A large number of books, reference works, periodicals, discographies and record company catalogues relating to drama and literature are available on open access in the Humanities - Floor 2 reading room in the main British Library building at St. Pancras.
Books and reference works
Notable examples include:
- Briggs, Asa. The History of Broadcasting in the United Kingdom (in five volumes), OUP, 1995.
- Books Out Loud, Bowker, USA, 2008.
- BBC Sound Archive catalogues and microfiche covering 1880-1992 (the Enquiry Desk can provide detail on more recent broadcasts)
- Early spoken word record catalogues on open access; selection of catalogues of spoken word producers such as Caedmon or Spoken Arts available on request.
- Gramophone Spoken Word catalogues 1964-1994 (incomplete)
- Portantiere, Michael (ed.). The TheaterMania guide to musical theater recordings,Back Stage Books, 2004 - includes reviews of more than 1,000 cast albums and soundtracks
- Smith, Ronald. Comedy stars at 78 rpm: biographies and discographies of 89 American and British recording artists, 1896-1946, McFarland, 1998
Magazines
Among the magazines and periodicals are:
- Plays and Players (1961 to date; incomplete)
- Radio Times (vol. 1, issue 1: 1923, to date)
- Theatre Record (vol. 1, issue 1: 1981 to date)
Electronic Resources
The following is a selection:- English Drama Online
- International Index to Performing Arts
- Literature Online
- Orlando: Women's Writing in the British Isles from the Beginnings to the Present
- SearchMuze - includes a database of commercial spoken word products issued in the UK.
Further information
Sound & Vision Reference Service
The British Library
96 Euston Road
London
NW1 2DB
United Kingdom
Tel: +44 (0)20 7412 7831
Fax: +44 (0)20 7412 7691
E-mail: Ask the Reference Team
