In progress In Search of Medieval Manuscripts
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St.
Bernard writing From the Bodleian Library |
Finding manuscripts in archives Finding manuscripts on microfilm Finding print editions or facsimilies Searching for specific manuscripts
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Finding manuscripts in archives
Published guides to collections, archives, and libraries help identify and locate manuscripts. Print and online examples are listed below.
Tip: Use Cornell's online catalog to identify other guides, and use Worldcat and/or RLIN to idenfity guides Cornell does not own.
Examples of helpful Library of Congress Subject Headings which provide an idea of keywords for searching--
British Museum. Dept. of
Manuscripts.
British Library. Department of Manuscripts--Catalogs
Medicine, Medieval Manuscripts Catalogs
Bibliothèque nationale (France) Département des manuscrits Catalogs.
Manuscripts, Italy--Facsimiles
Manuscripts--Great Britain
Manuscripts, English--Catalogs
Manuscripts, European--England--London--Catalogs
Manuscripts, Latin (Medieval and modern)--Vatican City--Catalogs.
Tip: Examples of useful terms for keyword searching in library catalogs--
archives
bibliography
manuscripts
catalog? (truncation of keyword in the CU online catalog will find catalog[s] or catalogue[s])
micro? (truncation of keyword in the CU online catalog will find microfilm, microprint, microtext, microfiche, or microforms)
A Microfilm corpus of unpublished inventories of Latin manuscripts through 1600 A.D. Prepared under the direction of F. Edward Cranz. New London, Conn. : [s.n.], 1987- (Olin Library Z6605.L3 M62 +) Guide to unpublished inventories of Latin manuscripts in Europe and Eastern Europe which were microfilmed as part of a project funded by NEH and ACLS in the 1970s and '80s. Inventories themselves are on Olin Microfilm 6180.
RLG
Cultural Materials [Montain View, Calif.] : Research Libraries
Group, c2001-2002-. (Library Gateway's Find Databases) A multimedia
collection of digital versions of manuscripts, photos, art, historical documents
and memorabilia, and more, brought together from around the world. Through a
flexible Web workspace developed with the materials' special characteristics
in mind users can discover, compare, interpret, and make connections between
materials in ways that enrich teaching, learning, and scholarship. RLG Cultural
Materials is a collaborative effort from an international alliance of RLG member
institutions, bringing together primary source materials in high-quality digital
form. This resource provides access to authenticated, rights-cleared digital
materials. While the collection is presently heavily 19th and 20th century manuscripts
and archival material, some medieval manuscripts are available.
Guides to Collections Worldwide
Tip: Increasingly archives provide websites with basic information and contacts if not guides to and/or catalogs of their collections. Major archives and repositories generally publish guides in print which often can be found through a keyword search (using the name of the archive) in the CU catalog, Worldcat, or RLIN.
A selection of print and online guides:
Cornell's Kroch Rare and Manuscripts
Medieval and Renaissance Illuminated Manuscripts in the Cornell University Library, compiled by Robert G. Calkins in The Cornell Library Journal, number 13, May 1972 (Olin Library Z881.C81 C8)
Kroch Rare and Manuscript Collections The Rare and Manuscript Division is located in an underground addition attached to Olin Library. The Division of Rare and Manuscript Collections includes 300,000 printed volumes, more than 70 million manuscripts, and another million photographs, paintings, prints, and other visual media. The Rare Book collections document the history of the written word from ancient clay cuneiform tablets to an extensive representation of works by 20th-century authors. The collections support research in fields such as medieval and Renaissance studies, Icelandic history and culture, the history of science, and witchcraft.
Tip: To browse Cornell's collections of medieval manuscripts-- Open the Cornell Libray Catalog. Click on the guided keyword search. Click the "set search limits" button to the lower right. Choose language= Latin; format=archival manuscript; location=Kroch Rare and Manuscript. Click "set search limits" button at top, return to search screen. Type manuscript? in the first search box, click search.
