See
http://www.cerl.org/hpb.htm
You need to be a member of CERL (Consortium of European Research Libraries) to have access.
The Hand Press Book (HPB) Database
General Information
Content of the HPB Database
Projected file loads
Technical Development
General information
The HPB Database is a steadily growing collection of separate files of catalogue records from many libraries and collections covering items of European printing of
the hand-press period (c. 1455-1830) integrated into one file, thereby making it possible for information to be easily retrieved in one single search across many files.
This database is of interest to both librarians and researchers across many fields of study and it may be accessed for information retrieval and downloading by
Consortium member institutions, their staff and users.
The database host is RLG's RLIN network; it may be accessed via the Web using RLG's user-friendly interface Eureka, at http://eureka.thames.rlg.org/, or through
Eureka Telnet http://www.rlg.org/eureka.html or Zephyr services provided by RLG http://www.rlg.org/zephyr.html.
Members of the Consortium may search the HPB Database in combination with the ESTC and RLIN BIB file, also available from RLG; access to these two files is
included with membership of the Consortium at no additional charge.
Individuals from institutions which are not Consortium members may obtain a free trial password to the HPB Database by sending an e-mail to CERL's Executive
Manager, CERL-manager@bl.uk
Content of the HPB database
Every year between three to six new files are added to the Hand Press Book database. Currently the file includes more than 790,000 records from seven European
institutions:
National Library of Scotland, Edinburgh
c. 15,000 records, 1500-1830, Catalogue of collections
Koninklijke Bibliotheek, Den Haag
c. 56,000 records, Short-Title Catalogue, Netherlands
Narodna in univerzitetna knjiznica, Ljubljana, Slovenija
c. 17,500 records of their holdings
British Library, London - ISTC file
c. 28,000 records, Incunable Short-Title Catalogue
British Library, London - K17 file
c. 24,000 records, Books printed in the German-speaking countries and of German books printed in other countries (1601-1700) now in the BL /
[comp. David Paisey]
Biblioteca Nacional de España, Madrid
c. 11,000 records of their holdings
Bayerische Staatsbibliothek, Munich
Over 525,000 records, 1500-1850
Bibliothèque Nationale de France, Paris
c. 28,000 records, 1455-, Catalogue "anonymes"
Istituto Centrale per il Catalogo Unico, Rome - SBN Antiquarian file
c. 60,000 records contributed by c. 175 Italian libraries
Kungliga Biblioteket, Stockholm
c. 50,000 records, Swedish National Bibliography 18th century
Nacionalna i Sveucilisna Knjiznica, Zagreb
c. 3,500 records of their holdings
Projected file loads
In preparation for loading are files from the National Library of Russia (c. 4,500 records), 17th-century material of the Kungliga Biblioteket, Stockholm (c. 6,000
records), a file from the Oxford University Libraries (c. 42,000 records), and the Helsinki University Library (c. 17-18,000 records), as well as updates to files
already on the HPB database. Over the next three years a further two million records will be added to the Database.
CERL is continually preparing new files for addition to the HPB database and would welcome suggestions of suitable collections to widen its scope and coverage
(please contact CERL-manager@bl.uk).
For more information on CERL's file loading procedures see the CERL File procedures (FILPROC) documents.
Technical development
Cataloguing files are accepted for input and edited based on the Consortium's functional principles. The Consortium's supply format is UNIMARC, but files can be
accepted in USMARC. The level of cataloguing can vary, the highest level being full implementation of ISBD(A). For more information on CERL's
recommendations for UNIMARC cataloguing (including CERL defined fields) see the CERL UNIMARC and Cataloguing Rules (UNICAT) documents.
The Advisory Task Group, drawn from the membership, supports the development work for the database and has been closely involved in defining the technical
specification of the record structures, with particular reference to search strategies and input/edit systems.
Other sections of this website:
CERL Home Page
About the HPB
About CERL
CERL Contact information
Hand Press Book Database
Members and Management
Site menu
CERL File Procedures (FILPROC) and Cataloguing
Rules (UNICAT)
Joining the Consortium
Literature about CERL
Links to other Websites
Functional principles for gathering files
CERL News
CERL hosts the Itinerary of the Book web pages:
Itinerary of the Book
Pilot Project - Regione Emilia-Romagna
Proposal
Last updated: 10 January 2000
>What is the HPB database???
>Is there a URL for this?
Dr. Bettina Wagner
Abteilung für Handschriften und Seltene Drucke
Bayerische Staatsbibliothek
Ludwigstr. 16
D-80539 Muenchen
Germany
email: bettina.wagner@bsb.badw-muenchen.de
Tel. +89 / 28638-2337 (nachmittags) bzw. -2262 (vormittags)
Fax. +89 / 28638-2266
postbox: D-80328 Muenchen