Librarians, curators, those charged with preserving the cultural heritage of Europe
Narrative
The Universal Short Title Catalogue is a free access on-line searchable resource containing data on all books published before 1601. It also contains 60,000 digital editions and data on 1.5 million surviving copies.
Scholars, through the USTC, have access to an unprecedented array of full text editions without needing to travel to the libraries that possess these very rare books.
Over 40% of the items surveyed survive in only one copy. By furnishing libraries with lists of their rarest books, we will be able to assist them with conservation priorities, and accessing resources to preserve exceptionally rare material.