Archives in Britain
National
Register of Archives (UK) Outstanding site. The research
guides can be especially useful for researchers at all levels, including
archival bibliographies on such topics as Markets
and Fairs and Land
Conveyances: Feet of Fines, 1182-1833.
Foster, Janet and Julia Sheppard. British archives: a guide to archive resources in the United Kingdom. 3rd ed. Basingstoke, England : Macmillan ; New York, N.Y. : Stockton Press, 1995. (Olin Reference CD1040 .F75 1995)
Beal, Peter, et. al. Index
of English Literary Manuscripts. London: Mansell. New York: R. R. Bowker,
1980-
(Olin Library Oversize Z2011 .I38 +) Volumes : v.1; v.2:pt.1-2;
v.3; v.4:pt.1-3 (1980-1997)
(British Library) Manuscripts
catalogue. Published: [London] : British Library, [1998-
An online searchable catalog providing access to the main catalogs of the British
Library's Dept. of Manuscripts covering accessions from 1753 to the present.
The Bodleian Library at Oxford.
ARCHON:
Archives On-Line (Royal Commission on Historical Manuscripts) An
information gateway for UK archivists and users of manuscript sources for British
history. The Web site provides information on repositories in the United Kingdom
and repositories throughout the world which have collections of manuscripts
which are noted on the British National Register of Archives.
British Library. Dept. of Manuscripts. Index of Manuscripts in the British
Library. Cambridge, England; Teaneck, N.J.: Chadwyck-Healey, 1984-. (Olin
Library Oversize Z6621 .B844 ++). Volumes : v.1-8 (1984-1985)
British Museum. Dept. of
Manuscripts. Catalogue of Romances in the Department of Manuscripts in the
British Museum. London, Printed by order of the Trustees, 1883. (Olin
Library Oversize Z6621.B86 R7+)
Two volumes.
Cambridge University Library: The Great Collections. Cambridge, UK; New
York: Cambridge University Press, 1998. (Olin Library Oversize Z792.C18
C36x 1998 +). A readable overview and entertaining guide to the collections.
English Benedictine Libraries: The Shorter Catalogues. London: The British
Library, 1996. edited by R. Sharpe ... [et al.]. (Olin Library Z723
.E58 1996)
Ker, N. R. (Neil Ripley). Catalogue of Manuscripts Containing Anglo-Saxon.
Oxford, Clarendon Press, 1957. Olin Library Room 404 (Non-Circulating)
Z6605.A56 K39
Ker, N. R. (Neil Ripley) Medieval Manuscripts in British Libraries. Oxford:
Clarendon Press, 1969-. (Olin Library Z6620.G7 K39) v. 1. London.--v.
2. Abbotsford-Keele.--v. 3. Lampeter-Oxford.--v. 4. Paisley-York.--v. 5. With
Indexes and addenda, edited by I.C. Cunningham and A.G. Watson.
National Inventory of Documentary Sources in the United Kingdom. Cambridge,
England; Teaneck, N.J.: Chadwyck-Healey, 198-. 11 microfiches (Index:
Olin Library Microfiche 796; Series Olin Library Reference + Z6620.G7 N27)
Nickson, M. A. E. (Margaret Annie Eugenie). The British Library: Guide to
the Catalogues and Indexes of the Department of Manuscripts. 3rd ed. revised.
London : British Library, 1998. Revised with additional bibliographical information
by J. Conway. (Olin Library Oversize Z6621.B837 N53x 1998 +)
Watson, Andrew G. A Descriptive Catalogue of the Medieval Manuscripts of
All Souls College, Oxford. Oxford ; New York: Oxford University Press, 1997.
(Olin Library Oversize Z6621.A382 W38x 1997 +)
WWW.ARCHIVESINFO.NET:
UK Archival Repositories on the Internet
PROCAT Public Record Office Online Catalogue. In some cases, the online catalog can be more useful than the multivolume classic guide--Lists and indexes. Public Record Office, London. (Olin Library Oversize CD1046 .A32 suppl. ++)
Bibliothèque nationale (France), Département des manuscrits:
Catalogue général des manuscrits latins ... / publié sous la direction de Ph. Lauer, conservateur du Département des manuscrits. Paris : Bibliothèque nationale, 1939- (Olin Library Z6621.P23 L35) Volumes : t.1-[8] (1939-1997) Indexes: t.1/2;t.3/6;t.7.
