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Abstract

Juan Garcés
British Library Manuscripts 2.0

The British Library has initiated several pilot projects in preparation for a mass digitisation of the Mediaeval and pre-Mediaeval manuscripts in its Western Manuscripts collections. This planned mass-digitisation will not only transform the way readers will experience the British Library's manuscripts, but also lead to an extension of the underlying service architecture. In addition, this endeavour will lead to the creation of an engagement environment for the digital surrogates that reflects existing and anticipated activities relating to digitised manuscripts.
After introducing this scenario, this presentation will address three resulting issues:
  1. the integration of existing and developing digital resources relevant to the British Library's manuscripts
  2. the facilitation of user-generated content
  3. the extension and transformation of the Library's existing services landscape.
While this presentation will be of a conceptual nature, it will use the British Library's Greek papyri collection as a concrete example. This group of manuscripts has the double advantage of being small but sufficiently complex, on the one hand, and supported by a well-organised, active, and technologically knowledgeable research community, on the other.



Bielefeld University Library - last update: 13/01/2009