Research Guides: Electronic Book Collections: E-Book Collections A-Z

Selected E-Book Collections

ACLS Humanities E-Book Collection This link opens in a new window
A collection of e-books across the entire range of the humanities
ACM Digital Library (Association for Computing Machinery) This link opens in a new window
Full-text collection of all ACM publications, including journals, conference proceedings, technical magazines, newsletters, & books. Also includes publications from select publishers & the ACM Guide to Computing Literature, a bibliographic database focused exclusively on the field of computing.
African Writers Series This link opens in a new window
Contains key texts of 20th century African literature & has a unique importance in the history of postcolonial writings. A particular strength of this collection is the inclusion of women’s poetry from The Heinemann Book of African Women’s Poetry.
(Coverage: 1900s-1999)
The acquisition of this database was made possible through the support of the Unidel Foundation.
American Civil War: Letters & Diaries This link opens in a new window
Diaries, letters, & memoirs from over 2,000 authors, written before, during, & after the American Civil War. (Coverage: ranges from contemporary letters & diaries to those published many years after the Civil War).
Particular care has been taken to index this material so it can be thoroughly searched. Also includes biographies, an extensive bibliography of the sources in the database, and material licensed from The Civil War Day-by-Day by E.B. Long.
American County Histories to 1900 This link opens in a new window
Histories of cities & counties of the original thirteen states (with the exception of Virginia), plus Vermont & Maine. The collection includes more than 2,700 large volumes that have been manually rekeyed. It provides vivid portraits of people, places, & events—not just national figures, but local figures, demographics, social, economic, & cultural transformations.
Provides local & regional perspectives on many of the topics & issues of the day:
- Westward Movement
- Native Americans
- Indian Depredations
- Colonial Exploitation
- Wars
- Slavery and Abolition
- Suffrage
- Labor Unions & Disturbances
- The Underground Railroad
- Industrial Revolution
- Fur Trade
- Temperance
American State Papers, 1739 - 1838 This link opens in a new window
Historical legislative & executive documents of Congress. (Coverage: 1789-1838)
Learn more about this database.
A&AePortal This link opens in a new window
An interactive, full-text eBook platform that features important works of scholarship in the history of art, architecture, decorative arts, design, & photography. Out-of-print titles & recent releases from academic & museum publishers, & peer-reviewed, born-digital content is also available. Includes fullt-text searching of eBooks, searching for images, & the ability for instructors to create coursepacks.
ARTFL Project This link opens in a new window
Large corpus of French-language texts
Berg Fashion Library This link opens in a new window
Integrated text & image content on world dress & fashion throughout history. Includes the Berg Encyclopedia of World Dress & Fashion, an extensive E-Book collection, a large image bank, extra reference resources, & more.
Students & scholars in disciplines as diverse as anthropology, art history, history, sociology, geography, folklore, museum studies, theatre, & cultural studies as well as fashion & textiles will find insights into people & cultures all over the world.
Black Drama (2nd edition) This link opens in a new window
Approximately 1,462 plays by more than 200 playwrights from North America, English-speaking Africa, the Caribbean, & other African diaspora countries. Some 600 of the plays are published here for the first time, including a number by major authors. (Coverage: mid-1800s --)
Black Thought and Culture: African Americans from Colonial Times to the Present This link opens in a new window
Monographs, essays, articles, speeches, and interviews written by leaders within the black community from the earliest times to the present. Learn more about this database.
Black Thought and Culture is made available through a grant from the Unidel Foundation.
British and Irish Women's Letters and Diaries This link opens in a new window
Over 400 years of personal writings by women from England, Scotland, Ireland, and Wales. Shows the various shapes and formats of the diary as it evolved. Allows researchers to view history in the context of women’s thoughts—their struggles, achievements, passions, pursuits, and desires. (Complements Alexander Street’s North American Women’s Letters & Diaries.) (Coverage: 1500s - 1950)
Caribbean Literature This link opens in a new window
Poetry & fiction produced in the region during the 19th & 20th centuries. Includes numerous rare & hard-to-find works written in English, French, Spanish, Dutch, & various Creole languages.
The acquisition of this database was made possible through the support of the Unidel Foundation.
China: Trade, Politics & Culture This link opens in a new window
Over 200 years of Chinese history, charting the monumental social and political upheaval that recreated China as a modern power. Documents encompass events from the earliest English embassy to the birth and early years of the People’s Republic. (Coverage: 1793 - 1980) Learn more about this database.
Columbia International Affairs Online This link opens in a new window
A comprehensive source for theory & research in international affairs. Each section of CIAO is updated with new material regularly.
CIAO is divided into the following categories: working papers, conference proceedings, journals (i.e., abstracts of journal articles), books, policy briefs, economic indicators, links & resources, schedule of events, & maps & country data.
Credo Reference This link opens in a new window
- This link opens in a new window
Articles from encyclopedias, dictionaries, & other reference books. Covers all major academic areas. An excellent place to start when learning the basics of any topic. Will help focus your topic, find keywords & people, & discover more in-depth books & articles. Images, audio & video files are included.
Early American Imprints Series I: Evans, 1639-1800 This link opens in a new window
Early American books, pamphlets, broadsides and other imprints.
Learn more about this database
Series in America's Historical Imprints (which is a component of Archive of Americana)
Series 1, Evans is the only one of the series that UD owns, so entry is listed as" Early American Imprints Series I: Evans, 1639-1800."

