Launched: vHMML: An online environment for manuscript studies

We’re very excited to announce that vHMML is finally live! We took some time out from the public forum to refocus our energies and reboot the development process, and we have finally reached the day. You can read more about the whole project here.

You’ll find lessons for Latin and Syriac scripts in School, Latin and Syriac annotated images in Folio, answers to all of your terminological questions (“what IS rinceaux, anyway?”) in Lexicon, and lots of bibliography in Reference. For now vHMML will take you to our existing online catalog, OLIVER, but starting in early 2016 it will link to the new online Reading Room where registered users will be able to browse thousands of complete manuscripts for free.

We will be continually updating vHMML and adding new content. Later in 2015 there will be more Syriac lessons, including transcription practice, and in 2016 we’ll add Arabic and Armenian, and possibly more.

One change from our original plan is that Scriptorium, a collaborative working environment using digital images, will remain with our project partners at the University of Kentucky. We decided it made sense for Scriptorium to stay with those who had built it, and to be opened to digital collections from other libraries as a resource for  DH projects besides vHMML. Folio was its first creation, and a very nice one, too.

Please have a look, and let us know your suggestions for improvement or additions: vhmml@vhmml.org.