Manuscrits latins
et français ajoutés aux fonds des nouvelles acquisitions pendant
les années 1875-1891;
inventaire alphabétique, par Léopold Delisle ... Paris
: H. Champion, 1891. (Olin Library Z6621.P23 L36)
Nouvelles acquisitions
du Département des manuscrits pendant les années 1891-1910. Répertoire
alphabétique
des manuscrits latins et français, par Henri Omont. Paris :
E. Leroux, 1912. (Olin Library Z6621 .P23 1910)
Concordances des
numéros anciens et des numéros actuels des manuscrits latins de
la Bibliothèque nationale,
précédées d'une notice sur les anciens catalogues; par
H. Omont ... Paris : E. Leroux, 1903. (Olin Library Z6621.P23 L353)
Bibliothèque nationale (France). Département des manuscrits. Catalogue général des manuscrits français. Compiled by Taschereau, Michelant, Delisle, Omont, Couderc, Auvray, De La Roncière. Paris, 1868-19. (Olin Library Oversize Z6621.P23 F8 ++) v.1-19. The catalogues are in two series: "série in 4o," covering the "ancien fonds" (mss. 1-6170, with title: Catalogue des manuscrits français) and "série in-8o," covering the "nouveau fonds" (mss. 6171-33264) and "nouvelles acquisitions" (nos 1- et 20001- Beginning with 10,001 the mss. are arranged in two open numerical series: "l'une de 10.000 à 20.0000 pour le petit format, l'autre à partir de 20.001 pour le grand format. The last volume of the catalogue of each collection contains a "Concordance des numéros anciens et des numéros actuels des manuscrits." The 8o series has also subject indexes. Each volume of the 8o series is separately indexed. The index in "Nouvelles acquisitions," v. 4, forms "la suite et le complement de la Table ... par mm. A. Vidier et P. Perrier." The preface to v. 5 of the "Ancien fonds" contains an account of the Department of manuscripts and its collections, by L. Delisle. Contents: Ancien fonds. nos. 1-6170. 1868 1902. 5 v.--Ancien supplément français. nos. 6171-15369. 1895-96. 3 v.--Ancien Saint-Germain français. nos. 15370 20064. 1898-1900. 3 v.--Ancient petits fonds français. nos. 20065-33254. 1897-1902. 3 v.--Nouvelles acquisitions françaises. nos. 1- et 20001- 1899-
Index général
des manuscrits décrits dans le Catalogue général des manuscrits
des bibliothèques publiques de France / sous la direction de
Michel Popoff. Paris : Références Cf, c1993. (Olin Library
Oversize
Z6620.F8 I38 +)
Listes des recueils de fac-similés et des reproductions de manuscrits conservés à la Bibliothèque nationale, publiées par H. Omont. 3. éd., par Ph. Lauer. Published: [Paris], 1935. (Olin Library Z6601.A1 P23 1935)
Catalogue des manuscrits
en écriture latine portant des indications de date, de lieu ou de copiste,
par Charles
Samaran et Robert Marichal. Paris, Centre national de la recherche scientifique,
1959- v. facsims. (in portfolios) 28-29 cm. (Olin Library (Closed Stacks)
+ Z6601 .S18) Volumes : v.1-3;v.4,pt.1;v.5-7 (1959-1984)
Inventaire géneral et méthodique des manuscrits français de la Bibliothèque nationale; par Léopold Delisle ... Paris : H. Champion, 1876-78. (Olin Library Z6621.P23 D35)
Manuscrits du Moyen Age et de la Renaissance : enrichissements du Département des manuscrits : Fonds européens, 1983-1992 / Bibliothèque nationale de France; sous la direction de Jacqueline Sclafer. Paris : La Bibliothèque, c1994. (Olin Library Oversize ND2920 .B54w 1994+)
Manuscrits français
et latins : catalogue iconographique des ektachromes du Service photographique
/ par Line
Sallmann. Paris : Bibliothèque nationale, 1979. (Library Annex
+ Z6621.P23 F791)
Archives in the United States
Cornell University Library's Catalogues of Latin Manuscripts. Henry H. King, comp. CUL: Ithaca, NY, 1934-. (Olin Reference +Z6605 L3 K52) Four volume catalog of manuscripts. This source should be supplemented by searches in the CU online catalog.
