The Kelvin Smith Library at Case Western Reserve University is now a member of HathiTrust, a large-scale collaborative repository of digital content from major research institutions and libraries. With more than 90 partners, HathiTrust aims to ensure that the cultural record is preserved and accessible long into the future.
As a member of HathiTrust, authorized Case Western Reserve users will now have access to download full digital versions of public domain materials that reside in the HathiTrust collection.
All users with a Case Western Reserve network ID can gain access via HathiTrust.org by selecting Case Western Reserve University from the login menu.
“Our membership in HathiTrust is not only a great way to expand access to a wealth of e-books at a very affordable price, but is also a pledge of our support to the continuation of a vital resource that is a collaborative effort of the academic library community,” said Timothy Robson, associate director for Academic Engagement Services at Kelvin Smith Library.
HathiTrust serves a dual role.
First, as a trusted repository it guarantees the long-term preservation of the materials it holds, providing the expert curation and consistent access long associated with research libraries.
Second, as a service for partners, HathiTrust offers persistent access to the digital collections, including viewing, downloading and searching access to public domain volumes, as well as searching access to in copyright volumes. Specialized features are also available which facilitate access by those with print disabilities, and allow users to gather subsets of the digital library into “collections” that can be searched and browsed.
“The news about our membership in HathiTrust is wonderful,” said Miriam Levin, professor of history, with a secondary appointment in the Department of Art and Art History at Case Western Reserve. “I am constantly finding references for digitized materials on the HathiTrust site when doing research — I’m looking forward to having access to them at last.”
Over the last five years, HathiTrust partners have contributed more than 11 million volumes to the digital library, digitized from their library collections through a number of means including Google and Internet Archive digitization and in-house initiatives.
As one of these partners, Case Western Reserve users will have the ability to access the more than 3.7 million contributed volumes that are in the public domain.
“Having unrestricted access to HathiTrust will make my work and that of my students range further with less ‘friction’ in the treatment of digitized texts augmenting Kelvin Smith Library’s print holdings,” said Kurt Koenigsberger, associate professor of English at Case Western Reserve. “The full access that a HathiTrust membership provides will ensure my students work with the widest array of texts possible, and encounter the fewest barriers of access. I’m grateful to Kelvin Smith Library for providing the university community this access.”