Can be searched on Readex AllSearch, an integrated platform that combines Readex’s primary sources into a single cross-searchable interface.
Early English Books Online This link opens in a new window
Early work printed in the British Isles & North America, as well as works in English printed elsewhere. (Coverage: 1470-1700) For the later period, see Eighteenth Century Collections Online.
This collection can also be searched on Gale Primary Sources, an integrated platform that combines Gale’s digital archives into a single cross-searchable interface.
EBSCO eBook Collection (EBSCOhost) This link opens in a new window
eBook titles representing a broad range of academic subjects. Titles are from a variety of publishers.
ProQuest Ebook Central This link opens in a new window
Provides authoritative, full-text e-books in a wide range of subject areas along with tools to find, use, & manage the information.
Eighteenth Century Collections Online This link opens in a new window
Digital images of thousands of books, pamphlets & broadsides published during the 18th c. (Coverage: 1701-1800) For the earlier period, see Early English Books Online.

This collection can also be searched on Gale Primary Sources, an integrated platform that combines Gale’s digital archives into a single cross-searchable interface.
The acquisition of this database was made possible through the support of the Unidel Foundation.
Gerritsen Women's History Collection of Aletta H. Jacobs This link opens in a new window
Started by Dutch physician Aletta Jacobs Gerritsen in the late 1800s, this collection of monographs & periodicals reflects the evolution of a feminist consciousness & women’s rights. By the time her successors finished their work in 1945, the collection was the greatest single source for the study of women’s history in the world, with materials spanning 4 centuries and 15 languages. (Coverage: 1543-1945)
In many cases, the Gerritsen Collection provides easy access to primary sources otherwise available only in a few rare book rooms.
IEEE Xplore This link opens in a new window
Millions of full-text documents in electrical engineering, electronics, & computer science from IEEE & its publishing partners. Includes access to IEEE journals, magazines, conferences, & standards, as well as IET journals, magazines, & conferences. (Coverage: 1998- present | select content 1872- present)
JSTOR eBooks This link opens in a new window
More than 25,000 academic monographs primarily in the humanities and social sciences.
Knovel This link opens in a new window
An extensive online library of full-text content from leading publishers & societies. Covers engineering, chemistry, biochemistry, earth & environmental sciences, & more.
Literature Online Complete This link opens in a new window
Works of English & American poetry, drama & prose, as well as biographies, bibliographies & key secondary sources. Primary works represent a collection of thousands of works by influential authors as well as the works of lesser known or now forgotten literary figures. (Coverage: 8th century --)
Literature Online Complete provides access to:

English poetry from 600 to the present
American and African-American poetry from 1603 to the present
The Faber Poetry Library
English drama (including Shakespeare) from 1280 to 1915
English prose from 1500 to 1900

