The digital edition of one of the world's preeminent collections for African American studies is now available for institutional trial. Created from the Library Company of Philadephia’s acclaimed Afro-Americana Collection—an accumulation that began with Benjamin Franklin and steadily increased throughout its entire history—this unique online resource will provide researchers with more than 12,000 printed works. These books, pamphlets, and broadsides, including many lesser-known imprints, hold a matchless record of African American history, literature, and culture. This long-awaited collection spans nearly 400 years, from the early 16th to the early 20th centuries. Critically important subjects covered include the discovery and exploitation of Africa by the West; 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 throughout the Americas; slavery and race in fiction and drama; and many others. “...widely recognized as an unparalleled and indispensable resource...this collaboration between the Library Company and Readex will bring new resources into reach and enrich this still expanding field of research and study.” — Martha S. Jones, Associate Professor, Department of History and Department of Afroamerican & African Studies, and Affiliated Faculty of Law, University of Michigan

“Teachers at all levels will find this a gold mine.”  — Gary Nash, Professor Emeritus and Director, National Center for History in the Schools, University of California, Los Angeles

“...one of the most comprehensive and valuable archives of printed material by and about people of African descent anywhere in the world.”  — Richard Newman, Professor of History, Rochester Institute of Technology

“This extensive collection, meticulously documented, expands our access to literary cultures in America before the early twentieth century.”  — Samuel Otter, Professor and Chair, Department of English, University of California, Berkeley

For more information about this new resource or to request a trial for your institution, contact Readex at readexblog@readex.com.