Upcoming Events: The Lawrence J. Schoenberg Symposium on Manuscript Studies in the Digital Age

Feb 17

• Workshop

Open to the Public

Reimagining Illumination: Make Your Own Illuminated Initial

On Tuesday, February 17, SIMS Curator for Digital Humanities Dot Porter and Program Coordinator of Technology and Play Christine Kemp will lead a workshop where we will make our own illuminated initials on parchment using gold leaf and paint.

• February 17, 2026
• 2:00pm - 4:00pm
• Kislak Center Vitale II, Rm 623, 6th Floor

Feb 18

• Workshop

Open to the Public

Manuscript Studies Interest Group: Fragments

The Manuscript Studies Interest Group (MSIG) is a regular meeting for people who want to get up close and personal with a variety of handwritten objects.

• February 18, 2026
• 2:00pm - 3:00pm
• Kislak Center Vitale II, Rm 623, 6th Floor

Feb 19

• Workshop

Open to the Public

Coffee with a Codex: New Testament in Middle English

On February 19, curator Dot Porter will bring out Ms. Codex 201, a copy of the New Testament translated into Middle English by John Wycliffe.

• February 19, 2026
• 12:00pm - 12:30pm
• Online

Feb 24

• Workshop

Open to the Public

Reimagining Illumination: Make Your Own Paper Circuit

On Tuesday, February 24th, Emily Brooks will lead us in creating our own mini holographic light-up constellation shadow boxes based on artwork from a Netherlandish astronomy book from Penn's collection.

• February 24, 2026
• 2:00pm - 4:00pm
• Kislak Center Vitale II, Rm 623, 6th Floor

Feb 25

• Workshop

Open to Penn Students, Faculty, and Staff

Exploring Handwritten Text Recognition for Manuscript Studies with 2025-2026 SIMS Fellows

This discussion, presented to MedRen and Global Medieval and Renaissance Studies, will introduce the work of two 2025-2026 Schoenberg Institute for Manuscript Studies (SIMS) Graduate Student Fellows, Ellie Webb and Priya Nambrath, who have been spending this year exploring Handwritten Text Recognition technologies for use on a variety of historic and archival documents.

• February 25, 2026
• 3:00pm - 5:00pm
• Kislak Center Vitale II, Rm 623, 6th Floor

Feb 26

• Workshop

Open to the Public

Coffee with a Codex: Ethiopian Manuscripts

On February 26, curator Dot Porter will bring out a selection of manuscripts from Ethiopia.

• February 26, 2026
• 12:00pm - 12:30pm
• Online

Mar 03

• Workshop

Open to the Public

Bookbinding Workshop: LJS 419 and Parchment Bindings

A workshop to make our own versions of MS LJS 419, a 15th century herbal from Penn's collection.

• March 3, 2026
• 5:00pm - 7:00pm
• Kislak Center Vitale II, Rm 623, 6th Floor

Mar 05

• Workshop

Open to the Public

Coffee with a Codex: Alphabetized Psalms in Hebrew

On March 5, Judaica Special Collections Cataloging Librarian Louis Meiselman will bring out CAJS Rar Ms 720, Marcus Hartig's alphabetization of the Hebrew Psalms, in his 1876 manuscript.

• March 5, 2026
• 12:00pm - 12:30pm
• Online

Mar 12

• Workshop

Open to the Public

Coffee with a Codex: Commentaries on Aristotle by Albertus Magnus

On March 12, curator Dot Porter will bring out LJS 482, a 13th century copy of commentaries on Aristotle's De generatione et corruptione and Meteorologica, by the Dominican friar Albertus Magnus.

• March 12, 2026
• 12:00pm - 12:30pm
• Online