We are here at the beginnings of computing for literary scholars. I mean that it is a matter of mastering office tools, and adding others that will serve the study of literary facts. We had just established the Literary History Database (BDHL) at the University of Paris III. It was necessary to make it known and to develop its use. Alain Vuillemin kindly agreed to popularize our experiences.
The title, "the box in a suitcase," refers to the box conceived by Marcel Duchamp to contain the entirety of his works. See at the Centre Pompidou:
La Boîte-en-valise – Centre Pompidou
Text partially reprinted in: Henri Béhar, La Littérature et son golem, vol. I, Champion, 1996, Introduction, pp. 11-18.
See:
Pierre Muller: Databases in Literary Disciplines (epi.asso.fr)
Michel Bernard:
THE LITERARY HISTORY DATABASE (epi.asso.fr)
Literature in Electronic Resources | BnF – Institutional site
BnF Dossier:
See also Marcel Duchamp's box in a suitcase
Alain Vuillemin:
Literature and Computing (pdf)
Consult the BDHL:
BDHL: Literary History Database
See: Calame, bdhl
Thesis: Michel Bernard: Development of a Thesaurus for Thematic Indexing of Literary Works (theses.fr)