Bibliographic and Web To ols for Alternative Media
Byron Anderson
March 2011
REFERENCE BOOKS/ONLINE DATABASES
African American Archives, cohost.com/academic/african-american-archives
The African American Archives provides over a million pages of original historical
documents pertaining to the African American experience covering 1672 to 1917. Slavery-
related collections include letters, account books, annual reports, news clippings, related
manuscripts from the American Colonization Society, Records of the Southern Claims
Commission, and other.
African American Periodicals, 1825-1995, otoday.com/Digest/Readex-to-Release-African-American-Periodicals--73153.asp
This forthcoming database features more than 170 periodicals by and about African Americans
published in 26 states. Publications include academic and political journals, magazines,
newsletters, bulletins, and much more. Based on James P. Danky’s African-American
Newspapers and Periodicals: A National Bibliography (1988).
Alt-Press Watch, 1970-current. .proquest.com/en-US/catalogs/databases/detail/alt_presswatch.shtml
Full-text database of more than 210 newspapers, magazines, and journals from alternative and independent presses. Unique to the database are many thought-provoking titles, including regional and national publications.
Altern ative media h andbook. Coyer, Kate, Tony Dowmunt, and Alan Fountain. New York: Routledge, 2007. ISBN: 978-0-415-35965-8. $37.95.
Describes non-mainstream media forms that are independently run and community focused, such as zines, pirate radio, community run broadcasting, and activist publications. Outlines global alternative media activity and provides an overview about production and how to get involved.
Alternative press index. Chicago, IL: Alternative Press Center, 1969-current. Edited by an Editorial Collective. ISSN 0002-662X. Semi-annual, vol 38-. Inst.: $450; Indiv.: $75. Online database at cohost.com/academic/alternative-press-index
A comprehensive subject index to over 300 international alternative, radical and left periodicals, newspapers and magazines. Alternative Press Index , 1991-, and Alternative Press Index Archive,1969-1990, cohost.com/academic/alternative-press-index-archive. Some full-text.
Alternative publishers of books in North America, 7th ed. Compiled by Byron Anderson. Gainesville, FL: Counterpoise Books, 2010. ISBN 978-0-9845776-0-6. $25. 1716 SW Williston Rd., Gainesville, FL 32608
Profiles of 172 independent alternative publishers of books with radical leftist to left-of-center ideologies, including literary publishers that deliver alternative thought through fiction, short stories, and poetry. Alternative presses are defined as independent, small, limited in resources, non-profit oriented, dedicated, willing to take risks, and vulnerable.
American Ethnic Newspapers, dex.com/readex/index.cfm?content=415
A digitized and searchable collection of more than 500 American ethnic newspapers. Provides a
record of the topics, people, issues and events that have shaped two centuries of life in the United
States for different ethnic groups. Series includes: African American Newspapers, 1827-1998;
Ethnic American Newspapers from the Balch Collection, 1799-1971, an exploration of the
American immigrant experience; and Hispanic American Newspapers, 1808-1980.
Annotations: a guide to the independent critical press, 3rd ed (2004). Edited by Marie Jones. Chicago, IL, Alternative Press Center. 750p. ISBN: 09653894-3-X. $29.95+$2.55 s&h. press.org/mod/pages/display/13/index.php?menu=pubs
Comprehensive profiles of 385 independent critical periodicals that met one of three criteria: indexed in the Alternative Press Index, awarded at least two Project Censored awards since 1999, or were active members with a social justice orientation of the Independent Press Association.
Bibliography of Native North Americans, 16th century-, cohost.com/thisTopic.php?marketID=1&topicID=402
The bibliography covers all aspects of native North American culture, history, and life, including
archaeology, multicultural relations, gaming, governance, legend, and literacy. Useful for
exploring the contributions, struggles, and issues surrounding North America’s indigenous
peoples. More than 140,000 citations come from books, essays, journal articles, and government
documents.
Black Studies Center, 25,000 BC-current.
.proquest.com/en-US/catalogs/databases/detail/bsc.shtml
This full-text, full-image, multimedia database covers more than 150 publications and other
materials providing detailed coverage of the black experience in social sciences and humanities fields. At its core is the Schomburg Studies on the Black Experience index.
Black Women Writers, /products/blww.htm
Black Women Writers celebrates the many voices of women from Africa and the African
Diaspora. Offering fiction, poetry, and essays from three continents, the database gives an
unparalleled view of black women's struggles through time.
Chicano Database, 1960s-current with selective indexing to the early 1900s, c.org/support/documentation/firstsearch/databases/dbdetails/details/ChicanoDatabase.htm
An index to the Chicano and broader Latino experience in the U.S. Covers
Nearly 250 journal titles and anthologies. The database is produced by the University of
California, Ethnic Studies Library.
