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Information about The Digital Karl Barth Library
  Release 5:   November, 2008.
1. Introduction - a description of the contents of the database and its purpose.
2. Editorial Policy - detailed criteria used in selecting materials.
3. Editorial Advisors - scholars who have helped in the construction of the database.
4. Errata - known typographical and software errors to be fixed next release.
5. Release Notes - notes on this version.
6. Software Requirements - notes on which browsers are supported.
7. Technical Support - whom to contact for technical support.
8. Subscription and Free Trial Information - how to get a subscription or a trial.
9. License Agreement - licensing terms and conditions.
10. Acknowledgements - charter customers and individuals who contributed.
11. Copyright Statement - copyright terms and conditions.
12. Archiving - how this material is preserved for the future.
13. Cataloging Records - what kind of MARC records will be available for this collection.

1.    An Introduction to The Digital Karl Barth Library

In association with the Theologischer Verlag Zürich (TVZ) and Princeton Theological Seminary, Alexander Street Press is pleased to offer students and scholars this unprecedented digital resource. Combining comprehensiveness with a carefully crafted set of text-analysis tools, The Digital Karl Barth Library will support innovative research into the works of one of the twentieth century's most influential theologians.

The collection features the entire corpus of Barth's Gesamtausgabe. Published under the TVZ imprint, this definitive edition of Barth's works in German currently comprises more than 40 volumes of sermons, letters, lectures, conversations, and academic writings. Also slated for inclusion in The Digital Karl Barth Library is Barth's magnum opus, the 14-volume Kirchliche Dogmatik. These works have been made available to Alexander Street Press through a special licensing arrangement with the TVZ.

The origins of the project date to a grant awarded to Princeton Theological Seminary in 2000 by the Lilly Endowment, Inc. for the purpose of preserving and compiling the works of Karl Barth. Working closely with the TVZ, Princeton Theological Seminary used the grant to digitize many of the texts that are now being made available on the Alexander Street Press platform.

Content will be added to The Digital Karl Barth Library through quarterly releases. Although initial releases will focus on German-language content, Alexander Street Press plans to pursue licensing arrangements that will allow for the eventual inclusion of English translations of selected works by Barth. Working in concert with Princeton Theological Seminary and the TVZ, Alexander Street also plans to add digitized photographs, audio files, and other archival content prior to project completion. The combination of definitive German-language editions, scholarly English translations, and extensive archival content—all available in a coherent, searchable online collection— will make The Digital Karl Barth Library a uniquely valuable resource for anyone who wishes to explore the life, thought, and historical context of this extraordinary theologian.

Every document in The Digital Karl Barth Library is hand-keyed and features metadata tagging specifically designed to meet the research needs of religious-studies scholars. The same dedication to scholarly research has guided the development of Alexander Street's search and presentation platform, which enables users to perform highly sophisticated searches and to view, organize, and analyze results with extraordinary speed and precision. For example, researchers can return comprehensive, accurate results in seconds for the following kinds of queries:

  • Find all references to Hitler in Barth's letters;
  • In Barth's academic writings, identify words that occur most frequently in close proximity with the keyword λογος;
  • Locate instances where Barth discusses tribulation and suffering in his sermons;
  • Searching all Barth's works, find all citations of Romans, chapter one.

Our goal is to provide resources that open new avenues of research for the next generation of scholars. We welcome your comments and suggestions as we strive to accomplish that goal.

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2.   Editorial Policy

Content for the initial releases of The Digital Karl Barth Library has been provided by the TVZ and Princeton Theological Seminary, based on digitization efforts funded by the original Lilly Endowment grant. XML transcriptions have been created using the scholarly editions of Barth's works published by the TVZ. As the TVZ continues publication of Barth's Gesamtausgabe, future volumes in this series will be digitized and added to the electronic collection, typically with a one-year lag between print publication and upload of the electronic version. Selection of English translations will be guided by our editorial advisors and is subject to requisite licensing arrangements. Editorial advisors will also assist Alexander Street Press in the selection and acquisition of archival materials that will help us make the database as rich and multi-faceted a resource as possible.

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3. Editorial Board

The following scholars advise Alexander Street Press on an ongoing basis and have been instrumental in the creation of The Digital Karl Barth Library.

Niklaus Peter studied theology in Basel, Berlin, and Princeton. Having written his Ph.D. thesis on Franz Overbeck, he has since published numerous articles on the theologian and has served as co-editor of Franz Overbeck: Werke und Nachlass. Dr. Peter has held positions as Lecturer on the History of Theology at the University of Basel and as Chaplain at the University of Bern. From 2000 to 2004 he was Director of the Theologischer Verlag Zürich. A member of the Karl Barth Foundation, Dr. Peter co-edits and contributes to the journal Reformatio and writes for the Neue Zürcher Zeitung. He has been pastor of Zürich's Fraumünster Church since 2004.

