Virtual reunification as the future of ‘codices dispersi’: Practices and standards developed by e-codices - Virtual Manuscript Library of Switzerland

Abstract

Although the libraries and collections of Switzerland were spared the ravages of war during the 20th century, earlier wars and religious reforms often resulted in the dispersal of valuable medieval and early modern manuscripts from library collections. The advent of the online digital library has made the virtual reunification of some of these ‘codices dispersi’ on the e-codices website (www.e-codices.unifr.ch) possible. To be useful to scholars, a virtual re-unification project should make complete digital images of dispersed materials accessible to scholars as an identifiable collection or unit, provide a context for serious study, and offer participating owner libraries the opportunity to collaborate. The e-codices project team has developed tools and procedures which are used in its re-unification sub-projects, and we are alert to the opportunities offered by virtual reunification.