Why is access to the Bibliography going to change?
The Bibliography has enjoyed UK Arts and Humanities Research Council funding for several years but this has always been directed primarily at developing functionality rather than adding new records to make sure that the Bibliography is up-to-date. And the particular AHRC scheme on which we were drawing has now ended. After much thought and consultation, the Institute of Historical Research and the Royal Historical Society have decided that the only way to develop and enhance the Bibliography in the long term (and therefore to ensure its continuing usefulness) is through a partnership with an experienced commercial publisher – Brepols Publishers. As part of this arrangement, the IHR and RHS will increase their financial commitment to the Bibliography, but it will nonetheless entail the Bibliography becoming a subscription service.
