Global Communist and Socialist Movements

We are running a trial to this unique archive from Gale. It is a collection of first-hand narratives chronicling, socialist and far-left groups in terms of how figures saw themselves and the world around them during the major political and social events that occurred in the twentieth century.

The resource features primary sources from various different collections including:

Radical Left Political Movements and Social Issues: American Old Left
Source at the University of California, Davis

Senate House Library, University of London Collections

Rose Pastor Stokes Papers at Yale University

Anna Strunsky Walling Papers at Yale University

Papers of Walter Lippmann at Yale University

Alger Hiss Defense Collection at Harvard Law School Library

Alger Hiss Collection at New York University

Anti-Socialist Organisations in Britain at the British Library

FBI American Legion Contact Program at the Federal Bureau of Investigation

Archives of the Independent Labour Party

Socialist and Labour Thought in Britain Since 1884

FBI File on J. Robert Oppenheimer

Full details on the Gale website

There are approximately 868,000 pages made up of correspondence, periodicals, manuscripts, books, personal papers, organisational records, letters and newsletters, pamphlets dating from 1766-2004 (however most are dated between 1880-1950)

You can access this resource via Library Search. The trial will run until 18th April 2024.

We are keen to hear any feedback on this resource – please contact us by commenting below or by emailing your Liaison Librarian (libliaison@newcastle.ac.uk)

New Resource Trial: The Social History Archive

The Library is currently running a short trial to The Social History Archive.

The Social History Archive logo with illustrations of papers.
The Social History Archive logo. ©Findmypast.

The Social History Archive provides access to primary source material, from unique newspapers to census returns, crime reports and migration records. This platform is operated by FindMyPast and includes newspapers from the British Newspaper Archive.

The platform may be accessed here by selecting “Newcastle University” from the drop down menu. You will then be prompted to login using your Newcastle University credentials.

The platform has a number of search and browse functions. You can “Search all Records” or create an advanced search from the homepage (called the dashboard), however the “Search” drop-down menu provides options to search by record type, including newspapers and publications. If you need any assistance using the platform then please do not hesitate to get in touch.

The trial runs until Tuesday 5th March 2024. We are keen to hear any feedback on this resource – please contact us by commenting below or by emailing your Liaison Librarian (libliaison@newcastle.ac.uk).

Resource Trial: Siren Films

The library will be trialling the Siren Films collection from Thursday 15th February. The collection was started by a animal behaviourist research who started her work in the North East of England. The creators of this platform specialise in capturing different aspects of child development over time. The films in this collection aim to support academics, professionals, therapists, nursery staff and anyone who aspires to help children lead happy lives and reach their full potential. This is an ideal resource for any member of staff or student who is studying or researching child development or to support professional practitioners.

The collection of over 500 films includes the following categories:

  • Child development
  • Effective learning
  • Environment and materials
  • Play
  • Teaching and support
  • Theories and approaches

To find out more, see the introductory videos about Siren Films here.

To access the collection both on and off campus follow this link here via our catalogue, Library Search and authenticate using your Newcastle University ID and password

The trial ends on 14th April 2024 To help us evaluate it, please email us your feedback, or leave a reply on this blog.

Resource Trial a + t Architecture Online Library

We are trialling the a + t Online Library from 29th January. The trial will give us access to:

  • a+t magazine from issue 29 (to view a demo of the platform follow the link here)
  • a+t e-books (to view a demo follow the link here)
  • Online packs of cards, including urban floor plans and urban blocks (to view a demo follow the link here)
  • a+t Index

To access the collection both on and off campus follow the link here via our catalogue, Library Search and authenticate using your Newcastle University ID and password

The trial ends on 29th February 2024 To help us evaluate it, please email us your feedback, or leave a reply on this blog.

New Resource Trial: Gale Primary Sources – Nineteenth Century Collections Online (NCCO)

Gale Primary Sources Nineteenth Century Collections Online logo
Gale Primary Sources Nineteenth Century Collections Online logo

The Library is pleased to confirm that we are currently hosting a trial to Nineteenth Century Collections Online (NCCO), a Gale Primary Sources resource.

NCCO is the result of partnerships between Gale and almost one hundred libraries to preserve and make digitally available content for academic research. NCCO unites multiple, distinct archives into a single resource of over one hundred types of primary source documents; it consists of monographs, newspapers, pamphlets, manuscripts, ephemera, maps, photographs, statistics, and other kinds of documents in both Western and non-Western languages.

The NCCO platform comprises 12 thematic collections, including:

  • Asia and the West: Diplomacy and Cultural Exchange
  • British Politics and Society
  • British Theatre, Music, and Literature: High and Popular Culture
  • Children’s Literature and Childhood
  •  European Literature, the Corvey Collection, 1790–1840 
  • Europe and Africa, Colonialism and Culture
  • Maps and Travel Literature 
  • Photography
  • Religion, Reform, and Society 
  • Science, Technology, and Medicine, Part I 
  • Science, Technology, and Medicine, Part II
  • Women and Transnational Networks 

The following video provides more information on one of the collections, as an example: British Politics and Society.

Newcastle University staff and students may login to the platform here.

The trial is live until Thursday 29th February 2024. If you need any support or assistance in using the platform them please do not hesitate to get in touch.

