American Studies Network
Connecting knowledges
About ASN
The American Studies Network (ASN) is a group of European centers involved in American Studies. The idea of a network of centers arose during the European Association for American Studies (EAAS) meeting in London in April, 1990. The ASN was founded in November, 1990 in Berlin at a meeting of interested directors of American Studies centers. The initial group of eight members has expanded to include 13 institutions from all over Europe and is now welcoming associated members from outside of Europe. All members take an interdisciplinary approach to American Studies; are independent organizations with some of their own sources of funding, not exclusively linked to a university; have some research facilities; and are committed to a role of public service to the community at large. ASN works in close association with the EAAS.
Our work
ASN’s goals are to promote the study of the United States by close cooperation of the different institutions interested in this area of study. The ASN exists to provide mutual support for all the centers involved, help channel the flow of information on resources among the mem bers and the community, establish joint projects that will increase cooperation and productivity and thus integrate the European studies of America. The ASN is willing to act as an advisory group to encourage the development of American Studies.
One of the key activities of the ASN is the networking of resources and information such as the availability of visiting scholars for lecturing at the different institutions. Through different means of communication, the ASN hopes to make available to members the library resources of each center and establish an interlibrary loan. Another goal is that of promoting the exchange of scholars and students of the different centers. One of the specific ASN projects is the establishment of the American Studies Network Book Prize, a prize of €500 for a remarkable book published in English by a European scholar on any aspect of American Studies. The jury for that biennial prize, presented at the EAAS conferences, is comprised of representatives from the EAAS and the ASN. The deadline for submitting books for this prize is announced on the EAAS’s website in the year preceding the EAAS conference.
