishing.com

Extra Russian eresources available into September

Good news – access to these three resources has generously been extended by East View for Cambridge staff and students until 30 September 2020.

East View have opened up access to their Rossiĭskaia gazeta Digital Archive, Novaia gazeta Digital Archive, and Essential Russian Classics e-book collection to Cambridge staff and students until the 31st of July.

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More extended access to Francophone e-resources at Cambridge: Cairn and Brepols

As part of temporary measures to help universities during the lockdown period, Cairn, an important online collection of francophone publications in social sciences and humanities, are offering free access to all their c. 10.000 ebooks and pocket encyclopaedias, from major French, Belgian and Swiss publishers (“Ouvrages” and “Que sais-je ?/Repères” tabs in the top banner), until 31st May 2020. Access is through Raven, at this link (Connexion > Grande Bretagne > University of Cambridge (accès distant)). Cambridge University Library also subscribes annually to 156 of the Cairn journals (out of c. 500 in total), as part of a package called “French studies and humanities” on the platform “Cairn international edition” (see the A-Z Databases: Francophone Area Studies).