Library Resource Spotlight: Cambridge Histories - Literature
Did you know that the 23rd April is a symbolic date in world literature? Not only was it the date when UNESCO’s General Conference was held in Paris in 1995 to pay a world-wide tribute to books and authors, it’s also World Book and Copyright Day!
World Book and Copyright Day is a celebration to promote the enjoyment of books and reading and was first celebrated in 1926. In 2001, UNESCO established the World Book Capital initiative as a means of acknowledging the power of books and reading as cornerstones to more inclusive, peaceful and sustainable societies. Nominated cities are designated as the World Book Capital for a 12-month period from one World Book and Copyright Day to the next, during which the nominated cities put on activities and events that aim to encourage a culture of reading and promoting books as well as raising awareness for literacy and reading issues. The 2025 World Book Capital is Rio de Janeiro in Brazil with past nominated World Book Capitals including Alexandria in Egypt (the site of the Great Library of Alexandria, one of the largest and most significant libraries of the ancient world) and Wroclaw in Poland (which also won the European Capital of Culture in the same year).
And there’s no better way to celebrate World Book and Copyright Day than with Cambridge Histories – Literature. A globally respected series, first published in 1902, focusing on literature and offering a big picture perspective – making them essential reading for anyone researching or studying literature!
The series is searchable by author, title and subject, and users can save their search and content to their bookmarks for easy access at a later date. eBooks are accessible via all devices and will automatically adjust to allow easy reading on your preferred device. Plus, there’s also an extensive bibliographic reference functionality and individual chapters are available in PDF to download and print!
Titles in this series include The Cambridge History of Medieval English Literature, The Cambridge History of African American Literature, The Cambridge History of Canadian Literature and, of course, The Cambridge History of Libraries in Britain and Ireland (Volumes 1-3)!
Cambridge Histories – Literature is also available on the Library’s A-Z of online resources, and for access please select ‘Log in’, then ‘With your institutional details’ and search for ‘Keele University’, and log in with your Keele username and password. There’s also a handy user guide too!
So, get reading to celebrate this very symbolic day in world literature!
