Topic

For most of human history beyond living memory, the main way we know what life was like during the Medieval period is from documentary evidence that remains available to us.

2286 titles, mainly monographs but also including manuscripts and music material about the history of Ireland and Australia.

About 6200 books about European literature, history and culture, mostly published in the period 1880-1960. 

About 4000 books, mostly published in France in the 19th and early 20th century, as well as a number of German, Italian, Latin and Greek books.

Two collections of pamphlets published in the Netherlands from 1567-1852 dealing with political, diplomatic, military and legal matters, and the administration of the Batavian Republic.

Read about Creative Arts Fellow Celia Craig's experience of exploring the papers of musician Miriam Hyde.

Around 400 Slavic monographs, 700 pamphlets on the economics and politics of Europe from the 1930s-1970s, and miscellaneous Harvard University departmental reports and academic papers.

2457 plays published in France between 1701 and 1840. They include tragedies, comedies, historical dramas, vaudevilles, comic operas and operas.

Papers and microfilm of original records relating to the German colonies in the Pacific from 1884-1914, and a selection of other books on this topic.

Personal papers and about 600 books and pamphlets from 1900-1960 on international relations, political biography, migration and more with a focus on the Commonwealth and United States. 

Books illustrating the history of printing in Europe and Australia, plus a medieval manuscript, and personal papers of Brian Hone.

Topic

As time progressed, the number of people who could read did begin to increase, as some countries began to increase the emphasis on educating their people to basic levels.