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A treasure trove of manuscripts in Europeana Collections has lain unloved for too long. Through Europeana Manuscripts, we’ll start bringing out the best of this content and celebrating the work of the experts and institutions who are working to preserve and digitise the textual heritage that reflects our history.
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A detail of St Margaret in The Blackadder Prayerbook
The partners behind the Rise of Literacy project talk texts and give us a glimpse into how they’ll use written material from across the centuries to showcase the history of literacy in Europe.
Libraries have been cultural hubs for centuries, but with the shift toward digital publishing, the conversation has shifted to their relevance, or assertions of their waning relevance, in a digital age. However, according to Elen Haf Jones from the National Library of Wales, while the library has evolved, it holds its place as a ‘valued cultural institution that serves as the memory of a nation’.
We spoke to Dr Anette Hagan, Rare Books Curator (for early printed collections to 1700) from the National Library of Scotland about what makes libraries still relevant in a contemporary society, their value for the community, and why literacy is still important today.
Running from September 2017-February 2019, the Rise of Literacy in Europe Generic Service project explored the use of written text in European culture from the 6th to the 20th century to tell the story of literacy in Europe. Renata Šolar from the National and University Library of Slovenia discusses its achievements and why it was so important for her institution to be involved.
