News | June 27, 2013

Smith&Press Launches The Library Connection (TLC) Digital Library at the ALA Conference

Boston, MA — June, 2013 — Smith&Press has developed a research grade digital library called The Library Connection (TLC) that will be launching at the ALA Show in Chicago this week (June 28-July 1, 2013).  

The goal of TLC is threefold: Access, Legibility and Affordability. We translate works that are not available elsewhere. Highlights of TLC:

  • Provides a tool that can reach into the classroom and tap into rare books from the 14th-17th centuries
  • Topics cover History, Medicine, Philosophy, Theology, Art, Astrology, Astronomy, and Mathematics with provisions for many more
  • Eliminates problems of physical copies and fair use limitations
  • Brings costs below the price of text books

The content of TLC is produced by six scholars specializing in Renaissance and Neo-Latin translations. TLC is built on a platform of technologies that uses a host and client server architecture to stream content to the user.  

TLC is designed to be very user friendly while providing a unique experience for the user.  Spanning multiple subjects, TLC is an organic knowledge base that serves as a powerful learning and teaching tool for enthusiasts and professionals alike.  While TLC was designed for university research, it is user friendly enough to provide a platform for scholars, historians and educational providers of all levels to access and share what historically would only be possible in special collections libraries.

TLC brings forward several innovations beginning with an aesthetic that roots the user in the period from which these works were derived.  The modern juxtaposition of translated and original material is accompanied by clarifications and explanations of the text.  Search-ability and classification is of significant importance.  Classification relates to the ability to connect broad world subjects that classical library nomenclature would not normally attribute to the work.  Full translated text search is also possible.

Current titles include: Hartmann Schedel’s Liber Chronicarum 1493 (Latin),  Philippo Finella’s De Quatuor Signis 1649, Jerolamo Cardano’s Metoposcopia 1648, Ketham’s Fasciculus Medicinae 1495, Luca Pacioli’s Divine Proportions 1509, Fortunio Liceti’s De Monstris 1665, Jacob Rueff’s De Conceptu 1587 and The Expert Midwife 1637, Dame Juliana Berners’ Angler 1496, Maximillian I Theuerdank 1517, Galileo’s Starry Message, 1610 and selected excerpts from the Diderot DeLambert Encyclopedia

Smith&Press’s The Library Connection (TLC) Digital Library will be an annual subscription based model formulated for both institutional and private patrons.  

Smith&Press will continue to make small production runs of their offerings.  Smith&Press is known for their well-received English Translation of the Liber Chronicarum 1493.  They currently have less than 80 sets remaining of this 4 Volume set and they have completely sold out of the Liber Chronicarum 1493 Reference Edition Facsimile.

Smith&Press is a small independent publisher specializing in early printed book translations and facsimiles. The goal is to make available to the general public, books and materials that are: 1) difficult to gain access to because they are rare, 2) prohibitive in price, and 3) written in Latin or other early languages of the time period with no available translation.  

For more information on Smith&Press and The Library Connection (TLC) Digital Library, as well as any of their offerings, please visit www.smithandpress.com.

www.thelibraryconnection.net (For Individual Customers)

www.thelibraryconnection.com  (For Institutional Customers)

Contact:
Smith&Press
201-857-3600
sales@smithandpress.com
www.smithandpress.com