the date of creation and provenance of
the poem continue around the world, and researchers regularly require
access to the manuscript. Taking Beowulf out of its display case for
study not only raised conservation issues, it also made it unavailable
for the many visitors who were coming to the Library expecting to see
this literary treasure on display. The digitization of the manuscript
offered a solution to these problems, while providing new opportunities
for researchers and book lovers worldwide.

[In Depth (published in 1999)]

Libraries began using the web to make their treasures freely available
to the world.

Here is the story of Beowulf.

Beowulf is a treasure of the British Library. "It is an Old English
heroic epic poem of anonymous authorship. This work of Anglo-Saxon
literature dates to between the 8th and the 11th century, the only
surviving European manuscript dating to the early 11th century. At
3,183 lines, it is notable for its length." (excerpt from Wikipedia)

The manuscript was badly damaged by fire in 1731. 18th-century
transcripts mention hundreds of words and letters which were then
visible along the charred edges, and subsequently crumbled away over
the years. To halt this process, each leaf was mounted on a paper frame
in 1845.

Scholarly discussions on the date of creation and provenance of the
poem continue around the world, and researchers regularly require
access to the manuscript. Taking Beowulf out of its display case for
study not only raised conservation issues, it also made it unavailable
for the many visitors who were coming to the Library expecting to see
this literary treasure on display. Digitization of the manuscript
offered a solution to these problems, as well as providing new
opportunities for readers, and for the world to enjoy.

The Electronic Beowulf Project was launched as a huge database of
digital images of the Beowulf manuscript and related manuscripts and
printed texts. In 1998, the database included fiber-optic readings of
hidden letters and ultraviolet readings of erased text in the
manuscript; full electronic facsimiles of the 18th-century transcripts
of the manuscript; and selections from important 19th-century
collations, editions and translations. Major additions were planned,
such as images of contemporary manuscripts, and links with the Toronto
Dictionary of Old English Project and with the comprehensive
Anglo-Saxon bibliographies of the Old English New