Manuscript Studies
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The Schoenberg Institute for Manuscript Studies
Bringing manuscript culture, modern technology and people together.
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Announcements and News
- The Fall 2025 issue (Vol. 10.2) of Manuscript Studies is now available in Diamond-level Open Access via Project Muse, as are all previous issues.
- Register for our upcoming SIMS and the Center for Italian Studies Fellow in Italian Manuscript Studies Lecture, The Fabrication of Borders: Tailoring and Cartography in Early Modern Europe (Emanuele Lugli, Stanford University and the 2025–2026 Schoenberg Institute for Manuscript Studies and the Center for Italian Studies Fellow in Italian Manuscript Studies), Thursday, February 12, 2026 5:15–6:30PM EST (Kislak Center, Class of 1978 Orrery Pavilion, Van Pelt-Dietrich Library Center, 6th Floor and via Zoom).
- Register for our upcoming SIMS Online Lecture, Grid as Ground (Hanna Vorholt, University of York), Friday, February 20, 2026 12:00–1:30PM EST (via Zoom).
- SIMS is pleased to welcome Davide Pafumi (University of Lethbridge) as the 2025–2026 Manuscript Collections as Data Research Fellow. He will be in residence in early 2026 to work on a project entitled Developing an AI-Based HTR Workflow for the Enrichment of Vernacular English Medieval Manuscripts via eScriptorium.
- SIMS is delighted to announce the recipients of the 2025–2026 Graduate Student Research Fellowship: Priyamvada Nambrath and Eleanor Webb.
- SIMS is excited to announce the following Visiting Research Fellows for the 2025–2026 academic year: Ali Noori (Fordham University), Hanno Wijsman (Institut de recherche et d’histoire des textes), and Emanuele Scieri (University of Glasgow).
- Discover BASIRA, the Books as Symbols in Renaissance Art database, a new digital resource for book history hosted by the Schoenberg Institute for Manuscript Studies. Enter the database or visit the project website to learn more.
- Join us every Thursday at 12:00PM Noon EDT / 5pm BST for Coffee with a Codex (via Zoom; registration required).
SIMS Blog Posts
Read about manuscript discoveries, initiatives, and other interesting happenings from SIMS staff.
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Digital Projects
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Teaching
Making use of our collections and expertise in person and remotely
Event Series
Lectures, workshops, and symposia, virtual and in person
Upcoming Events
List
- Workshop
February 6, 2026
Fun with #DHMakes
This hour-long workshop will introduce the #DHMakes movement, which combines digital humanities interests with physical making/arts and crafts.
- 10:00am - 11:00am
- Kislak Center Vitale II, Room 623, 6th Floor, Van Pelt-Dietrich Library Center
Open to Penn Students, Faculty, and Staff
- Workshop
February 10, 2026
Demonstration: 3D Scanning of Bindings
On February 10, join us as Fine Arts Librarian Kathryn Reuter 3D scans bindings from the Kislak collections.
- 2:00pm - 4:00pm
- Kislak Center Vitale II, Rm 623, 6th Floor
Open to the Public
- Workshop
February 12, 2026
Coffee with a Codex: Avicenna's medical encyclopedia
On February 12, curator Dot Porter will bring out LJS 426, a 14th century copy of the first book of Avicenna's medical encyclopedia in Arabic.
- 12:00pm - 12:30pm
- Online
Open to the Public