The Consortium of European Research Libraries (CERL)

Abstract

The collections of printed books of the hand-press period (1455–1830) held in the research libraries of Europe are an important element in our cultural heritage. Scholars using these collections for research purposes have in the past found difficulty in tracing particular texts and copies because of the limitations of existing catalogues and the variations in national and institutional cataloguing rules and standards. Technology now offers the opportunity to create more effective access to these collections through the creation of online catalogues, through retrospective cataloguing and retrospective conversion programmes. The Consortium of European Research Libraries (CERL) was established for the primary purpose of enabling libraries to share records from such programmes by creating a database of records and locations of hand-press books in Europe. It aims to provide an effective and authoritative tool for scholars, to improve access by providing a single point of search for sought titles and locations, and to supply records to libraries undertaking retrospective cataloguing work. Over 30 European research libraries, through their membership of CERL, are collaborating in the creation of the Hand Press Book database which is networked through RLIN. The database now holds over 750,000 records and is expected to grow to at least two million records in the next three years.