New Databases at Chesnutt Library

Chesnutt Library is pleased to announce the addition of over 20 databases to its collection. These databases are provided by Alexander Street Press, a publisher whose collections are concentrated in six disciplines across the humanities—Music; Women's History and Literature; Black History and Literature; North American History; Drama, Theatre, and Film; and Religion and Social Thought. Select any of the links below to gain access to the databases. You can also access them through our Database Finder on the library's homepage.

The following descriptions are taken from the publishers site:

The American Civil War: Letters and Diaries

This release contains 2,009 authors and approximately 100,000 pages of diaries, letters and memoirs. Each source has been carefully chosen using leading bibliographies. The product includes 4,000 pages of previously unpublished manuscripts such as the letters of Amos Wood and his wife and the diary of Maryland Planter William Claytor.

American Film Scripts

This edition of American Film Scripts Online (AFSO) contains 776 scripts by 856 writers together with detailed, fielded information on the scenes, characters and people related to the scripts. In addition, the database includes over 430 original images of previously unpublished screenplays.

Asian American Drama

This edition of Asian American Drama contains 252 plays by 42 playwrights, together with detailed, fielded information on related productions, theaters, production companies, and more.

Black Drama

This edition of Black Drama contains approximately 1200 plays by 201 playwrights, together with detailed, fielded information on related productions, theaters, production companies, and more. The database also includes selected playbills, production photographs and other ephemera related to the plays.

Black Short Fiction

Black Short Fiction contains approximately 4,919 stories and folktales by 435 African, African American, and Caribbean authors. When complete this collection should have approximately 8,000 works of short fiction.

Black Thought and Culture

Black Thought and Culture contains 989 sources with 947 authors, covering the non-fiction published works of leading African Americans.

Black Women Writers

Black Women Writers will contain approximately 100,000 pages of fiction, nonfiction and poetry by women from North America, Africa and the Caribbean. It will also present essays by scholars and feminists about the history of feminism and genre studies in these regions. There are 13,000 pages of text in this first release.

British and Irish Women's Letters and Diaries

This edition of British and Irish Women's Letters and Diaries includes the immediate experiences of approximately 500 women, as revealed in over 100,000 pages of diaries and letters. The collection now includes primary materials spanning more than 300 years.

Early Encounters in North America

This release of Early Encounters in North America contains 1,482 authors and over 100,000 pages of letters, diaries, memoirs and accounts of early encounters.

Latin American Women Writers

Latin American Women Writers will contain approximately 100,000 pages of prose, poetry and drama by women writers from Mexico, Central, and South America when complete. There are 19,500 pages of prose and poetry and 36 plays in this release.

Latino Literature

Latino Literature contains approximately 380 plays and 67,500 pages of prose and poetry by Chicano, Cuban, Puerto Rican, Dominican and other Latin writers working in the United States.

North American Immigrant Letters, Diaries, and Oral Histories

North American Immigrant Letters, Diaries and Oral Histories includes 2,162 authors and approximately 100,000 pages of information, so providing a unique and personal view of what it meant to immigrate to America and Canada between 1800 and 1950. Composed of contemporaneous letters and diaries, oral histories, interviews, and other personal narratives, the series provides a rich source for scholars in a wide range of disciplines. In selected cases, users will be able to hear the actual audio voices of the immigrants.

North American Indian Biographical Database

This fourth release of the North American Indian Biographical Database contains over 62,000 pages of text and images. Included are biographies, auto-biographies, personal narratives, speeches, diaries, letters, and oral histories. When complete North American Indian Biographical Database will include 100,000 pages of text and images.

North American Indian Drama

This first release of North American Indian Drama contains 93 plays by 18 playwrights, together with detailed, fielded information on related productions, theaters, production companies, and more. The database also includes the Native Playwrights' Newsletter, a unique resource, containing a wealth of original essays, articles, photographs, interviews, reviews, and production information related to the plays.

North American Theatre Online

North American Theatre Online is a comprehensive reference work covering all aspects of the Canadian and American Theatre. It includes some 40,000 pages of major reference materials, together with records to more than 30,000 plays, over 57,000 people, 5,400 theatres, nearly 22,000 productions and 2,500 production companies.

North American Women's Drama

This edition of North American Women's Drama contains 1,174 plays by 275 playwrights, together with detailed, fielded information on related productions, theaters, production companies, and more.

Oral History Online

This release of Oral History Online provides in-depth indexing to more than 2,700 collections of Oral History in English from around the world.

Primary Sources of the Women's Movement, 1960 to present: Publications on the Status of Women

This edition of Primary Sources of the Women's Movement, 1960 to present includes the full text of 312 reports and publications issued by commissions in more than thirty states.

Scottish Women Poets of the Romantic Period

Scottish Women Poets of the Romantic Period (SWRP) contains 60 volumes of Romantic Poetry, extensive contemporary critical reviews, as well as material specially written for this database by leading scholars.

Smithsonian Global Sound

Smithsonian Global Sound for Libraries, produced in partnership with Smithsonian Folkways Recordings, is a virtual encyclopedia of the world's musical and aural traditions. The collection provides educators, students, and interested listeners with an unprecedented variety of online resources that support the creation, continuity, and preservation of diverse musical forms. Please bring your own headphones if you use this resource in the Library.

Twentieth Century North American Drama

This edition of Twentieth Century North American Drama contains 1,122 plays by 170 playwrights, together with detailed, fielded information on related productions, theaters, production companies, and more. The database also includes selected playbills, production photographs and other ephemera related to the plays.