Hans-Anton Drewes studied theology in Bonn, Zürich, and Tübingen, where he received his Ph.D. in 1979. Dr. Drewes has worked as a Research Associate at the Institute for Hermeneutics of the Faculty of Protestant Theology at the University of Tübingen and as an editor of the journal Zeitschrift für Theologie und Kirche. The editor of multiple volumes of Karl Barth's Gesamtausgabe, he has served as the Director of the Karl Barth Archive in Basel since 1997.

Clifford B. Anderson is the Curator of Special Collections at Princeton Theological Seminary. He received his M.Div. from Harvard Divinity School and his Ph.D. in Systematic Theology from Princeton Theological Seminary. He has published articles about Karl Barth in such journals as American Journal of Theology and Philosophy, Cultural Encounters, and Zeitschrift für dialektische Theologie.

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4.   Errata

Our goal is to have no errors in this database.   Please report any errors by sending an e-mail to Editor@AlexanderStreet.com.

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5.   Release Notes

This release of The Digital Karl Barth Library features Die kirchliche Dogmatik and its translation in English, The Church Dogmatics, in their entirety. Also included are volumes 1-43 of Barth's Gesamtausgabe, seven additional works in German, and English translations of thirteen important texts by Barth. New content will be added on a quarterly basis.

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6.   Software Requirements

The Digital Karl Barth Library is optimized to operate with Netscape Navigator Version 1.2 or higher or Microsoft Internet Explorer 2.0 or higher. 

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7.   Technical Support

You can contact us by:

When reporting a problem please include your customer name, e-mail address, phone number, domain name or IP address and that of your web proxy server, if used.

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8.   Subscription and Free Trial Information

The Digital Karl Barth Library is available for one-time purchase of perpetual access or as an annual subscription. Please contact us at sales@alexanderstreet.com if you wish to begin a subscription or to request a free 30-day trial.

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9.   License Agreement

1. THE PARTIES: "Customer" means the person(s) and/or organization that have ordered or are taking a trial of the Product(s) as listed in Appendix A. The location listed in Appendix A is the "Site." "ASP" means Alexander Street Press, LLC, whose registered offices are situated at 3212 Duke Street, Alexandria, Virginia 22314. "IP" means the owners of copyright in the original materials that form part of the Product(s).

2. USER LICENSE: This Agreement constitutes a non-exclusive, non-transferable license to use the Product(s) listed in Appendix B. The Product(s) include(s) the data, any accompanying search and retrieval software, the documentation, and any accompanying tapes or disks.

3. AUTHORIZED USE: Subject to the restrictions contained in Article 5 below, the Customer is hereby granted a non-exclusive license to use the Product(s) in a way that is consistent with U.S. Fair Use Provisions and international law, and to make limited numbers of hard or electronic copies for research, education, or other non-commercial use only; for more extended use, the Customer must obtain prior consent in writing from ASP or the relevant IP.

The Customer's rights are limited to itself alone and do not extend to subsidiary or parent corporations, or to any other related or affiliated organizations. Any rights not expressly granted in this license are reserved to ASP.

4. RESTRICTIONS: The Customer may not decompile or reverse engineer the Product(s); modify or create a derivative work; remove, obscure, or modify copyright notices; sell, distribute, or commercially exploit the Product(s); or transfer, assign, or sublicense this license.

5. AUTHORIZED USERS: Authorized Users are the Customer's currently enrolled full- or part-time students, employees, faculty, staff, affiliated researchers, distance learners, visiting scholars, and walk-in patrons who are physically present at the Site. The Product(s) may be used by the licensed number of simultaneous users for which the Customer has paid.

6. DELIVERY / ACCESS: The Product(s) will be stored at one or more locations in digital form. If the Customer has paid for an annual Web subscription, Authorized Users will be granted access to these location(s). If the Customer has purchased perpetual access to the Product(s), ASP will provide the Customer with the data contained in the Product(s) on a CD-ROM or magnetic tape, which the Customer can either archive or load onto a local server to be accessed by the Customer's search and retrieval software.

7. CUSTOMER SUPPORT: ASP will offer reasonable levels of continuing support via email, phone, or fax, during normal business hours, for feedback, problem-solving, or general questions. Any technical assistance that ASP may provide to the Customer is provided at the sole risk of the Customer. The Customer shall name one (1) technical support staff person (listed in Appendix A).

8. PRICING AND TERM: The price of the Product(s) and term of use are specified in a separate agreement letter and may be renegotiated periodically. ASP will provide web access at the start of the term for which the Customer has paid the initial subscription fee. The term will be extended to all periods for which the Customer has paid. In the event that ASP and the Customer mutually agree to an updated version of this Agreement, the updated version shall replace this version. ASP reserves the right to cease offering the Customer the opportunity to renew a subscription.

9. PRODUCT UPDATES: The Customer will receive updates to the Product(s) for which the appropriate fee has been paid. If the Customer fails to comply with any of its responsibilities under this Agreement, the Customer may be denied any and all future updates, without precluding ASP from seeking any other remedies

10. PERFORMANCE: ASP will use reasonable efforts to ensure that its servers have sufficient capacity and rate of connectivity to provide the Customer with a quality of service comparable to current standards in the online information provision industry in the Customer's locale. ASP will use reasonable efforts to provide continuous service with an average of 28 days of up-time per month. Scheduled down-time will be performed at low-usage times.