Includes access to the Annual Bibliography of English Language & Literature (ABELL) with associated full-text, major literary reference works, & websites selected for their relevance to literary studies.
Loeb Classical Library This link opens in a new window
The digital Loeb Classical Library extends the founding mission of James Loeb with an interconnected, fully searchable, growing virtual library of important Greek & Latin literature. Includes up-to-date & accurate English translations of hundreds of volumes of Latin & Greek texts.
Making of the Modern World This link opens in a new window
Books, serials, political pamphlets, broadsides, government publications, proclamations & ephemera focusing on economics, political science, history, sociology, banking, finance, transportation & manufacturing. Includes many rare titles & 1st editions in languages other than English. (Coverage: 1450-1945)
This collection can also be searched on Gale Primary Sources, an integrated platform that combines Gale’s digital archives into a single cross-searchable interface.
North American Women's Letters and Diaries This link opens in a new window
American and Canadian women’s diaries and correspondence, spanning more than 300 years. (Coverage: Colonial - 1950s)
OECD iLibrary This link opens in a new window
Country studies, forecasting publications, periodicals, socio-economic reports as well as podcasts from the Organisation for Economic Co-operation & Development. Topics covered include agriculture, developing economies, education, employment, energy, the environment, migration, social issues, & sustainable development.
OverDrive eBooks & Audiobooks This link opens in a new window
A curated leisure reading collection of new & popular e-books & audiobooks. Your first step is to download the Libby app to your device. The Library's OverDrive Collection can be searched or browsed by logging into the app or searching DELCAT.
Note: The OverDrive app was discontinued & replaced with Libby in May 2023.
Learn more about downloading and using Libby.
Past Masters This link opens in a new window
Important primary source texts and translations in the history of philosophy and thought.
Springer E-Books This link opens in a new window
An integrated platform for books, journals, & other materials published by Springer, a major publisher of science & social sciences books & journals. The UD Library has acquired Springer eBooks in most subject areas. (Coverage: 2005 --)
Teatro Español del Siglo de Oro This link opens in a new window
Full-text of the most important dramatic works of 16th & 17th century Spain.
U.S. Congressional Serial Set This link opens in a new window
House & Senate Documents & Reports, constituting a rich set of primary source documents. Covers a variety of topics & may include reports of executive departments & independent organizations, reports of special investigations, etc. (Coverage: 1817-1994)
The U.S. Congressional Serial Set is bound by session of Congress. It began publication with the 15th Congress, 1st Session (1817). Documents before 1817 are found in the American State Papers, which can be accessed via the A-Z Databases page. The Serial Set does not include Congressional hearings & debates.
House & Senate Reports are usually from congressional committees dealing with proposed legislation & issues under investigation. They include all other papers ordered printed by the House or Senate. Documents cover a wide variety of topics & may include reports of executive departments & independent organizations, reports of special investigations made for Congress, & annual reports of non-governmental organizations. During the late 19th & early 20th centuries, Executive branch materials were also published in the Serial Set.
After 1994, GPO & the Library of Congress provide digital access to most of the continuing Serial Set materials.
It is possible to search the U.S. Congressional Serial Set Maps directly.
This collection can also be searched on Readex AllSearch, an integrated platform that combines Readex’s primary sources into a single cross-searchable interface.
Women Writers Online This link opens in a new window
Database of the Women Writers Project (WWP), Northeastern University; a long-term research project devoted to early modern women’s writing and electronic text encoding. (Coverage: 1400-1850)
Women and Social Movements in the United States, 1600-2000 This link opens in a new window
Organized around the history of women in social movements in the U.S. between 1600 and 2000. Includes document projects and archives, the online version of Notable American Women (1971-2004), the database on Commissions on the Status of Women (1961-2005), book reviews, teaching tools, and more.

Open Access Collections

Open Access refers to resources that are freely available for viewing and/or use. Open Access is not the same as Public Domain, and most Open Access creators do retain their copyrights.

From Off Campus

Most Library online resources can be accessed from off campus by current UD faculty, staff, and students. When using links on these pages, you may be prompted for your UDelNetID and password. Please report any issues you encounter while accessing Library databases, e-journals, or e-books.