RCL: Subjects
RUSSIAN AND EASTERN EUROPEAN LANGUAGES AND LITERATURES The treatment of Slavic languages and literatures at the undergraduate level traditionally focuses on an introductory study of the language and the classic literary works of major authors. The selections in this section are intended to support such programs. BCL3 focused on Russian language literature and language. To some extent, this was a necessity, as much of the literature available in English translation at the time was by Russian authors. However, political changes have increased interest in the other regions and the availability of English translations of their literary works. Selections were made with the intention of providing broader coverage of the literature of the region in English translation. A larger number of titles have been selected to provide a better overview of the literary development of all the countries of the region. In selecting titles for RCL, we have also included bilingual dictionaries and grammars for each of the languages of the region, many of which were lacking from BCL3. The coverage of classic Russian literature was especially thorough in BCL3 and users are referred to that volume for a more comprehensive list of Russian titles to support larger programs. RCL provides an update and supplement to what had been listed in BCL3. Electronic resources present a unique set of considerations. Along with the usual concerns of authority and longevity, other issues including breadth and quality of coverage are also issues. There are a number of excellent websites and databases available for literature and languages in general which are not listed in this section, as they are not primarily focused on Slavic materials. Some are fee-based sources such as questia.com, ebrary or NetLibrary.com. Others, like Project Gutenberg (http://www.gutenberg.org/browse/loccs/pg) and YourDictionary (http://www.yourdictionary.com/languages/slavic.html) are freely available. Sites that are specific to Slavic literatures, authors or languages have been included in those cases where they include quality translations of major works or major linguistic resources. Portals such as RUSSNET, with links to a variety of language resources have also been included when the authority was clear. One other category of generalized website, those for the "less commonly taught languages" are also included here. New editions of older works have been included for the most important literary works and where a new translation or interpretive content is available. Norton Critical editions of the literatures of the region, even in older editions will remain. Their unique critical content along with the excellent selection of translations continues to make these editions especially valuable. Many of the new releases, both critical texts and literatures of the region, are being published in electronic book formats and are widely available. Émigré publications are not included with one exception, the inclusion of major publications by an author before his or her emigration. Return to Subject List