11. LIMITATION OF WARRANTIES AND LIABILITY: ASP warrants that any tape or disk licensed hereunder is free from defects in materials and workmanship under normal use. ASP will replace defective tapes and disks free of charge upon their return to ASP. This will be ASP's and the IP's entire liability with respect to this license. ASP and the IPs warrant and represent that they have the right to enter into this Agreement and to deliver the Product(s) "as is."

These warranties are in lieu of any and all other warranties, written or oral, express or implied, including without limitation, warranties of merchantability of fitness for a particular purpose, all of which ASP disclaims. In no event will ASP be liable for more than the license fee paid (whether such liability arises from breach of warranty, breach of this contract or otherwise, and whether in contract or in tort, including negligence and strict liability).

12. TERMINATION: If the Customer breaches any term of this Agreement, ASP may, in addition to its other legal rights and remedies, terminate this license on 7 days written notice to Customer, if Customer has not remedied the breach within the 7 days. Upon any termination, the Customer will forthwith return to ASP the Product(s) and all copies thereof, and will erase all electronic storage of copies of the Product(s). Any termination, whether or not pursuant to this Article 13, will not affect any obligation or liability of a party arising prior to termination, and the provisions of Articles 12 will survive any termination.

13. FORCE MAJEURE: Neither ASP nor the IP will be responsible for any delay or failure in performance resulting from any cause beyond their control.

14. APPLICABLE LAW: This Agreement will be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of Virginia without giving effect to the principles of conflict of laws thereof, and to the extent permitted by applicable law, the Customer consents to the jurisdiction of courts situated in Virginia in any action arising under this Agreement.

15. DISPUTE RESOLUTION: If any differences arise between the Customer and ASP relating to the meaning of this Agreement, the parties agree to resolve such differences through Arbitration or by any other means to which the two parties may agree.

16. INDEMNIFICATION: Each party shall indemnify and hold the other harmless for any losses, claims, damages, awards, penalties, or injuries incurred by any third party, including reasonable attorney's fees, which arise from any alleged breach of such indemnifying party's representations and warranties made under this Agreement, provided that the indemnifying party is promptly notified of any such claims. This indemnity shall survive the termination of this Agreement.

17. ENTIRE UNDERSTANDING: This Agreement constitutes the entire understanding of the parties and supercedes all prior communications, understandings, and agreements relating to the subject matter hereof, whether oral or written.

18. AMENDMENT: No modification or claimed waiver of any provision of this Agreement shall be valid except by written amendment signed by authorized representatives of the Customer and ASP.

19. ENFORCEABILITY BY IP: The IP retains its rights to enforce its trademarks, copyrights, patents, trade secrets, and other rights against any violation thereof.

20. SEVERABILITY: If a term or condition of this Agreement is invalid or unenforceable, the remaining terms and conditions hereof shall remain in full force and effect and shall be enforceable to the maximum extent permitted by law.

Appendix A

  • The Customer is XXXX
  • The Site is XXXXX
  • Authorized Users are the Customer's currently enrolled full-time or part-time students, employees, faculty, staff, affiliated researchers, distance learners, visiting scholars, and walk-in patrons who are physically present at the Site.
  • Nominated technical support staff is XXXXX

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10.   Acknowledgements

Our thanks to:

 

Stephen D. Crocco

James Lenox Librarian, Princeton Theological Seminary

Clifford B. Anderson

Curator of Special Collections, Princeton Theological Seminary

Niklaus Peter

Former Director, Theologischer Verlag Zürich

Marianne Stauffacher

Director, Theologischer Verlag Zürich

Hans-Anton Drewes

Director, Karl Barth Archive

James R. Adair

Director, Religion and Technology Center

Peter Cooper

VP, Product Management, Alexander Street Press

Martin Latterner

Indexer, Alexander Street Press

Pat Carlson

Production, Alexander Street Press

Zoshia Minto

Production, Alexander Street Press

Feng Chen

Software Development, Alexander Street Press

Charles Cooney

Software Development, University of Chicago

Mark Olsen

Software Development, University of Chicago

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11.   Copyright Statement

All materials in The Digital Karl Barth Library are protected under U.S. and International Copyright Law. Fair use under the law permits reproduction of single copies for personal research and private use. Further transmission, reproduction, or presentation of protected items requires the written permission of the copyright owners.

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12.   Archiving

Texts produced for The Digital Karl Barth Library are considered research materials and receive the same level of stewardship as books, paper documents, and photographs. Once complete, copies of the database will be given to all purchasing institutions, so ensuring that the materials are available to subsequent generations.

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13.   Cataloging Records

MARC records will be available for this collection at project completion. Records will point to each book, series, or manuscript. This will enable patrons to link directly from a public access catalog to all documents pertaining to that publication.

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