Schoyen Collection

Sch�yen Collection | Contents

Collection Principles: This website is devoted to documenting the Schoyen Collection, the largest private manuscript collection assembled in the 20th century. It comprises 13,642 manuscripts, including 2,242 volumes, originating from every regions of the globe and spanning over 5000 years. The principles guiding the inclusion of digital images on the website are, of necessity, the same as those guiding the creation of the physical collection. The introduction to the collection states that "the present website comprises a selection of digital descriptions of manuscripts with sample images from The Schoyen Collection. The whole collection comprises about 13,600 manuscripts and inscribed objects, of which about 720 are available on the present website. The selection, description and digitalisation are the responsibility of the owner of the The Schoyen Collection." Thus, the principles behind the selection of objects to include online are the personal prerogative of the Collection's owner. One imagines that he or she chose to include the manuscripts that he/she thought best represented the vital components of the collection.

Object Characteristics: Each manuscript is represented by a single image from the manuscript (or an image of the object, in the case of inscribed objects or papyri fragments). A small-scale image is placed next to a description of the object. This image can be displayed full-screen by clicking on it. From here, the user can zoom in once to see detail.

Metadata: Accompanying each image is information about its physical counterpart. Included are the shelfmark and "title" of the manuscript or object, a short description of the object (including language, date, etc.), a description of the context of the object origination, its provenance, a commentary on relevant aspects of the object, publication information (if the object has been published in a book, or the like), and information on exhibition history, if the object has been exhibited. Links to other relevant object are provided as well. Each class of object (such as "Pre-1450 printing" or "Patristic Literature") is also accompanied by a brief contextual/historical introduction to that category of objects. There is also a general introduction to the collection that includes information on the size and scope of the collection, the collection's history and future, its provenance, the conservation efforts, a statement concerning opportunities for research using the collection, and a statement of copyright. There is also a list of photo credits. There is no metadata concerning the digital objects themselves, except that the images were prepared for the web by Elizabeth G. Sorenssen.

Intended Audience: It seems that the indented audience for these digital objects is both the scholarly community and the general public. The capabilities associated with each object are not extensive, and only one image of each object is included, resulting in a relative paucity of material for the serious researcher. The introduction the collection states that "by giving access to parts of unique materials, the present web presentation contributes towards the publication and availability of this internationally important part of the world's cultural heritage, independently of the physical location of the original objects." The intended audience, then, seems to be anyone who is interested in the cultural heritage of humanity. An extensive audience, indeed.