EVENTS

The Library of Trinity College Dublin and Trinity Centre for the Book Research Seminar hosted the Consortium of European Research Libraries (CERL) Annual Seminar on Tuesday October 4, 2022, at the Trinity Long Room Hub Arts and Humanities Research Institute. Ten years since digitisation was last the subject of a CERL Seminar, we wished to bring people together to discuss the varied challenges research libraries face in the planning and realising of internal and collaborative programmes of digitisation for cultural heritage materials.

Speakers from various international and Irish libraries commented on the state of the art of digitisation and the role of research libraries therein, presenting a variety of recent and ongoing projects. These included the Bibliothèque nationale de France, Folger Shakespeare Library, John Rylands Library, the British Library and the libraries of the National University of Ireland Galway and Royal Irish Academy.

Through the seminar we hoped to instigate a community-focussed discussion to problematise the maturing field of cultural heritage digitisation.

– 9.00: Coffee and Registration

– 9.30-10:00: Welcome and Introductions Chair: Ann-Marie Hansen, Project Manager at the Library of Trinity College Dublin

Unlocking the Fagel Collection:

• Helen Shenton, University Librarian, Trinity College Dublin
• Kristian Jensen, Chairman, Consortium of European Research Libraries

– 10:00: Session 1, Chair: Ann-Marie Hansen

• Greg Prickman, Folger Shakespeare Library: Future Imperfect: Digitizing Needs and/or Digitizing Speeds
• Laura Shanahan, Library of Trinity College Dublin: The Virtual Trinity Library: What We Have Learned So Far

– 11:00-11:30: Coffee break

– 11:30-12:30: Session 2. Chair: Arlene Healy, Digital Systems and Services (Readers’ Services Division), Library of Trinity College Dublin

• Richard Davies, British Library: Heritage Made Digital – The British Library’s Strategic Approach to Digitisation
• Anne Pasquignon, Bibliothèque nationale de France: The Digitisation of Pre-19th-Century Printed Books at the BnF: Review and Perspectives

– 12:30-14:00: Lunch

– 14:00-15:00: Lightning papers. Chair: Marian Lefferts, CERL

• Dávid Rózsa, General Director of the National Széchényi Library (NSZL): The present situation of digitisation in Hungary and in the National Széchényi Library
• Cillian Joy, University of Galway Library: Prof. Tomás Ó Máille Wax Cylinders: From Digitisation to Publishing
• Meadhbh Murphy, Royal Irish Academy: To See or Not to See: Making RIA Library Manuscripts Available on Irish Script on Screen
• Jenny Doyle, Library of Trinity College Dublin: Manuscripts for Medieval Studies: A Virtual Trinity Library Case Study

– 15:00-15:30: Tea break

– 15:30-16:30: Session 3. Chair: Lucinda Jones, KB National Library of the Netherlands

• Christopher Pressler, John Rylands University Librarian: The University of Manchester: Codices Mancuniensis: Manchester as a Source of Light in the Digital Age
• Jussi-Pekka Hakkarainen, National Library of Finland: Digitization Project of Swedish Era Literature (1488-1809). An example of transnational and local digital unification

– 16:30-17:00: Closing remarks

• Mark Faulkner, School of English, Trinity College Dublin

– 20:00: Dinner for those who have registered – Fallon & Byrne, Exchequer Street, Dublin 2. The booking is for 35 people at 8.00pm. The three course menu is €52 per person.