Ph.D. resources: The European Library
The European Library (version 2.1) is less a “free online book” source than a tool that helps you organize and coordinate your search for certain books across Europe (but it has an overview on accessible digital collections, too).
The main service that the European Library offers is a search across national borders for publications and material, with the possibility to focus on specific types and locations – you can look for images or for maps, through the big national catalogs or just through the catalogs of one country. You can focus on digital editions, on manuscripts or music (both audio and printed) or on theses and dissertations.
The really strong point, however, is the chance to access all national catalogs at once (occasional skips notwithstanding – it’s a lot of catalogs to contact and display!).
The interface is simple and minimalist; in case of confusion, there’s a video tutorial and a support section (accessible via the title bar).
And if you have some spare time (or want to procrastinate a little), the European library also offers a virtual photo tour of the participating national libraries. How about a little trip to the Austrian National Library in Vienna?
[Photo Credit: Pez Hejduk via The European Library]
…
Now if someone could please bring a coffee to go with that red carpet and with the next set of tomes I’m trying to localize…
Can you ACTUALLY read books in THAT reading room? OMG, it’s amazing.Thks for the photo and the info.
@SAmantha: yup, you can read in there (it’s the incunabula section, if I remember correctly), but they also have more “normal” looking halls. Still, since this is right inside of the imperial Hofburg, it is pretty bombastic overall. Also, very research friendly reading system: you need to sign up for a reading card (10€ for a year, if the prices a re still the same) upon first visit. Making that card costs them ten days, so meanwhile they give you a temporary reading card.
I told them that I only had a week, and they said “then you simply don’t pick it up, don’t worry,” and when I wanted to pay my 10€, they smiled and said “Nah, you pay that when you pick up the official reading card.”
“But I won’t be picking up that card…”
“Doesn’t matter, dear.”
So I worked there a week for free in the end, thanks to the very student-friendly admission staff.