Manuscripts can be studied from many different angles. One should understand the historical context in which the manuscripts were written. It also is interesting to learn how manuscripts were constructed and decorated. These days, library school students should know how manuscripts are being made accessible on the Internet.

Choose the links on the left for a list of resources on a specific topic that interests you. Below are a few of the best sites for comprehensive information about Medieval Manuscripts.

Medieval Manuscript Manual -- this excellent manual was created in Budapest, Hungary. You can look at it on the web or download the entire manual. It focuses on the physical construction of manuscripts and has a good bibliography of print resources at the end. Medieval Writing -- this site produced by Dr. Diane Tillotson and her husband in Australia is somewhat clumbsily designed but extremely rich in content. Evolution of the Medieval Book -- this is a very nice site produced by the Cornell University Library. It focuses on Cornell's collection but offers a nice historical overview of the development of the book between the 9th and the 15th century. The Book in the Manuscript Era -- the reading list for a class at the University of Virginia's Rare Book School. A good selection of introductory titles. Although there is a lot of material on-line, any serious in-depth study of the subject will take you to the printed resources. Stanford Library Medieval Manuscripts -- Stanford University's Medieval Manuscripts site. A good bibliography of printed resources. Digital Scriptorium -- this is the most comprehensive digital collection of images of medieval manuscripts. It includes 3,510 manuscripts 15,340 images from 8 large research libraries in the United States. It is difficult to search or browse. You have to know what you are looking for. Online Directory of Medieval Manuscripts -- links to collections all over the world.

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