Wouldn’t it be nice if we could just download manuscripts as PDF’s, rather than go through the gruesome and expensive process of obtaining whatever rubbish the libraries feel like selling us?
Last week I wrote to Google suggesting that they do a project to make medieval manuscripts accessible. We all know how difficult archives make it for us to access texts in this form! Today I got a reply:
Hello Roger,
Thanks for your email and interest in Google Book Search.
I appreciate you taking the time to offer us this feedback about including ancient and medieval texts. I have passed along your email to the other members of my team. As this is still a young program, new ideas are under consideration and your feedback is very helpful. Please continue to share your suggestions with us.
Sincerely,
Tom
The Google Book Search Team
Interesting to know that Google DO reply. If you’d like to see Google take an interest in getting text-only manuscripts online, why not tell them so?
I just got this information from a notable archaeologist in Alexandria. We are collaborating on a project and I have only cited the part of his letter than might interest you. He writes:
Bear also in mind that the Patriarchal Library in Alexandria, that has recently been re-arranged has some 600 codex dating from the XIth to the XVIIth cent. most are unpublished.