Although the majority of our library consists of books and journals, we also provide access to a large number of digital resources for readers physically in the building or, in the case of the Churchill Papers, remotely for members of the library. We are also keen, as funds allow, to expand the number of resources that we provide access to, particularly those that fit with our collecting remit of published primary materials and supporting reference works. As a result, we occasionally have trials of commercial digital resources, which are accessible via the computers in the reading rooms.

We currently have two trials available until 11 October: the Cecil Papers and Documents on British Policy Overseas.  Please let us know what you think of them via ihr.library@sas.ac.uk or via the Floor 1 library office.

The supplier provides the following overview of the packages:

Cecil Papers

Cecil Papers

ProQuest has teamed with The Hatfield House Archives to digitize their privately held collection of almost 30,000 documents gathered by William Cecil (1520-1598), Lord Burghley and his son Robert Cecil (1563-1612), First Earl of Salisbury. This important collection includes many sixteenth- and seventeenth-century state papers, grants from the Crown, legal documents, treaties, correspondences, and political memoranda.

One of Elizabeth I’s closest advisors, William Cecil was both Lord High Treasurer and Secretary of State – a position also held by his son, who continued to serve Elizabeth’s successor, James I. Occupying some of the highest offices of state in the land, these men were at the heart of events during one of the most dynamic periods in western history.

Key events covered in this collection include:

  • The clandestine plans for James’ accession to the English throne
  • Mary Queen of Scots’ imprisonment and execution
  • Tudor re-conquest of Ireland
  • The Spanish Armada
  • Military events in the Low Countries
  • Gunpowder Plot
  • The Main Plot and imprisonment of Sir Walter Raleigh
  • Early English settlement of America

All the documents, which include a number of contemporary hand-drawn maps, tables, and letters, have been reproduced as full-color, high-quality images directly from original documents. These images can be examined using a dynamic viewing tool or downloaded as PDFs of JPEGs.

Documents on British Policy Overseas

This history database contains tens of thousands of U.K. government documents relating to Britain’s international relations, including foreign policy instructions, letters and memos, business reports, and more. These primary source materials have been selected by the official historians of Britain’s Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) and, in many cases, have been declassified at their request for inclusion in this series.

With Documents on British Policy Overseas, researchers gain a more complete understanding of the tensions, motivations, politics, and relationships that shaped Europe and the world throughout the twentieth century.

This easily searchable database is the online version of three print content sets:

  • British Documents on the Origins of War (1898-1914), which includes documents related to the Anglo-German tensions leading to World War I
  • Documents on British Foreign Policy (1918-1939), which addresses post-war settlement, re-armament, and growing tensions in Europe, Africa, and the Far East
  • Documents on British Policy Overseas (1946-present), which covers topics such as atomic energy, the Korean Conflict, and the Cold War

It’s easy to join the library as a member to gain access to these, and many other resources. Full details are on our Membership page.