The tabs in this box provide links to the key resources available via the Library for Creative Writing & Publishing which you will be expected to become familiar with during your studies.
Many of the resources are searched by Library Search but you can also search each site individually if you wish. You can find more information about Library Search from the Finding Articles tab to the left and you can access the individual databases from the databases link on the library homepage
You need to have logged into UDo to use the databases and can access them both in the University and off campus. Where there are special conditions for off-campus use which may require a different log in, information will be provided in the NOTES section of each entry
There are two excellent multi-disciplinary collections which are worth exploring independently as the eBooks are not all available on the catalogue or Library Plus- Ebook Central and Sage Knowledge
As well as multi-disciplinary collections of eBooks, we also purchase subject specific collections. Although many of these are included in Library Plus and the Library catalogue, sometimes, it's good to be able to browse through a smaller, subject specific database
Please note that not all texts are available in eBook format.
The Library cannot digitise or create eBooks in-house; they must be purchased via academic suppliers. E-books can only be purchased for institutional multi-user access if the publishers have made them available. Many publishers (particularly those of texts aimed at practitioners, as opposed to students) have not made their titles available as eBooks.
Some titles will be available for individual eBook purchase (i.e. via Amazon for Kindle) but not for institutional purchase. The availability of an eBook via Amazon or a similar online eBook seller is no guarantee that the title in question will be available for the Library to buy.
For Creative Writing & Publishing specific material have a look at the following eBook databases
Online access to scholarly books from Bloomsbury, mainly from the humanities and social sciences disciplines.
The complete set of Bloomsbury’s Cultural Histories series, supplemented by an extensive list of eBooks, images from world-renowned institutions including the Wellcome Collection and the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and an interactive timeline that covers cultural history from antiquity to the present day.
Complete full-text of all Shakespeare's plays and poetry.
Early European Books offers users access to works printed in Europe before 1701. It offers a range of printed sources in a variety of languages.
Resources Include:
Early European Books Collections 1 to 4
Wellcome Trust Collection.
Gale eBooks is a virtual collection of encyclopaedias and reference works from different subject areas.
Historical Texts brings together four historically significant collections : Early English Books Online (EEBO), Eighteenth Century Collections Online (ECCO) 65,000 texts from the British Library 19th Century collection and the UK Medical Heritage Library (UKMHL).
and don't forget Project Gutenberg which can be a useful source although sometimes the versions loaded are not always what you are being asked to read so always check with your academic
Sometimes searching a database individually, rather than through Library Plus, can give you extra functionality - different ways of accessing the information and sometimes you simply want to restrict your searching to a more specific format/subject field. All these databases can be searched separately through our Indexes and databases link
You will be able to read many of the articles you find from these databases, in full text online, or download a PDF copy to keep. On some sites you may see just the 'Abstract' or description of the article; in these cases, if we do not have a subscription to the relevant journal, you may be able to get the full article through our Inter Library loan service.
Play texts and eBooks from Bloomsbury and Faber & Faber plus production stills from the V&A and the American Shakespeare Centre. Also includes news, audio and video.
Academic OneFile contains over 17,000 journals and other sources including podcasts, transcripts and videos.
Gale Literature allows searching across a collection of literary databases containing literary commentary, literary criticism and reviews, short stories, plays, poetry, speeches and biographies.
Gale Primary Sources allows searching across several digital archives containing primary source documents including monographs, manuscripts, newspapers, photographs, maps, and more.
Collection of open access journals across the Humanities.
A guide to the meaning, history, and pronunciation of words from across the English-speaking world.
ProQuest Dissertations & Theses Global is a collection of dissertations and theses from around the world, offering millions of works from thousands of universities. Full-text coverage spans from 1743 to the present, with citation coverage dating back to 1637.
Step 1 - What's your assignment title/ research topic and what keywords can you immediately identify from that title that you can search for?
e.g.Discuss how the publishers' role has changed in the move from a predominantly print to multimedia environment.
Step 2- Don't stop there! These are not the only terms you should think to search for. Look at the words. What other keywords could you use that convey the same concepts?
eg Discuss/Compare/Contrast/Explain - these are instructions to you, they are not particularly helpful as search terms
Publisher/Publishing/Editor/"book publishing"/"book trade"
Change/developed/progress/development/evolved
Print/written/book/magazine/"written word"
multimedia/"multi-media"/"mobile first"/technology/"social media"/media/"new media"/digital media/digital publishing
Dates can be really difficult to use as search terms. Think carefully before trying to use them and remember to try different versions eg 20th Century/twentieth century
If you want to search for a phrase use "..." around the words. eg "social media" "book publisher". This tip will really help you refine your results
Multimedia/Multi-media is an example of a word that can be written as one word or hyphenated so bear that in mind when you're searching because each spelling will give you different results
Full runs of 48 influential national and regional newspapers from the Nineteenth Century.
100 periodicals for the study of British life in the 19th century.
This database provides access to the searchable full text of hundreds of periodicals from the late seventeenth century to the early twentieth, comprising millions of high-resolution facsimile page images. Topics covered include literature, philosophy, history, science, the social sciences, music, art, drama, archaeology and architecture.
A comprehensive collection of 17th century and 18th century English newspapers. The collection also includes newsbooks, Acts of Parliament, addresses, broadsides, pamphlets and proclamations.
Formerly known as InfoTrac Newspapers. Comprehensive newspaper database covering over 2,000 regional, national and worldwide titles.
Full digitised archive of every edition of the Picture Post from 1938 to 1957. A snapshot of British life.
Complete digital editions of The Times newspaper from 1785 - 1985, searchable by keyword.
For lots of general hints and tips about finding and using images, video or audio clips in your work please have a look at the Finding Images and Video guide in the left hand navigation bar. Image/media collections which are specifically helpful for Creative Writing & Publishing include
Hundreds of TV & radio programmes from the BBC’s Shakespeare collection, as well as more than a thousand photos from classic Shakespeare productions. The programmes on this site are only available for streamed playback in an educational setting or for academic research.
More Info: You will need to register for an account to use this resource. Click on the MyERA link and enter your details. Choose University of Derby in the Institution Details section.
An on-demand TV and radio recording service for education covering 65 TV and radio channels.
Full length films of theatre productions, interviews with practitioners and master-classes from 50 theatre companies around the world.
One of the most important collections of printed ephemera in the world, offering unique insights into the changing nature of everyday life in Britain in the eighteenth, nineteenth and early twentieth centuries.