Ricci, Seymour de. Census of medieval and Renaissance manuscripts in the United States and Canada. NY: Wilson, 1935-40. (Olin Reference +Z6628 U58 R49) Arranged alphabetically by states, cities, and libraries, including private collections. Brief descriptions include: probable date and place of origin, material on which written, size, number of leaves, kind of binding, former owners, and references to printed descriptions. Supplement produced in 1962 gives cross-references to the Census when additional or corrected information is supplied and for manuscripts when ownership has changed. (Balay, 1996)
The National Union Catalog of Manuscript Collections (NUCMC) 1986/87 to present, Internet (http://lcweb.loc.gov/coll/nucmc/nucmccat.html). The National Union Catalog is designed to provide bibliographic information on the holdings of the Library of Congress and titles reported by other North American libraries.
ArchivesUSA [Alexandria, VA] : Chadwyck-Healy, Inc. (Library Gateway's E-Reference Collection) Provides information about primary source materials from nearly 4,500 manuscript repositories in the United States. It includes records, with indexes, for approximately 100,000 manuscript and other collections. It brings together information from NUCMC, or the National Union Catalog of Manuscript Collections (found in print at Olin , and the National Inventory of Documentary Sources (NIDS). It also updates and supersedes the Directory of Archives and Manuscript Repositories in the United States (DAMRUS), last published in 1988.
Directory of archives and manuscript repositories. United States. National Historical Publications and Records Commission. Washington : National Historical Publications and Records Commission, 1988. (Olin Reference CD3020 .U58 1978 +) A useful guide for addresses and brief descriptions of the strengths of collections. Arranged geographically by city within states.
Archival
and Manuscript Repositories in the United States
Ash, Lee. Subject Collections:
A Guide to Special Book Collections and Subject Emphases as Reported by University,
College, Public, and Special Libraries and Museums in the United States and
Canada. New Providence, N.J.: R. R. Bowker, 1993.
Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library. Catalogue of Medieval and Renaissance
Manuscripts in the Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library, Yale University.
Binghamton, N.Y. : Medieval & Renaissance Texts & Studies, 1984.
Catalogue of Manuscripts in the Houghton Library, Harvard University.
Alexandria, Va.: Chadwyck-Healey, 1986.
Directory of Archives and Manuscript Repositories in the United States.
Phoenix: Oryx, 1988.
Folger Shakespeare Library. Catalog of Manuscripts of the Folger Shakespeare
Library, Washington, D. C. Boston: G. K. Hall, 1971. First Supplement, 1988.
Helpful Web Guides to Finding Manuscripts
University of Delaware's Guide
University of North Carolina's Guide
Georgetown's Labyrinth's Guide
University of Pennsylvania's Guide
Finding manuscripts on microfilm
Guides and Bibliographies
Tip: Use a keyword search with micro? in online catalogs (especially Worldcat and RLIN) to find microfilmed manuscripts. Note that microfilm collections are often not described in detail (by manuscript or topic) in an online catalog. Also, some microfilms are "unpublished" or private and may not show up in any catalog, except the web page or guide to a specific archive.
British Manuscripts Project: A checklist of the microfilms prep. in England and Wales for the American Council of Learned Societies, 1941-1945. comp. Lester K. Born. Washington: Library of Congress, 1955. (Olin Reference Z6620 G7U57) Online catalog available through the University of Michigan. Lists the contents of 2,652 reels of microfilm containing reproductions and some rare printed materials made during World War II found in libraries in England and Wales. The period covered is from medieval times to the 18th century. Copies of the films may be purchased from the Photoduplication Service of the Library of Congress. (Balay, 1996)
British Public Record Office archival material at Stanford University : with an appendices for UC/Berkeley and selective U.S. libraries. W. David Rozkuszka. [Stanford, Calif.] : Stanford University Libraries, 1992. (Olin Library Reference CD1043 .S78 1992) A useful guide to microtexts (complete sets as well as selections from sets) held by Stanford that can typically be interlibrary loaned by Cornell faculty and students.
