New at the Libraries: Afro-Americana Imprints (1535-1922)

January 9, 2013
1856, African Methodist Episcopal Church Hymnal

An exciting new resource has been added to the UW Database Library:

Afro-Americana Imprints contains over 12,000 books, pamphlets and broadsides, including many lesser-known imprints, which represent an unparalleled record of African American history, literature and culture. This collection spans nearly 400 years, from the early 16th to the early 20th century.

Critically important subjects covered include the West’s discovery and exploitation of Africa; the rise of slavery in the New World along with the growth and success of abolitionist movements; the development of racial thought and racism; descriptions of African American life — slave and free — throughout the Americas; and slavery and race in fiction and drama. Also featured are printed works of African American individuals and organizations.

You can access the Database Library by clicking on the Database tab on the main library web page.  From there, you can easily search for the Afro-Americana Imprints (1535-1922) database using the search box, or by browsing databases alphabetically; once you’re into the database itself, you can browse digitized documents in a variety of subjects, including Anti-abolition literature, Broadsides, Hymns, Juvenile Literature, and more.