We are pleased to announce the launch of Stanford University Libraries and Academic Information Resources' (SULAIR) Dime Novels Full Text online collection, which provides scholars with the complete text of one hundred issues from one of our collection's series, Secret Service. This new collection is available at:
http://collections.stanford.edu/dimenovels/
The Dime Novels Full Text online collection was created as a part of SULAIR's ongoing program to produce and acquire digital library collections. The Digital Production Group (DPG), a unit of Digital Library Systems and Services, provides project management, consultation, and system development services in support of efforts to digitize and reformat library materials.
The Dime Novels issues that comprise this online collection were selected to study perceptions of race and conflict in turn-of-the-century America where Asian, Native American, or African American characters are often the chosen antagonists. The Secret Service series was a 32-page weekly magazine of detective stories featuring Old and Young King Brady, a world-renowned team of United States Secret Service agents.
The pair run the Brady Detective Bureau in New York City and, with the help of Alice, their able office assistant, they track down criminals across the globe. Wall Street swindles and opium rings based in Chinatown are principal plot devices. Miscellaneous material at the back of later issues included a current events column, short stories, and numerous advertisements. Cover illustrations sometimes recorded current events (e.g., the 1906 San Francisco fire and earthquake), as well as notable markers of contemporary society, such as the Statue of Liberty and the New York City subway. The series was published from 1899 through 1925.
This project was made possible due to the collaboration and combined expertise of SULAIR's Special Collections, Humanities Digital Information Service (HDIS) and DLSS staff. Many thanks to everyone involved for working together to make the fruits of this project available so quickly!
