The British Book Trade Index on the Web

The British Book Trade Index is a computerised index of the names, brief biographical and trade details of all those who worked in the English and Welsh book trades and were at work before 1852. It includes not only printers, publishers and booksellers but also stationers, papermakers, engravers, auctioneers, ink-makers, pen and quill sellers, etc., so that the trade may be studied in the context of allied trades.
BBTI began in 1983 and in 2002, at the beginning of the AHRB-funded BBTI on The Web Project, it contained c.70,000 records, each of 25 fields. BBTI’s utility and accessibility were hampered by its form [as a dBase file available on Cdrom on request] and by the fact that its existence was only known to a relatively small group of book trade historians. The Project aimed to establish a secure and long-term commitment from an appropriate HEI with research interests both in book trade history and in developing web research resources. The aims were:
i. to create as BBTI on the Web a British Book Trade Index giving biographical, geographical and trade details of all those identified as working in the English and Welsh book trades before 1852
ii. to make BBTI publicly available and easily searchable, in a form accessible to the worldwide community of researchers
iii. to develop efficient systems for the future maintenance of BBTI on the Web

The three year programme described had the specific objectives of:
i. enhancing the existing CDrom database by the completion of the entry of specific data sets
ii. improving the existing database by systematic editing/conflating of entries
iii. developing BBTI as a web-based research resource
iv. augmenting the BBTI web platform by the addition of features such as resource listings and links to other related book history resources
v. enabling efficient long-term maintenance of the database by developing a method of electronic submission of additional data and efficient routines for editing and entry
vi. encouraging the submission of new data and related information by raising the profile of BBTI in the research community
vii. securing the long-term accessibilty of BBTI by deposit with AHDS

The outcome of the work is an enhanced BBTI [c.120,000 records currently] via the web. The three year programme enhanced the database by the completion of bulk data entry and systematic editing/conflating of entries to increase its utility and improve its reliability; makes it freely accessible via the web; and enables the efficient future submission of data by individuals and institutions.
Three particular areas of work were addressed:
1. Data entry. Several major sources of data are yet to be entered:
2. technical development of the database as a web resource, involving:
i. transfer of data from dBase.
ii. development of search mechanisms
iii. electronic input of some data [i.e. i and ii above]
iii. source listings
iv. links to other book trade history web resources
vii. development of an electronic form and system for submission of new data
viii. establishment of mechanisms for data preservation and documentation consistent with AHDS guidelines.
3. editorial work
i. management and quality control of new data entered
ii. editing and conflation of new and existing entries
iii. informed assistance to the web development officer in designing the website to meet the needs of researchers
iv. evaluation of BBTI on the Web as a research tool.