Research Guides: History of the Book: Journals and databases

Journals for the study of book history

American Periodicals
American Periodicals is an annual publication devoted exclusively to scholarship and criticism relating to American magazines and newspapers of all periods.
Book History
Book History is a scholarly journal devoted to every aspect of the history of the book, broadly defined as the creation, dissemination, reception, and use of script, print, and mediacy.
The Bookman
A magazine of the book trade, published from 1891 to 1934.
Huntington Library Quarterly
Huntington Library Quarterly publishes articles on the literature, history, and art of the sixteenth to eighteenth centuries in Britain and America.
Information & Culture (formerly Libraries & the Cultural Record)
An interdisciplinary journal that explores the significance of collections of recorded knowledge – their creation, organization, preservation, and utilization – in the context of cultural and social history.
Journal of the Early Book Society for the Study of Manuscripts and Printing History
Publishes several substantial articles in each volume with emphasis on the period of transition from manuscript to print. This annual's main focus is on English and Continental works produced from 1350 to 1550.
The Library
The Library is the journal of the Bibliographical Society. All aspects of descriptive and historical bibliography come within its scope, including the general and economic history of the production and distribution of books, paper, printing types, illustration, and binding, as well as the transmission of texts and their authenticity.
Library & Information History
Library & Information History is a fully-refereed, quarterly journal publishing articles of a high academic standard from international authors on all subjects and all periods relating to the history of libraries and librarianship and to the history of information, in its broadest sense.
Papers of the Bibliographical Society of America
The journal of the Bibliographical Society of America. Publishes articles on the book and the manuscript as historical evidence.
Printing History
Printing History, the biannual journal of the American Printing History Association, publishes scholarly articles on the history of printing, publishing, books, type, typography, paper and related industries.
Studies in Bibliography
Each year Studies in Bibliography presents a wide range of scholarly articles on bibliography and textual criticism. Founded by Professor Fredson Bowers of the University of Virginia in 1948 as Papers of the Bibliographical Society of the University of Virginia.
Textual Cultures
Formerly publishd as TEXT: An Interdisciplinary Annual of Textual Studies. Focuses on the field of textual studies and the notion of the diverse textual cultures.
Victorian Periodicals Review
The only refereed journal that concentrates on the editorial and publishing history of Victorian periodicals, Victorian Periodicals Review (VPR) emphasizes the importance of periodicals and newspapers in the history and culture of Victorian Britain, Ireland, and the British Empire.

Databases for finding journal articles

America: History and Life with Full Text This link opens in a new window
Indexes literature covering the history and culture of the United States and Canada, from prehistory to the present. The database indexes 1,700 journals and also includes citations and links to book and media reviews. Strong English-language journal coverage is balanced by an international perspective on topics and events, including abstracts in English of articles published in more than 40 languages. Publication dates of coverage: 1964 to present.
Arts and Humanities Citation Index (A&HCI) This link opens in a new window
This database indexes about 1,700 arts and humanities journals. Dates of coverage: 1975 to present.
Adjust settings to expand your searching to include the Social Sciences Citation Index, the Science Citation Index, the Book Citation Index, and others.
Book History Online This link opens in a new window
Book History Online (BHO) is a comprehensive international bibliography covering scholarly monographs, articles, and reviews in the fields of book and library history, focusing on the production and distribution of printed books in their economic and socio-cultural contexts, as well as their preservation and description. It is the online continuation of the Annual Bibliography of the History of the Printed Book and Libraries.
Historical Abstracts with Full Text (EBSCO) This link opens in a new window
Covers the history of the world (excluding the United States and Canada) from 1450 to the present, including world history, military history, women's history, history of education, and more. Indexes more than 1,700 academic historical journals in over 40 languages. Publication dates of coverage: 1955 to present.
Literature Resource Center This link opens in a new window
Literature Resource Center offers biographical and other background information for research on literary topics, authors, and their works. Its coverage includes all genres and disciplines, all time periods, and all regions of the world. Literature Resource Center's content comes from the Dictionary of Literary Biography, Contemporary Authors, Contemporary Literary Criticism, and more, including full text of selected poems, plays, and short stories.
MLA International Bibliography (MLAIB) This link opens in a new window
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The MLA International Bibliography provides bibliographic records for books, book chapters, journal articles, and dissertations published in the fields of modern languages, literatures, folklore, and linguistics. Full text is available for some articles. The MLAIB covers items published from around 1920 to the present.