Patrick Leary is the discussion list moderator for VICTORIA, the electronic mailing list for research on the greater Victorian period (ca. 1800‐World War I). VICTORIA is one of the most active lists with which I have ever participated, with numerous daily postings in the form of questions, responses, announcements, and the like from professors, students, independent researchers, writers, and Victoriaphiles. While the information predominantly focuses on nineteenth‐century literature, from Austen to Wilde and everyone in‐between, there is often discussion related to Victorian art and culture in general. It has proven a vital resource for me numerous times both in the valuable information discussed and offered.
Leary also manages the Victoria Research Web, the Web site which accompanies the discussion list. The author has assisted researchers by compiling a series of links to information related to a variety of topics associated with Victorian studies. This page itself is organized very simply with a list of titles and links to specific sections within these pages.
The “archival sources” page provides guides to the literature, genealogical sources, as well as annotated listings of major research centers that house Victorian‐related manuscripts. The “libraries and bibliographies” page provides detailed information on published bibliographies, services, products, and databases available for research on the Victorian period. This page also has unique information on using the new British Library and a selection of book reviews online.
The page on “planning the research trip” provides excellent resources for doing hands‐on research in the UK. The “journals” page provides submission and subscription information on the major Victorian‐themed journals. The page entitled “discussion” gives information on Victorian‐related mailing lists and how to subscribe to them. Many of these lists are electronic, including VICTORIA. The “teaching” page provides syllabuses and text suggestions contributed by professors in Victorian classes, with encouragement for future contributions. The last page offers a series of related research links to sites on the Internet.
While there is no search engine to the entire site, it is arranged in a very logical manner and can be browsed. There is a search engine for the VICTORIA list, however; and this is a wonderful feature. You have the option of browsing week by week through postings since February 1993, or you can choose the search engine option which will do a keyword search of all postings since the first. If you recall the specific subject line or an individual who may have sent a posting, the search engine allows you to search with these parameters available. The search engine works quickly and seems accurate, although, with over six years of information archived, one cannot expect perfection.
The information provided on the Victoria Research Web is a researcher’s dream. It encapsulates almost everything a researcher needs to know in order to start Victorian studies work in their local library or on site in the UK. It is geared toward both the novice and expert scholar. Having used the VICTORIA list many times in the past, I can vouch for its importance in Victorian research. I encourage all librarians who have patrons studying in this area to bookmark this page and recommend it to everyone. It will be a useful guide and resource for their entire academic career.