Contemporary Women’s Issues, 1992-current, e.cengage.com/servlet/ ItemDetailServlet?region=9&imprint=000&titleCode=GAL68&type=4&id=173259
A multidisciplinary, full-text database that brings together relevant content from mainstream
periodicals, "gray" literature, and the alternative press with a focus on the critical issues and
events that influence women's lives in more than 190 countries.
The d irectory of poetry publishers, 1984/85-current. Paradise, CA: Dustbooks. Annual, $25.95; four-year subscriptions, $82. tbooks.com
Features some 21 pieces of information on each of the more than 1800 book and magazine publishers of poetry worldwide, including university presses and e-zines. Includes editorial biases, percentage of submissions published, contest information and reporting time.
The d irectory of small press/magazine editors & publishers, 1969/70-current. Paradise, CA: Dustbooks. Annual, $25.95; four-year subscriptions, $82. tbooks.com
More than 7,500 listings of editors and publishers, along with their associated publishing companies, their addresses, phones, e-mail addresses and Web pages. Includes self-publishers.
Ethnic News Watch, 1990-current; Ethnic News Watch: A History, 1959-1989, .proquest.com/en-US/catalogs/databases/detail/ethnic_newswatch.shtml; .proquest.com/en-US/catalogs/databases/detail/ethnicnewswatch_hist.shtml
A full-text database of news, culture and history from 315 publications of ethnic, minority, and Native press. English and Spanish help options and screen assists are available. Nearly a quarter of the articles are in Spanish.
Gender Studies Database, 1972 (and earlier)-current, cohost.com/thisTopic.php?marketID=1&topicID=72
Combines Women’s Studies International and Men’s Studies databases with the coverage of
sexual diversity issues.
Gender Watch, 1970-current,
quest.com/en-US/catalogs/databases/detail/genderwatch.shtml
Historical and current perspectives on the evolution of gender roles as they affect both men and
women. More than 260 (240 full-text), including academic, radical, community and independent
presses. Wide-ranging topics, such as, sexuality, healthcare, religion, and societal roles.
The i nternational directory of little magazines & small presses, 1964/65-current. Edited by Len Fulton. Paradise, CA: Dustbooks. Annual. $37.95 paper, $55.00 cloth; four-year subscriptions, $120-$145. tbooks.com
Contains more than 4,000 short profiles of book and magazine publishers of literary, avante garde, cutting-edge contemporary, left wing, right wing, and radical chic fiction, and mainstream areas such as photography and travel.
International Index to Black Periodicals, 1902-; full-text 1998-, quest.com/assets/downloads/products/iibp_product_overview.pdf
Contains citations and abstracts from over 255 scholarly and popular journals, newspapers, and
newsletters from the Unites States, Canada, Africa and the Caribbean, and full-text from 95
journals on diverse issues in Black Studies. Coverage spans cultural, economic, historical,
religious, social, and political issues.
Latin American Women Writers, 1600s-current, xanderstreet.com/laww/laww.index.map.aspx
Latin American Women Writers is a searchable collection of prose, poetry, and drama composed
by women writing in Mexico, Central America, and South America. Also included are essays by
Latin American feminists and revolutionaries.
Latino Literature, 1800s-current. Available from Alexander Street Press, xanderstreet.com/lali/lali.index.map.aspx
Latino Literature brings together poems, novels and plays representing Chicano culture and the
various ethnicities of Latin American writers working in the United States. Contains numerous
Chicano folk tales and audio files of selected poems and plays.
The Left I ndex, 1982 (and earlier)-current, cohost.com/thisTopic.php?marketID=1&topicID=178
A guide to the diverse literature of the left from around the world covering topics such as the labor movement, race and ethnicity, social and cultural theory, law, and much more.
LGBT Life and LGBT Life with Full Text, 1953-current. Available from EBSCO Publishing, cohost.com/thisTopic.php?marketID=1&topicID=76 and cohost.com/thisTopic.php?marketID=1&topicID=77.
Abstracts and indexes more than 200 core journals and 360 core books and reference works. The
full text database has more than 130 full-text journals and 170 full-text books. Databases provide
global coverage on lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender issues.
Native American Archives, cohost.com/academic/native-american-archives
The Native American Archives collection provides over 1.8 million pages of original historical
documents pertaining to Native American history and life from the 18th through the 20th century.
The Archives also includes the Ratified Indian Treaties that date back to 1722.
Women and Social Movements in the United States, 1600-2000, xanderstreet.com/was2/was2.index.map.aspx
Women and Social Movements in the United States, 1600-2000 became an online journal March
2004 starting volume 8, number 1. It is a resource for students and scholars of U.S. history and
U.S. women’s history. The collection currently includes 94 document projects and archives with
More than 3750 full-text documents.
