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| Web Access for Manuscript-based Textual Scholarship |
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Manuscript-based textual scholarship is arguably blessed by the internet. Scholars can exchange paleographic, codicological and other philological information on listserves like MEDTEXTL. They can work in teams, examining text and digitized color photographs shared as e-mail attachments, or as files from FTP directories,in JPEG, GIF and other image formats on web pages, debating the significance of a serrif, or evidence of a trimmed manuscript page. They can exchange MIDI, MP3 and other audio files for editions interpreting manuscripts of musical scores. The distance separating team members is little relevant. In addition, textual scholars can produce critical editions on the web which would not be given due consideration by traditional publishers, not because of quality or of methodological soundness, but simply because of the money involved in producing critical editions that are fully appropriate for a variety of readers, and which take advantage of the enormous amount of relevant information available in our time. These editions will certainly enhance the reader's ability to judge the validity of an editor's choice of manuscripts or readings. To promote the increasingly possible concept of shared knowledge in medieval manuscript studies extending beyond the walls of remote and wealthy collections, The Andy Holt Virtual Library offers the following list of links, divided according to the criteria listed below. |