Over the past 20 years, the world has been increasingly defined by the digital with practices around the preservation and accessibility of historical manuscripts undergoing remarkable transformations. Manuscript digitization projects have flourished, offering scholars, researchers, and the curious public unprecedented access to ancient texts and artifacts.

However, the question persists: which manuscripts are chosen for digitization, and why?

In this lecture, Dot Porter (University of Pensylvania) will delve into the heart of manuscript digitization, presenting a thorough examination of the selection processes that drive the prioritization of certain manuscripts over others. By analyzing data from various digitization projects and comparing them to the contents of manuscript catalogs, Porter seeks to unveil the intricate dynamics of the digital manuscript divide and the questions surrounding it:

What are the factors that influence the choices made by museums, libraries, and archives in their digitization efforts?

Are there discernible patterns?

Are specific institutions or types of collections more likely to be digitized?

Porter will also navigate the evolving landscape of digitized manuscripts and the ethical implications of digitization and attempt to shed light on the criteria, motivations, and complexities behind the selection of manuscripts for digitization, ultimately uncovering the underlying forces that shape our access to the treasures of the past.

This is a hybrid lecture, co-sponsored by the Central New York Humanities Corridor and the Rossell Hope Robbins Library. Please register for Zoom attendance.