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Upcoming Events: Kislak Center

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Feb 12
  • Workshop
Open to the Public

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.

  • February 12, 2026
  • 12:00pm - 12:30pm
  • Online
photo of a manuscript page in Arabic, with extensive marginal notes
Feb 12
  • Lecture
Open to the Public

The Fabrication of Borders: Tailoring and Cartography in Early Modern Europe

Schoenberg Institute for Manuscript Studies and the Center for Italian Studies Fellow's Lecture in Italian Manuscript Studies

  • Thursday, February 12, 2026, 5:15 - 6:30 pm EST
  • 5:15pm - 6:30pm
  • Hybrid: Online and Kislak Center, Class of 1978 Orrery Pavilion, Van Pelt-Dietrich Library Center, 6th Floor
Detail of a manuscript with an illustration of two men, on right, in medieval costume gesture toward red, yellow, blue, and grey cloth. Above them is a yardstick and pair of scissors.
Feb 13
  • Lecture
Open to the Public

The Colker Hebrew Fragments: Description and Significance 

This talk will demonstrate some of the important and unusual aspects of a collection of mostly medieval Judaic manuscripts, acquired from the private collection of manuscript bibliographer Marvin Colker.

  • February 13, 2026
  • 12:00pm - 1:00pm
  • Virtual (link will be sent to registrants)
Colker Hebrew Fragments from the Kislak Collection
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
Photo of an illuminated letter A created by a student
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
Photo of a book, which has a binding made from a manuscript leaf
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
A photo of a book illustration showing a constellation diagram in the form of a unicorn
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

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