Selected medieval and renaissance manuscript collections in microform. Peter P. Olevnik. [Champaign, Ill.] : University of Illinois, Graduate School of Library Science, 1978. (Olin Library Reference + Z6602 .O45) Outdated but may be useful in some instances.
Use Worldcat, RLIN and especially CRL (Center for Research Libraries) which has special collections of microfilmed medieval manuscripts.
Manuscripts
on Microfilm at Cornell
(as of 2004)
(courtesy of Andy Galloway, asg6@cornell.edu)
Anglo-Saxon manuscripts in microfiche facsimile [microform]. Phillip Pulsiano, general editor ; A.N. Doane, executive director ; Ronald E. Buckalew, associate editor ; editorial and advisory board, Carl T. Berkhout ... [et al.]. Binghamton, N.Y. (Olin Library Microfiche 1349 Volumes : v.1-3; v.5-6; v.8-9 (1994-2001) Indexes: guide shelved in Olin Library Reference (Non-Circulating) Micro- fiche 1349 Guide Volumes : v.1-3; v.5-6; v.8-9 (1994-2001)
Medieval literary
and historical manuscripts in the Cotton Collection, from the British Library,
London [microform] Reading, Berkshire ; [Woodbridge, CT.] : Research
Publications, 1989. (Olin Library Film 8228)
123 microfilm reels ; 35 mm. Guides pt.1-7 shelved in Olin Library Reference
Film 8228 Guide
Volumes : pt.1-7 An on-line catalog is avail. at http://www.shef.ac.uk/hri/bl/cotframe.htm
Chronicles and
documents of medieval England [microform] : c.1150-c.1500 from Cambridge University
Library.
Sussex, Eng. : Harvester Press Microform Publications, 1986. (Olin Library
Film 8242)
Consists of 39 microfilm reels ; 35 mm. + 1 guide (1 v. ((unnumbered)) ; 28
cm.) Includes chronicles, genealogies, letters, and various documents chiefly
related to land, law, politics, and religion. Guide shelved in Olin Library
Reference.
Medieval and early modern women [microform]. Marlborough [England] : Adam Matthew Publications, 2000- (Olin Library Film 8263) Consists of pt.1-2=reels 1-26 (2000-2002) and Supplements. Guide shelved in Olin Library Reference Film 8263 Guide pt.1 (2000) to date.
Medieval and renaissance
manuscripts from the Society of Antiquaries, London [microform].
Published: Woodbridge, Ct. : Research Publications, 1989. (Olin Library Film
6673 reels 1-11 and 2 guides)
British literary manuscripts from Cambridge University Library [microform]. Brighton, Sussex, England : Harvester Microform, 1984- (Olin Library Film 5902). Guide in Olin reference. Volumes : ser.1 (1984)
British literary manuscripts from the British Library, London. Series Three, Medieval manuscripts to c. 1500 [microform]. Brighton, Sussex, England : Harvester ; [Woodbridge, CT : Distributed by] Research Publications International, 1985- (Olin Library Film 8241) Consists of two parts on 42 microfilm reels ; 35 mm. + 1 guide (69 p., 22 cm) Guide shelved in Olin Library Reference Film 8241 Guide.
The Early and central Middle Ages, c. 650-c. 1200 AD [microform] : the manuscript record. Brighton, Sussex, England : Harvester Microform, 1986- (Olin Library Film 6103). Consists of two parts (25 reels). Guide shelved in Olin Library Reference.
British literary
manuscripts from the British Library, London. Series One, The English Renaissance
[microform]. Brighton, Sussex, England : Harvester Press Microform
Publications, 1984. (Olin Library Film 5903).
