Digital libraries of Bodleian and Biblioteca

digital libraries

Recently The Bodleian Libraries at the University of Oxford and the Biblioteca Apostolica Vaticana (BAV) intends to make a digital format from 1.5 million pieces of ancient texts and provide it free of charge via the Internet.

Libraries of Bodleian and Biblioteca are released digital collection will focus on three things: Greek manuscripts, printed books of the 15th century and the Jews manuscripts, as well as printed books from the early days.

As quoted from MSNBC (April 12, 2012), approximately two-thirds of the material obtained from the Biblioteca Apostolica Vaticana and the rest were collected from the Bodleian Libraries. Digitization effort is said to be useful for researchers because it brings together a range of materials that have been separated for centuries.

"Changing this ancient text and images into digital format can help to overcome the limits of time and space that used to be an obstacle in the search for knowledge," said the Bodleian librarian, Sarah Thomas.

"The scholars will be able to interrogate these documents with a fresh approach because of online availability," he added.