My experience as an intern at The Parker library; or a brief look into the retained importance of the physicality of manuscripts in an increasingly digital age.

I am a year 12 student at Hills Road Sixth Form College, Cambridge, who is in the process of writing my Extended Project Qualification on the digitisation, and viewing of medieval manuscripts today. I am also taking A-levels in History, English Literature and History of Art. At the start of this academic year, I was...

A Prospect of the Most Famous Parts of the World

As part of my work experience here at the Parker Library I was given the opportunity to do my own research and write it up on a blog post. This was an amazing chance to see what research means practically, and at first I was overwhelmed by the number of books available to look at...

My Experience as an Intern at the Parker Library

I am a year 10 student at Parkside Community College, and my year group must complete a week of work experience as we move into our final year of secondary school, to give us a taste of the world of work. A wide range of companies and organisations provide work experience, but the Parker Library...

On a Case by Case Basis: The History Case

Every great hero of English history needs a zealous and over-enthusiastic biographer, and Matthew Parker is no exception. His champion was the English clergyman and historian John Strype (1643-1737), whose biography, The Life and Acts of Matthew Parker, published in 1711, represents the first proper, full length biographical study of Parker. [1] The work is...

On a Case by Case Basis: The Anglo-Saxon, Norse & Celtic (ASNC) Case

The Parker Library is celebrated as one of the finest libraries of its kind in the world. Its holdings of medieval manuscripts and early printed books constitute a resource of unparalleled international importance for the study of Britain’s premodern past, and a repository of historical materials of exceptional importance to our nation’s culture and heritage....

On a Case by Case Basis: Exploring Our New Exhibition

The last six months have borne witness to a period of considerable change here at the Parker Library. Not only has Christopher de Hamel, our former Donnelley Fellow Librarian, retired, but our two Sub-Librarians, Steven Archer and Beth Dumas, have departed in pursuit of new opportunities at Christ Church, Oxford and St. Andrews respectively. Leaving...

A Guide to the Spanish Inquisition

This week, a researcher discovered that Parker's own copy of A discouery and playne declaration of sundry subtill practises of the Holy Inquisition of Spayne [...] Set forth in Latine, by Reginaldus Gonsaluius Montanus, and lately translated, from 1569, is a rare complete copy, including a full folded sheet that contains an illustrative guide to the various...