Oxford University and the Vatican put ancient texts online

The University of Oxford’s Bodleian Libraries and the Vatican Libraries will collaborate to bring ancient texts into the digital era.

The project aims to open up repositories of ancient texts and make a selection of these remarkable treasures freely available online to researchers and the general public worldwide.

The libraries will create digitised copies of approximately 1.5 million pages over four years. The text will centre on three subject areas: Greek manuscripts, 15th-century printed books (incunabula) and Hebrew manuscripts and early printed books.

Sarah Thomas, Bodley's Librarian, said: “Transforming these ancient texts and images into digital form helps transcend the limitations of time and space which have in the past restricted access to knowledge. Scholars will be able to interrogate these documents in fresh approaches as a result of their online availability. Today's world (and tomorrow's) is one of global connectedness.”

The initiative has been made possible by a £2 million award from the Polonsky Foundation, whose founder, Dr Leonard Polonksy, has previously supported the Bodleian's library digitisation initiatives.

Dr. Polonsky said: “21st-century technology provides the opportunity for collaborations between cultural institutions in the way they manage, disseminate and make available for research the information, knowledge and expertise they hold.”