The present collection of primary sources, comprised of printed and manuscript materials, offers a new approach to the history of learned societies and Freemasonry in Hungary in the 18th century. Materials include academic proposals, regulations of learned societies and reading circles, letters, pamphlets as well as Masonic constitutions, rituals, orations, essays, and a sentimental novel. In addition to the Latin- and German-language documents, some Hungarian-language sources of special importance are published in English translation. The sources in the first part of the collection illustrate the growing desire and ambition among Hungarian intellectuals for establishing national literature and science, and for raising the level of general literacy among the population. Starting from the diagnosis that, compared to other European countries, Hungary was quite backward in terms of cultivating the sciences, several people emphasized the need to raise the standards of public education, while others thought that establishing learned societies or scientific academies could change the situation. The examination of the history of learned and secret societies shows that in 18th-century Hungary social culture could develop within the framework of Freemasonry. The functioning learned societies and reading circles were established at the initiative of lodge members, and a large number of the authors of the proposals were also Freemasons. The establishment of learned societies was motivated by the ideas which were also the guiding principles of the Freemasons: spreading enlightenment, promoting the well-being of the people, and supporting the sciences and the arts. The editors intended to bring to an international audience the selected materials which warrant further research and examination.

Reprint of the original, first published in 1882.

This ambitious undertaking is designed to acquaint students, teachers, and researchers with reference sources in any branch of English studies, which Marcuse defines as "all those subjects and lines of critical and scholarly inquiry presently pursued by members of university departments of English language and literature.'' Within each of 24 major sections, Marcuse lists and annotates bibliographies, guides, reviews of research, encyclopedias, dictionaries, journals, and reference histories. The annotations and various indexes are models of clarity and usefulness, and cross references are liberally supplied where appropriate. Although cost-conscious librarians will probably consider the several other excellent literary bibliographies in print, such as James L. Harner's Literary Research Guide (Modern Language Assn. of America, 1989), larger academic libraries will want Marcuse's volume.-- Jack Bales, Mary Washington Coll. Lib., Fredericksburg, Va. -Library Journal.

"This report will be useful to anyone interested in the current state of online American literature resources. Its purpose is twofold: to offer a sampling of the types of digital resources currently available or under development in support of American literature; and to identify the prevailing concerns of specialists in the field as expressed during interviews conducted between July 2004 and May 2005. Part two of the report consolidates the results of these interviews with an exploration of resources currently available. Part three examines six categories of digital work in progress: (1) quality-controlled subject gateways, (2) author studies, (3) public domain e-book collections and alternative publishing models, (4) proprietary reference resources and full-text primary source collections, (5) collections by design, and (6) teaching applications. This survey is informed by a selective review of the recent literature."--CLIR Web site.