New Online Archives Cover the Political Spectrum
With the presidential election just around the corner, the University Libraries announces the timely addition of online access to the complete archives of three prominent political journals. The National Review ,The New Republic , and The Nation occupy unique positions on the American political spectrum.
Unabashedly the most conservative of the three (think of the late William F. Buckley), the National Review’s content embraces and very often dictates the political climate of the day. From brief synopses of important news events to longer researched pieces, the National Review Archive allows users to trace the development of conservatism from 1955 to the present day. Of particular note are the book reviews – especially those of works running counter to conservative philosophies – which help to (re)define some of the ideological battle lines present in American politics.
Countering the National Review’s far right leaning, The Nation represents a decidedly liberal stance on issues of politics, religion, arts and culture. The oldest of the three, the online archives provide content from 1865 to present. Besides being an excellent source of original material, the archives guide users through the various bends and re-alignments the word “liberal” has undergone in the last 150 years.
Running more to the political center, The New Republic provides the most objective voice of the three. With over ninety years of content (including the most recent issues), its archives give access to a journal that effectively treats American politics, American culture and foreign policy with equal rigor from both sides of the aisle.
These collections are accessible through Minerva, the University Libraries' online catalog. Locate the journal title in Minerva, click on the “Online” location, and then the “available from Ebscohost” link. Or, search for the collections in Databases and Indexes – clicking on the letter “N” is a convenient way to do this. The EBSCOhost platform allows you to search all content by keyword, author or title. You can also narrow your search by year(s) or specific volumes/issues. If you need help accessing these online archives, please visit a reference librarian, or Ask a Librarian! .
Blog Post Created by Michael V. Daly