The Library's resources for the study of history and political developments in the Czech Lands and Slovakia are generally very good. They cover all periods and include a good number of English-language materials. A recently published bibliography shows more than 5,000 items (books, essays, articles, dissertations) written in English on the subject of Czech and Slovak history.

There are items of exceptional value in this area, including some that are unique in the United States. For the study of Czech and Slovak politics before World War I (when both the Czech Lands and Slovakia were parts of the Austro-Hungarian Empire), the Library offers excellent documentation: the almost complete stenographic protocols of the Vienna parliament (Reichsrat) in the years 1861-1918 preserved on microfilm. The recorded proceedings include verbatim speeches of prominent politicians. The set consists of 220 microfilm reels, and is well indexed. Related to this are the stenographic protocols of the Bohemian Diet for the years 1868-1908 (20 reels).

The political development of Czechoslovakia in the years 1918-1938 is documented in two microfilmed collections:

• the stenographic protocols of the Czechoslovak Parliament
  (46 reels; record 1 record2)
• the Czechoslovak Budget (33 reels).

Particularly valuable information about Czech and Slovak history and culture is stored in 19th-century periodicals, of which the Library has long runs of some of the most prominent titles.

On the Slovak side, the Library has microfilmed copies of:

• Pešťbudínske vedomosti, the first Slovak political newspaper, published in Budapest, 1861-65.
• Národnie noviny, the most important Slovak newspaper of the 19th century, 1871-1922.
• Slovenské pohľady, historically important review documenting Slovak literary developments before World War I.

For the Czech Lands, the Library has:

• Časopis Musea království Českého, the cultural review established in 1827 and in the early stages edited by František Palacký, the founder of modern Czech historiography (the Library has holdings of this valuable review throughout the entire 19th century; they were acquired in 1904 when the Library bought the library of the noted Czech linguist Prof. Martin Hattala).
• The monthly Naše doba (editor T. G. Masaryk, published 1893-1938).
• The microfilmed holdings of the German-language newspaper, Prager Presse (1921-38, 47 reels).