Penn brings Philadelphia’s rare manuscripts to the world | Penn Today

"Leveraging the University’s expertise with technology and rare centuries-old manuscripts, Penn Libraries is digitizing and cataloging medieval and early modern texts from 15 Philadelphia-area institutions. The three-year project is known as BiblioPhilly.

On the second shelf, fifth from the left, sits a reddish box labeled “Missale * Lewis E 160,” one of hundreds of volumes locked behind glass doors in a rare manuscripts room at the Free Library of Philadelphia. “This is it,” says Allison Freyermuth, head of the Rare Book Department. Pulling it carefully from the bookcase and placing it on a red velvet-covered table, she opens the box. Inside is a leather-bound book, a bit worn on the edges. Not surprising, since it is 500 years old. An illuminated manuscript of gospels, dated 1525, written in Latin, two hand-lettered columns fill each parchment page, save those with hand-painted scenes in jewel tones and flashes of gold. “It’s actually quite beautiful, this one,” she says. The medieval manuscript is one of seven that will be packed in custom-made boxes on this July day, preparing them for a trip to the University of Pennsylvania. There, each will go through a complex digitization process at Penn Libraries, allowing the world to see what has for centuries been visible to relatively few...."