Library of Congress Topics in Preservation Series (TOPS)

The Preservation Directorate of the Library of Congress announces
the 64th presentation in the Topics in Preservation Series (TOPS):

"Spectral Imaging at the Library of St. Catherine's Monastery
    Reveals Ancient Texts"
Lecture on palimpsest imaging

Mumford Room, Madison Building, 6th floor
Library of Congress
101 Independence Avenue SE
Washington DC 20540
Monday, November 19, 2012
2-4 pm

Father Justin, the librarian of St. Catherine's Monastery, and
Michael B. Toth, the Sinai Palimpsest Project Program Manager,
discuss how advanced spectral imaging is revealing ancient texts in
the remote library of a Greek Orthodox monastery in Egypt's Sinai
desert. The monastery has a very important collection of
manuscripts, the earliest dating from the fourth century. Because
writing materials were sometimes scarce, the library contains many
palimpsests--manuscripts where the original text was erased, and the
valuable parchment used a second time. The faint original texts can
often be recovered through the use of spectral imaging.

Scientists, scholars, and technical experts are working in close
collaboration with Archbishop Damianos and the monks to spectrally
image significant manuscripts from the monastery's rich collection
of palimpsests. The system is similar to the one used by the Library
of Congress Preservation Division for the past five years to study
America's Top Treasures and other manuscripts. This five year
program is conducted under the auspices of the nonprofit Early
Manuscripts Electronic Library (EMEL), and sponsored by the UK-based
Arcadia Foundation.

Fr. Justin Sinaites is the Librarian of the Sacred and Imperial
Monastery of the God-Trodden Mount of Sinai. The Library contains
some 3,300 manuscripts, 8,000 early printed books and an important
archive containing letters, account books, charters, and other
documents.

Michael B. Toth, president of R.B. Toth Associates, brings over 25
years of experience with systems integration, program management and
strategic planning to support museums and libraries as they
capitalize on advances in information and digital imaging
technology.

Webcast opportunity:  If you would like to participate via webcast,
send email to rpri<-at->loc<.>gov no less than three days in advance of the
event. Request ADA accommodations five business days in advance at
202-707-1076 or ADA<-at->loc<.>gov.

The Topics in Preservation Series lectures are free and open to the
public.  For further details and updated information about the
series, please visit

    <URL:http://www.loc.gov/preservation/outreach/tops/index.html>

Fenella G. France PhD, MBA, FAIC
Chief, Preservation Research and Testing Division
Library of Congress
101 Independence Ave SE
Washington DC, 20540-4560
202-707-5525
Fax: 202-707-1525


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                  Conservation DistList Instance 26:24
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