Introduction

META_data_08_rev.jpg

Landing page (mock-up) for BAV MS Vat. lat. 3199.

METAscripta is the digitization and metadata project of the Knights of Columbus Vatican Film Library at Saint Louis University. METAscripta uses innovative metadata methods for summary indexing, embedded image tagging, and controlled vocabulary crowd-sourcing to support and encourage the study of the VFL microfilm collection of manuscripts from the Biblioteca Apostolica Vaticana (BAV), or Vatican Library. We are especially grateful to the Vatican Library for their enthusiastic cooperation and support of our project.

Established in 1953, the Vatican Film Library (VFL) in St. Louis is the principal study center for Vatican manuscripts outside the reading room of the BAV. This online exhibition presents the history and management of this collection, including images of the original microphotography of the BAV manuscripts, created under the supervision of Lowrie J. Daly, S.J. (1914-2000), professor of medieval history at Saint Louis University, and Charles J. Ermatinger (1921-2002), professor and head of the Vatican Film Library and former member of the Monuments Men during World War II. Our exhibition also brings the history of the VFL collection into the present and future, outlining the processes and methods of the METAscripta project.

Introduction