Baltic Research Handbook

Project by Maira Bundza
Associate Professor and Reference Librarian
Western Michigan University

WHAT

The Baltic countries of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania are an interesting topic for research both historically and currently, as they regain their footing after 50 years of occupation by the Soviet Union. Information on the countries and their peoples can be found in libraries, archives and museums throughout the world. The Baltic Research Handbook aims to provide an overview of the collections and resources available for researching this topic.

FOR WHOM

This handbook is meant mainly for researchers outside of the Baltic countries interested in the area. There is a new generation of researchers developing, as seen at the most recent Association for the Advancement of Baltic Studies conference. Another new field of research is the Baltic émigré (or sometimes called diaspora) communities outside of the Baltic countries in the rest of Europe, North America and Australia, with a few smaller communities in South America. This project will work with the Baltic Heritage Network to support these researchers.

WHEN

I plan on working on this handbook in 2010-12. I hope to get sabbatical time for the summer of 2012, to visit all three Baltic countries, get my last questions answered, and put together a manuscript.