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Bloomsbury Medieval Studies was named best databases of 2020 by Library Journal.
“This resource devoted to medieval history stands out from similar offerings with its global approach. The backbone of the collection, the Encyclopedia of the Global Middle Ages, is diverse in both regional coverage—the Maya civilization, Ethiopia, and the Korean Kingdom of Silla are just a few examples—and in theme: religious iconography, mental illness, disability, and queenship, among others. With a clean layout, superb organization, top-notch searchability, stunning images of historical objects, and excellent primary sources, this is an essential database for students seeking a thorough understanding of the period.”
Bloomsbury Publishing is shortlisted for its Medieval Studies platform for researchers and librarians. With careful market research, excellent functionality and flexible payment models, it generated good sales immediately after launching in late 2019. The judges said: “This is a great product that has been curated with a clear understanding of what its users want, and that fills a gap in the market.”
Reviews for Bloomsbury Bloomsbury Medieval Studies
“One of the strengths of BMS is that it is designed to, and consciously has, a global and interdisciplinary scope.”
“The crown jewel of this platform is the exclusive access to a new resource.”
“BMS has several strengths. The greatest of these is the way it integrates the variety of sources of the Bloomsbury Publishing company into a single, interdisciplinary platform. The mix of primary, secondary, and modern resources is especially useful for students who may still be struggling with these concepts.”
“An additional strength of BMS is its global approach, as opposed to the heavily Eurocentric approach of many competing projects. This is best seen in the Explore Places tab, which divides the world into eight geographic regions representing almost 100 countries."
“Bloomsbury recruited an outstanding editorial advisory board of 20 of the most respected researchers and teachers in the field of medieval studies. Under the watchful eyes of this group, the quality and reliability, as well as future additions, should be maintained at the current high level.”
“The scope of Encyclopedia of the Global Middle Ages is global, with articles on Kosovo, Korea, Ethiopia, Oceania, Delhi, and the Maya. This inclusivity contrasts with older seminal works—Encyclopedia of the Middle Ages (Brill), Lexikon des Mittelalters (Brepols), Dictionary of the Middle Ages (American Council of Learned Societies), and The Oxford Dictionary of the Middle Ages—that provided Eurocentric and increasingly dated perspectives. Whereas the Oxford Dictionary of the Middle Ages lists not a single entry on China, Bloomsbury provides three substantive articles on China’s Tang Dynasty (618–907), Empress Wu Zetian, and trade with the Islamic Middle East … Content is diverse and eye-opening.”
“Bloomsbury Medieval Studies delivers a rich selection of scholarly and primary content, global coverage, and innovative and inclusive research. Its platform is beautifully designed and easy to navigate.”
“Bloomsbury Medieval Studies offers the best value proposition for schools with medieval studies programs, though it should appeal to any library that supports an undergraduate liberal arts curriculum or advanced scholarship in the arts, religion, history, literature, and other academic disciplines.”
Praise for Bloomsbury Medieval Studies
"I've just given Bloomsbury Medieval Studies a spin... I was pleasantly surprised by the number of results when I typed in keywords relevant to my own areas of research (China, Dunhuang); also, its global scope will enable student research on topics from a cross-cultural perspective, for example, relics and reliquaries."
"The Encyclopedia of the Global Middle Ages has articles of very high quality. The attention to objects and images as a way in to the Global Middle Ages suits my own approach and I expect will be very helpful to others. And the thematic strands, like the one on queenship, are intelligently crafted."
