Durham Priory Library Recreated, an exciting collaborative digitization project between Durham University and Durham Cathedral, has been launched. The project aims to create an online, digital version of Durham Cathedral’s Priory Library, which is Britain’s best preserved medieval and Renaissance monastic library and a collection of international significance. With around 480 manuscript volumes dating from the sixth century and 110 pre-1540 printed books, the Durham Priory Library includes masterpieces of calligraphy and illumination that shed light on European historical and textual traditions, calligraphic practices and patterns of use through this period.

By re-uniting the entire collection for the first time since its dispersal due to the Dissolution in 1539, Durham University and Durham Cathedral hope that the project will encourage a surge of related academic research and activity, leading to both a better understanding of the life of Durham’s priory and also fresh insights into evolving intellectual, religious and artistic trends over the centuries.

Find further information about the project through the following media:

• A Project Notice (PDF available here) which summarises the initiative and provides contact details of relevant University and Cathedral staff for enquiries and expressions of interest / support;
• The project website: www.durhampriory.ac.uk. We will be adding further information and functionality to the website as the project progresses;
• A Demonstration Site (http://iiif.durham.ac.uk/DurhamPrioryLibrary.html) where images of the manuscripts digitized so far can be accessed by clicking anywhere on the screen;
• A video profiling the Durham Priory Library Recreated project: https://youtu.be/mRqcXrgiUUU. The video features Professor Faith Wallis, a Visiting Fellow from McGill University, Canada;
• An example of news coverage generated by our recent project launch.

The link to the project website will be added to the “Useful Links” page in the Resources section of our website!

The Virtual St. Stephen’s Project, at the University of York in the UK, is an ongoing AHRC-funded interdisciplinary research project on St Stephen’s Chapel, Westminster as a building and institution from 1292-1941. Below, please find a message from the Project’s team:

Ever wondered how a medieval palace chapel was built?  St Stephen’s Chapel, Westminster (constructed 1292-1363) was one of the most influential buildings of its age, and extensive records of its creation survive in the National Archives, London.  From 21^st November 2015, we will be using Twitter to post a live feed of a whole year of the chapel’s building accounts (1323-24) in real time.  It will be updated twice weekly, showing details of materials, workmen and techniques which give a unique glimpse into the world of medieval building.

Follow us at https://twitter.com/SSC_Live.

This Twitter feed forms part of the Virtual St Stephen’s Project based at the University of York, a facet of the wider AHRC-funded interdisciplinary project St Stephen’s Chapel, Westminster: Visual & Political Culture 1292-1941.  The accounts we are using are being transcribed and translated for publication as a critical edition by Dr Maureen Jurkowski and Prof. Tim Ayers.  This project is generously funded by the Leverhulme Trust.

http://www.virtualststephens.org.uk/

https://www.leverhulme.ac.uk/awards-made/awards-focus/building-accounts-st-stephens-chapel-palace-westminster-1292-1366

Columbia Med-Ren will include the above-cited links in the Resources section of our website.

A wonderful new resource designed to explore the urban soundscapes of Andalusia from c. 1200-1800 is available at http://www.historicalsoundscapes.com/#/en. Check it out — it’s fascinating!

The Hill Museum and Manuscript Library has launched vHMML (virtual Hill Museum & Manuscript Library) <http://www.vhmml.org/>, and it is an excellent new resource for the study of manuscripts in their collection, which will now be available to peruse online. In addition, vHMML has many other resources: instruction in Latin and Syriac scripts in School<http://www.vhmml.org/school>, Latin and Syriac annotated images in Folio<http://folio.as.uky.edu/>, answers to terminological questions in Lexicon<http://vhmml.org/lexicon>, and bibliography in Reference<http://vhmml.org/reference> (exportable to Zotero, and with links to digital versions in archive.org).

vHMML is constantly being updated, and it looks like an amazing resource. We’ve put the link in the resources section of our website!