Ten Million Manuscripts: manuscript programmes opens the vault

Why this session?

Manuscripts are more than a number to digitise. Their scripts, materials, owners and meanings require patient care before an image can serve a reader.

In today's global context

Libraries across the world are opening manuscript collections while reconsidering ownership and access. Shared methods can support discovery without stripping context.

Ten questions to explore

1. Where should a manuscript survey begin?
2. How can owners participate in decisions?
3. What condition checks precede imaging?
4. Which metadata helps future readers?
5. How should scripts and languages be represented?
6. What access restrictions may be appropriate?
7. Who corrects catalogue errors?
8. How can local scholars join the work?
9. What preservation follows digitisation?
10. How should international partners share benefit?

Key outcomes we hope to shape

• A manuscript stewardship pathway
• Questions for equitable digitisation partnerships

We welcome nominations from manuscript custodians, librarians, palaeographers and digital archivists and others with relevant experience. Speaker nominations are open.