We are very keen to hear your feedback on this resource, so please do let us know by commenting below or by contacting us at libliaison@newcastle.ac.uk.

New Resource Trial: Screen Studies

Screen Studies logo

The Library is trialling Screen Studies from Monday 9th October until Friday 8th December.

Screen Studies is a dynamic digital platform designed to support moving-image studies. It offers a broad range of content including books, screenplays, overview articles and learning resources from Bloomsbury, Faber & Faber, the British Film Institute, Focal Press and Auteur (LUP). Screen Studies covers cinema, its history and the surrounding context from 1850 to the present day.

Screen Studies introduction video

Access Screen Studies here by signing-in with your institutional credentials (off-campus) or access the database via Library Search (on-campus).

Please get in touch to let us know your feedback, either by replying below or by contacting us at libliaison@ncl.ac.uk.

Resource trial – Policy Commons

We are trialling Policy Commons in October 2023. The database is a one stop shop to locate publications from leading policy experts, NGO’s and think tanks. Useful for students, staff and researchers across all disciplines it includes publications from across the globe including:
-The Council of Europe
-Environmental Law Institute
-European Parliamentary Research Service
-Center for Security Studies
-OECD
-World Bank Group
-United Nations
-International Institute for Environment and Development
To find out more see video below.

To access Policy Commons follow this link via Library Search

To send us your comments or feedback please add to this post or email us.

Resource Trial: Naxos Library

Naxos Music Library

Calling all music lovers! We are currently trialling six Naxos Library products:

Naxos Music Library is the most comprehensive collection of classical music available online. Currently, it offers over 2,831,415 tracks of fine recorded music.

Naxos Music Library Jazz is a comprehensive collection of Jazz music available online. Over 28,952 albums (272,292 tracks) are available and new albums are added weekly.

A wide range of content, from legendary historical performances to contemporary world music. Recordings of over 32,000 artists are represented.

Naxos Works Database is your trusted resource for information about vocal, chamber and orchestral works. Use the database to find details about composers and their works, instrumentations, durations, publishers and work introductions.

Naxos Video Library is a performing arts video library with over 4362 operas, ballets, documentaries, concerts, masterclasses, competition and musical tour videos as well as footage taken from recording sessions. 

Featuring a comprehensive collection of classic audiobooks and high quality independent publisher productions.

Naxos provide training videos on using the collections on their YouTube channel.

Newcastle University staff and students can access the sign-in information via this Word document. The trial runs until 31st October 2023.

NB Trial now extended to 10th of November.

To help us evaluate it, please email us your feedback, or leave a reply on this blog.

Resource Trial – Adam Matthew Collections

We will be trialling all of the Adam Matthew Collections from Tuesday 28th March.

Through AM Explorer, you can now search millions of pages of primary sources spanning the 15th – 21st centuries, including a wealth of new content added every year.

  • Award-winning digital resources spanning the social sciences and humanities, developed in collaboration with leading libraries and archives
  • Discover millions of pages of unique primary source content which empower students and researchers to develop critical thinking
  • Powerful digital collections that transform teaching and research on important themes such as: Borders and Migrations, Gender and Sexuality, Global History, and War and Conflict
  • Single point of access through AM Explorer with built-in federated search functionality across all collections
  • Range of additional features to enhance student engagement including Handwritten Text Recognition, Data Visualisation, Video and Oral Histories
  • To see which subject areas are covered take a look at the guide below.

To access the collection both on and off campus follow the link here via our catalogue, Library Search and authenticate using your Newcastle University ID and password

Please note that PDFs downloads are not available during trials as per AM trial conditions

The trial ends on 23rd May 2023 To help us evaluate it, please email us your feedback, or leave a reply on this blog.

Trial : Datasets Module in Sage Research Methods

Photo by Joshua Sortino on Unsplash

At the moment we have a subscription to Sage Research Methods which is a fantastic resource for anyone doing a research project or dissertation. This database contains dictionary and encyclopaedia entries, book chapters, full books, journal articles, case studies, and streaming videos dedicated to the subject area of Research Methods.

It supports all stages of the research process from writing a research question, conducting a literature review, choosing the best research methods, analysing data, to writing up your results and thinking about publication. It contains information suited to all levels of researchers, from undergraduates starting their first projects to research associates. 

The section we have on trial is Datasets. These provide researchers a new way of understanding quantitative or qualitative data analysis. Within each title you are provided with sample data that has been optimised for demonstrating a method, together with a how-to guide that explains the method and the subsequent analysis using the data provided.

Quantitative examples also include software guides for statistical analysis using SPSS, R, Stata, or Python. Several examples cover how to manage imperfect data, including missing data, rescaling variables, and other common data cleaning scenarios.

  • Datasets Part 1 consists of 230+ datasets from across the social sciences.
  • Datasets Part 2 is an additional 300 datasets that cover further methods, including data management issues such as handling data with missing variables.
  • Datasets can be downloaded in a range of file formats and cited.

The trial period will run from the 27th of February to the 28th of April 2023.
To search or browse the collection of Datasets follow this link. Off campus users will be asked to log in with your Newcastle University ID and password.

Further information on the platforms from SAGE can be found on their own libguide.

We’d appreciate any feedback about these products to help make decisions about future subscriptions after the trial period has ended, please drop your Liaison Librarian an email.