53 microfilm reels ; 35 mm. + guide (193 p. ; 30 cm.) Guide in Olin Library
Reference.
Pollard, Alfred W. (Alfred William), 1859-1944. A short-title catalogue of books printed in England, Scotland, & Ireland and of English books printed abroad, 1475-1640 / first compiled by A. W. Pollard & G. R. Redgrave. London: Bibliographical Society, 1976-1991. Second. rev. & enl. begun by W. A. Jackson & F. S. Ferguson, completed by Katharine F. Pantzer.3 v. ; 32 cm. (Olin Library Reference Z2002 .P77 1976) Microfilm of STC books are in Olin Library Microfilm 470.
Early English books online [computer file]: in progress. [Ann Arbor, Mich.] : Bell & Howell Information and Learning, [1999]- From the first book printed in English by William Caxton, through the age of Spenser and Shakespeare and the tumult of the English Civil War, Early English Books Online (EEBO) contains over 125,000 titles listed in Pollard & Redgrave's Short-Title Catalogue (1475 - 1640), Wing's Short-Title Catalogue (1641-1700), and the Thomason Tracts (1640-1661).
Incunabula, the
printing revolution in Europe, 1455-1500 : a guide to the [number of] units
of the microfiche collection. Reading, Berkshire, England ; Woodbridge,
Conn. : Research Publications International, <1995 >-
(Olin Library Shelved in the Olin Microfiche Alcove on top of cabinets
housing READEX U.S. Government Documents fiche) Volumes : v.1-50 Supplements:
Guides: 1-16,19-25
Materials for the History of Medieval Scholarship
Madden, Frederic. The
diaries of Sir Frederick Madden [microform]. London : World Microfilms
Productions in association with the Bodleian Library, c1973. (Olin Library
Film 5452) Consists of 17 microfilm reels ; 35 mm.
Bernard, Edward. Catalogi
librorum manuscriptorum Angliæ et Hiberniæ in unum collecti [microform]
: cum indice alphabetico. Oxoniæ : E Theatro Sheldoniano
..., 1697. From Early English Books. 2 volumes. (Olin Library Film 1297
449:7 449:8)
Finding digitized manuscripts
Tip: Individual manuscripts are sometimes digitized and made public on the web. Try searching the web (using Google) with a variety of keywords relating to the collection/ manuscript/author/topic, etc. Then try library catalogs with the same keyword with the additional term CD or dis? (for disk or diskette) for manuscripts that have been published in non-networked form. Examples include:
ADMYTE [computer file] : Archivo digital de manuscritos y textos españoles [desarollada por Micronet, S.A.]. Madrid : Micronet : Ministerio de Cultura, Biblioteca Nacional, 1992- (Olin Reference Disk Z6605.S7 A36 1992 Available in Electronic Text Center). Contains images and text of medieval Spanish manuscripts and early imprints; intended ultimately to include all texts written in Castilian prior to 1615. Allows the user to search for and save text and images.
The Lindisfarne Gospels
The complete manuscript from The British Library digitized on a CD-Rom.
(Available in Olin Electronic Text Center).
Finding print editions or facsimiles
Tip: Search for printed editions of manuscripts in online library catalogs (particularly Worldcat and RLIN) using the name of the medieval author (also try variants of the author's name too, i.e. the Latin version of the name). For facsimiles, try a keyword search in online catalogs using the using author or title words and the wordfacsimile.
Browsing for sources
Tip: Try returning to some of the classic guides to medieval studies for descriptions and locations of source material:
Caenegem, R. C. van. Guide to the sources of medieval history. Amsterdam: North-Holland Publishing Company, 1978. (Olin Reference Z6517 .C12) This is a revised, translated, and expanded edition of the earlier Dutch editions. It is divided into five sections--1. Typology of the sources of medieval history, 2. Libraries and archives, i.e. repositories of medieval manuscripts, 3. Great collections and repertories of sources, 4. Reference works for the study of medieval texts, 5. Bibliographical introduction to the auxiliary sciences of history. Each section consists of a number of explanatory or bibliographic chapters citing and describing a wide range of sources for the many aspects of medieval studies. (Balay, 1996).
