Historical Texts
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A single platform providing access to over 400,000 texts from four key collections, dating from the late 15th century to the First World War.
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About Historical Texts
The texts are held in four collections all brought together on a single platform and searchable separately or collectively using an extremely powerful, academically focused search engine:
- Early English Books Online (EEBO)
- Eighteenth Century Collections Online (ECCO)
- British Library 19th Century Collection (BL)
- UK Medical Heritage Library
Benefits for students and researchers
- Offers three individually important collections spanning more than 400 years in one place, making research easier, quicker and more comprehensive
- Enable users to search the full text of many historical works, including rare and obscure works they might otherwise not know about and that provide a rich source of original findings
- Provides valuable insight into the form and appearance of original works, making research more rewarding, interesting and engaging
- Removes the time-consuming, costly need to visit libraries where original works are physically held
- Provides a rich source of original illustrations for use in scholarly works and presentations
- Optimised for tablet and mobiles to support new ways of accessing content
Benefits for academic staff
- Brings lectures and other presentations to life through the inclusion of original source material and illustrations
- Gives access to rare and obscure resources that can add originality and breadth to a topic
- Provides a rich source of original illustrations for teaching materials
- Engages visual learners
Benefits for institutions and librarians
- Offers cost savings compared to separate EEBO and ECCO subscriptions via commercial providers.
- Offers the administrative and user-training benefits of a single subscription, login and interface covering all three collections
- VAT free for institutions that join our VAT-exempt cost sharing group
Who can use Historical Texts?
Learners and staff at all UK FE colleges and HE institutions that are subscribed to the service.
Eligible institutions can request a free 30-day trial.
Further information on how to subscribe can be found on the Jisc Collections website:
- Historical Texts subscription information for FE organisations
- Historical Texts subscription information for HE institutions
Historical Texts replaces Jisc Historic Books.