Monday, January 28, 2008

Spectacular hidden treasures online for the first time

Five hidden treasures from public library collections across the UK are now accessible to an online audience of millions. Selected as the winning texts in a nationwide competition, pages of each have been digitised and transformed into Turning the Pages 2.0™ ‘virtual texts'. Visitors to the British Library's website can enjoy these magnificent items for free.

The winning treasures include:
a 12th century legal work from Medway, Kent, which contains the earliest record of the English language;
a fascinating first-hand account of life in mid 19th century rural Caernarfonshire, as experienced by an unusually observant 14-year-old;
a stunning 15th century illuminated missal from Renfrewshire, which features a blood-curdling rite of excommunication;
a beautifully illustrated war record book produced by the Dorset Federation of Women's Institutes, containing stories of evacuees, enemy airmen, the coming of the American army and even jam making!
Spectacular hidden treasures online for the first time

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