Digitization at UVic Libraries
Digitization at UVic Libraries
Recently, we digitized a series of notes and edited typescripts for Langrishe, Go Down, a novel by Aidan Higgins, first published in 1966 and later adapted for BBC television in 1978 by Harold Pinter. As I worked through scanning the many iterations of the story, I was struck by what we’ve lost to the digital era of writing and editing: insight into the author’s personality.
Our department had a meeting on Monday March 16th and we agreed that while we couldn’t take the equipment to our homes, we could do transcription work, which is typically assigned to work study students, to get us through. We identified three projects right away that could be done and I happily claimed a book from the Frank and Cecelia Sylvester Fonds (collection) in the UVic Archives that we had digitized way back in 2008 as part of the Victoria’s Early History collection.
There are few things that get a book or theatre nerd’s heart rate up faster than the words “Shakespeare Folio” so imagine my delight when I was told I’d be scanning three of them. The volumes are not owned by our institution, and there was a fair bit of behind the scenes negotiations to get them here. Once they were in the building it was our single highest priority to get them done.
How does one scan a 21-foot scroll from the 15th century? Carefully, in short sections which are then digitally stitched together to form a whole representation of the original. In total there were 13 scans of the front of the scroll and one to capture the text on the reverse at the foot of the scroll (seen in the photo above). The original scroll is comprised of “9 membranes [of parchment] attached by glue” and they vary slightly in size.
Apologies for the clickbait title but I wanted your attention to turn to this wonderful resource we’ve been able to add to the Libraries digital collection with the help of the Victoria Police Historical Society. The Victoria Police Department Charge Books collection includes several charge books, a complaint book, and three mugshot books from the late 1800s and early 1900s.
A slight detour from what happens in my job, I wanted to highlight a workshop that was organized and hosted recently by UVic Special Collections: An Introduction to Bookbinding with Joan Byers (Canadian Bookbinding and Book Arts Guild), a “two hour talk and workshop on the physical aspects of books,” plus the opportunity to try our hand at making two pamphlets.