| Digital Library of Islamic Manuscripts Online |
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| Written by Princeton University | |
| Sunday, 22 March 2009 | |
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Princeton, New Jersey - Princeton University has placed a new digital library of 200 Islamic manuscripts online for scholars to consult and study. The digital library is a major component of the Islamic Manuscripts Cataloging and Digitization Project, begun in 2005 with the generous support of the David A. Gardner '69 Magic Project. Eventually, all of the manuscripts will be cataloged online, which involves creating bibliographic records containing basic descriptive information that helps researchers decide whether to order microform copies or to visit the library in person. "The Islamic Manuscripts Cataloging and Digitization Project was conceived specifically as a way for the library to improve access to these rich collections and share them worldwide through digital technology," Skemer said. "It is hoped that the project will make a contribution to international understanding and serve as a gesture of good will to a critical part of the world." Michael Cook, the Class of 1943 University Professor of Near Eastern Studies and one of the leading Islamicists in America, said, "Princeton has 9,500 Islamic manuscripts in Arabic and other languages in a location that is very convenient for scholars based in North America, but far less so for those based in the Islamic world or Europe. Most of the collection is described in printed catalogs, and scholars can always obtain microfilms of the manuscripts. But the printed catalogs are old and not available everywhere, while microfilms often provide images of poor quality. The online digital library thus marks a major advance in providing up-to-date descriptions of the manuscripts to anyone who can log onto the Web, and in making at least some of the manuscripts available online in fine-quality digital images." Approximately two-thirds of the manuscripts were donated to the University in 1942 by Robert Garrett, a member of Princeton's class of 1897. But the library has continued to build this collection since then. |
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The digital library includes this Arabic botanical manuscript from the 15th century that is from the Robert Garrett Collection donated to the University in 1942.