From 1 January 2009 the Annual Egyptological Bibliography will be located in the Griffith Institute, Faculty of Oriental Studies, University of Oxford. Most users will be aware that the AEB has been based in the Netherlands from its inception in 1947. The primary reason for the move is that it has proved impossible to continue publishing the AEB under the current setup. Funding by the University of Leiden will cease by the end 2008, and no alternative funding could be found. We are therefore very happy that the University of Oxford stepped into the breach and offered to take over responsibility for the AEB. The move is supported by a major grant from the University's John Fell Fund.
It will take time before the move to Oxford is completed. For a while certain elements, notably the web-server, will remain in the Netherlands. For the next two years, the current editor, Willem Hovestreydt, will continue to work from there as well. Queries about subscriptions and related matters should be addressed to him at willem.hovestreydt@orinst.ox.ac.uk. During the first half of 2009 Oxford will take over the handling of subscriptions and site access. All subscriptions to the website will be automatically extended until a new subscription system is brought online in early 2009. For individuals this will be based on credit card payments through the web. Institutional subscriptions will continue to be handled through invoices as they now are. For the first half of 2009 the website remains at www.aebnet.nl. A redirect to there will be set up at Oxford, at the address of the planned site.
The move to Oxford will bring changes in format as well. The name Annual Egyptological Bibliography will change to Online Egyptological Bibliography (OEB). This does not mean that the AEB will simply continue under another name. A major addition to the database will be Christine Beinlich-Seeber's Bibliographie Altaegypten 1822-1946. Other enhancements will include elimination of current backlogs and incorporation of new titles on a rolling basis.
Publication of the AEB in annual printed volumes will cease. This means that all standing orders for the printed AEB are cancelled. Subscribers to the paper edition are strongly encouraged to subscribe to the online service.
The move to Oxford means that the OEB will have the benefit of a more stable institutional environment. We have the fullest confidence in a bright future.
Willem Hovestreydt
Editor, Annual Egyptological Bibliography/
Online Egyptological Bibliography
John Baines
Griffith Institute, Faculty of Oriental Studies, University of Oxford
James P. Allen
President, International Association of Egyptologists