Chevalier, Cyr Ulysse Joseph. Répertoire des sources historiques du moyen âge. Paris: Picard, 1894-1907. Reprint, NY: Kraus, 1959-60. (Olin Reference Z6203 .C52 +) Formerly of first importance for the literature of medieval history, still useful for its biographical orientation. The first part is arranged alphabetically by personal name (in the French form), the second by place and topic. Under each name, references are given to sources. An immense mass of material is indexed, but without critical indication of value.
Powell, James M. Medieval studies: an introduction. Syracuse: Syracuse University Press, 1992. 2d. ed. (Olin Reference Z6517 .M48 1992) Designed to offer the student "a convenient orientation in the field." (Introduction). Essays by various authors on all aspects of medieval studies. Bibliographical footnotes and/or substantial bibliographies at the end of each chapter cover to the mid- to late 1980s. Includes paleography, diplomatics, chronology, literature, music, archaeology, law and science. (Balay, 1996).
Paetow, Louis John. A guide to the study of medieval history. Millwood, NY: Kraus Reprint, 1980. (Olin Reference Z6203 .P19) A classic, prepared under the auspices of the Medieval Academy of America. This is a revised and corrected edition of the 1931 edition. It concentrates on Western Europe with "restricted attention to Northern and Eastern Europe" and exclusion of England. (Balay, 1996).
Medioevo latino: bollettino bibliografico della cultura europea del secolo VI al XII. Spoleto: Centro Italiano di Studi Sull'Alto Medioevo, 1980-. Annual. (Also on CD-Rom in the Olin Electronic Text Center.) Considered one of the standard bibliographies for medieval studies. An extensive bibliography of primary and secondary sources often annotated. Classed arrangement, with indexes of authors and manuscripts. Includes citations to critical reviews. (Balay, 1996).
Repertorium fontium historiae medii aevi: primum ab Augusto Potthast digestum, nunc cura collegii historicorum e pluribus nationibus emendatum et auctum.. Rome: Instit. Storico Italiano per il Medio Evo, 1962-89. 6 vols. (Olin Reference Z6203 .P86 1962 +) The first volume is an alphabetical listing of sets of chronicles, miscellanies, and other collections, together with their contents of sources of medieval history up to 1500. The "Fontes" section offers a repertory of medieval writings arranged by individual author's name or anonymous title of the chronicle or document treated. (Balay, 1996).
Cahiers de civilisation médiévale: bibliographie.. Poitiers: Centre d'Etudes Supérieures de Civilisation Médiévale, Universite de Poitiers, 1958-> Annual. (Olin stacks D116.5 .R42 and D111 C13 +) The first volume is an alphabetical listing of sets of chronicles, miscellanies, and other collections, together with their contents of sources of medieval history up to 1500. The "Fontes" section offers a repertory of medieval writings arranged by individual author's name or anonymous title of the chronicle or document treated. (Balay, 1996).
Searching for Specific Manuscripts
Depending on what you're trying to find, try the guides, catalogs, and bibliographies above.
Tip: You might also want to look at secondary material relating to the author/topic of your manuscript. Footnotes often provide a wealth of information about a manuscript's history, current location, editions, etc. that an individual archive's catalog, index, or webpage do not. Use library catalogs (especially Worldcat and RLIN) to search by manucript name or number. Search by manuscript name or number in periodical indexes, especially International Medieval Bibliography Online or In Principio: Incipit Index of Latin Texts (CD-Rom, Olin Electronic Text Center).
Prepared by: Virginia
Cole, Ph.D.
Reference and Digital Services Libarian
Olin and Uris Libraries
Cornell University
updated: February 2, 2007
Olin and Uris Libraries, Cornell University, Ithaca
NY 14853
PSA: Public Services and Assessment
Information and reference: 607-255-4144, okuref@cornell.edu
Circulation: (Olin) 607-255-4245, (Uris) 607-255-3537, olincirc@cornell.edu