Women’s Studies International, 1972 (and earlier)-current, cohost.com/thisTopic.php?marketID=1&topicID=320
Covers the latest scholarship in feminist research. Includes 800 sources, including newspapers, book chapters, proceedings, dissertations, and other. Combines six women’s studies databases and bibliographies.
WEB SOURCES
AA Independent Press Guide, world.com/su_bainbridge/aaipg.html
A list of over 2000 print and Internet magazines published in the UK, USA, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and other areas of the world. Contact information and brief notes provided for each title and e-titles are linked to the corresponding website.
Alternative Mass Media / News Web Sites Web Archive, ib.org/a/AlternativeMassMedia/sites
From the New York University Libraries’ Tamiment Library and Robert F. Wagner Labor
Archives. Contains periodically archived news web sites from electronic journals and
newspapers, radio and television stations, blogs and other formats, for example, AlterNet,
Democracy Now!, and Z Communications. The information presents a left/progressive
viewpoint. An “information” icon with each title indicates the latest date of capture.
Alternative Media Global Project, medianetwork.org/wiki
A wiki devoted to recording alternative, radical, citizen, community, independent,
militant, autonomous media throughout the world. The information is organized through
a bibliography, world map, history of alternative media, and a who’s who. A global
collaborative meant for researchers, activists and others involved with alternative media.
AlterNet, ernet.org
Founded in 1998, AlterNet is a news magazine and online community that creates original
journalism and amplifies the best of hundreds of other independent media sources.
AlterNet is a key player in progressive ideas and vision, and its aim is to stimulate, inform, and
instigate. AlterNet is a program of the Independent Media Institute, a nonprofit organization that
empowers people with independent journalism, information and media tools.
Axis of Logic,
Axis of Logic promotes peace, equality, human rights, and the right to self-determination for all
nations by way of an all-volunteer group of writers and editors from different countries who
research news and opinion from around the world on a daily basis. The columnists publish news
and views seldom found in the major news outlets.
EPC List of Poetry Presses, falo.edu/epc/presses
Links to independent innovative poetry presses from the Electronic Poetry Center at the State
University of New York at Buffalo.
INK , .uk.com
INK is the trade association of the radical and alternative presses in the UK. Provides links to information on 37 magazines and journals and is involved in a number of other projects that aim to raise awareness of the alternative media.
LitLine, line.org/links/presses.html.
A website for the independent literary community providing links to presses, organizations,
print and online journals, bookstores, and other.
Media Matters for America,
Founded in 2004, Media Matters works daily to notify activists, journalists, and the general
public about instances of conservative misinformation and provides them with the resources to
rebut false claims and to take direct action against offending media institutions. Monitors a cross
section of print, broadcast, cable, radio, and Internet media outlets for misinformation.
Native American Authors, .org/div/natam/
Provides information on Native North American authors with bibliographies of their published
works, biographical information, and link to online resources. Can browse by author, title, or
tribe. A project of ipl2, a merger of the Internet Public Library and the Librarians’ Internet Index.
New America Media,
A website from Pacific News Service, New America Media is the largest collaboration of ethnic
news organizations. It is “dedicated to bringing voices of the marginalized—ethnic minorities, immigrants, young people, elderly—into the national discourse.” News
from ethnic communities is translated into English, including up-to-date news features, video clips, and audio programs.
NewPages.c om , pages.com
NewPages provides news, information and guides to independent book publishers and bookstores, alternative periodicals and newsweeklies, literary periodicals, independent record labels, review sources, and more.
Progressive Media Project, http://progressivemediaproject.org
Affiliated with The Progressive, Inc., the nonprofit institution that also publishes The Progressive
Magazine. The PMP bolsters the work of grassroots activists and nonprofit groups by better
communicating their views using the commentary pages of newspapers. The organization strives
to democratize and diversify the range of opinions offered to the American public.
DISTRIBUTORS
AK Press , ress.org
AK Press is a worker-run book publisher and distributor organized around anarchist principles. The press, via the website, makes available for purchase radical books and other materials from independent presses. Website can be searched by title, keyword, author, publisher, or ISBN.
Consortium Book Sales & Distribution, d.com
Distributor of more than 100 independent presses, many alternative, in the areas such as poetry, lesbian and gay studies, theater, art, Latin American studies, multicultural literature, and women’s studies. Links to profiles for each publisher are provided.
Earthprint, Hertfordshire, England, thprint.com
Launched in 1999, Earthprint is the online bookshop of the United Nations Environment
Programme. Offers publications from fourteen organizations, such as the International Institute
for Environment and Development. A central location for environmental and agricultural
publications.
Earthscan, thscan.co.uk
Earthscan is the leading publisher on climate change, sustainable development, and environmental
technology. Also publishes information on behalf of numerous national and international
organizations, such as the Centre for Alternative Technology and the Foundation for