This is an excellent question, Beth, and one I've been thinking about myself.  In a recent essay in the Sidney Journal, I did cite some sources from EEBO, but it occurred to me at the time that this was extremely clunky, and perhaps not necessary, since I was looking at photographic reproductions of the actual leaves from the books.  I can't recall off-hand, but does Chicago or MLA require the specific citation of microfilm copies of texts?  In both cases, I don't see why one can't simply cite the original.  In cases where one is not looking at a photograph but at a transcription, of course, I can still see the logic of citing the immediate source, since there is an additional level of mediation.

I'm interested to hear what others think.  This seems a matter that needs working out, and once again it may be scholars at smaller institutions and regional campuses for whom this is most urgent, since they/we can't pop over to the rare book room to consult an original.

Hannibal



Hannibal Hamlin
Associate Professor of English
The Ohio State University
Book Review Editor and Associate Editor, Reformation

Mailing Address (2007-2009):

The Folger Shakespeare Library
201 Capitol Street SE
Washington, DC 20003

Permanent Address:

Department of English
The Ohio State University
421 Denney Hall, 164 W. 17th Avenue
Columbus, OH 43210-1340

----- Original Message -----
From: Beth Quitslund <[log in to unmask]>
Date: Thursday, August 2, 2007 11:29 am
Subject: Re: Elizabeth biographies (or the current thread that started that way)

> OhioLINK is a fabulous example of the kind of thing that makes it 
> possible for 
> small librries (and even some larger ones like mine) to have 
> access to 
> resources it can't afford on its own (one of the best is the 
> hassle-free 
> interlibrary loan for print materials, too). The rates for 
> OhioLINK 
> subscriptions are much higher than for individual libraries, but 
> cheaper than 
> 5 or 6 individual subscriptions, let alone 30. EEBO, however, I 
> have to point 
> out, is not on OhioLINK--that's borne by individual institutions 
> (Hannibal, 
> you had it at Mansfield because you were at an OSU branch; we at 
> OU only got 
> it not quite three years ago, and only because I allocated a huge 
> amount of 
> the English dept. library budget there and strong-armed History as 
> well). 
> Chadwick-Healy sensibly realized that the resource was crucial 
> enough that 
> they could afford to wait for our business rather than discount to 
> the 
> consortium. 
> 
> I do have one question or thought about these resources, and it 
> has to do with 
> citations. I know that my current manuscript is going to have a 
> fair number of 
> footnotes to electronic databases that have replaced or overgone 
> any print 
> sources (DNB, the Hymn Tune Index, etc.). I have yet to see many 
> of these 
> kinds of citations in scholarly monographs. We all use them, 
> though (provided 
> we're lucky enough to have them). I've actually been wrestling 
> with whether I 
> have to pull up from my library annex the print version of a 
> nineteenth-
> century (but still standard) translation of Calvin or 'fess up to 
> the fact 
> that I'm consulting an evangelical website that has gone to the 
> considerable 
> labor of putting it online. What I'm musing about, I suppose, is 
> the Web 
> Stigma, which seems to be our version of the (possibly invented) 
> stigma of 
> print. 
> 
> Beth 
> 
> 
> Quoting HANNIBAL HAMLIN <[log in to unmask]>:
> 
> > More public funding for education?  What an idea!  Next you'll be
> > proposing national healthcare!!
> > 
> > Seriously though (though I do actually take seriously the proposals
> > above, having grown up in Canada), another potential solution to the
> > outrageous costs of databases and such is one used in Ohio, where
> > public universities have come together in a consortium to purchase
> > together, for shared use, resources like EEBO, the DNB, and the 
> like.>  Through OhioLink, all members of participating 
> institutions are able
> > to access these dbases.  I expect, though, that the details of
> > working out memberships and fees are fairly byzantine.  Until
> > recently, I was at a small regional campus of Ohio State, but I had
> > access to all the online resources of the main library.  However,
> > this was only because OSU asserted that all its campuses are 
> part of
> > a single university.  This is, as far as I know, a singular
> > arrangement, and one which could potentially be challenged by the
> > providers of online materials.  Still, it might be worth looking 
> into> whether smaller colleges could band together in consort
> > ia like OhioLink.  The argument could be made to Oxford and other
> > e-publishers that such arrangements would allow additional purchases
> > of their products that otherwise could simply not be made, thus
> > increasing their revenue.
> > 
> > In the meantime, if anyone wants a DNB article forwarded to 
> them, let
> > me know.  I'd be happy to do it.  In fact, I note that these 
> forwards> work in two ways, one simply including the individual 
> biography in
> > the email, but the other allowing the recipient free access to the
> > individual biography online for five days.  It seems a shame not to
> > take advantage of this mechanism.  I wonder if it would allow
> > forwarding to a list?  Hmmmm.
> > 
> > Hannibal
> > 
> > 
> > 
> > Hannibal
> > 
> > 
> > 
> > Hannibal Hamlin
> > Associate Professor of English
> > The Ohio State University
> > Book Review Editor and Associate Editor, Reformation
> > 
> > Mailing Address (2007-2009):
> > 
> > The Folger Shakespeare Library
> > 201 Capitol Street SE
> > Washington, DC 20003
> > 
> > Permanent Address:
> > 
> > Department of English
> > The Ohio State University
> > 421 Denney Hall, 164 W. 17th Avenue
> > Columbus, OH 43210-1340
> > 
> >
> 
> 
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