The Manuscript Center’s work revolves around the preservation, digitization, and management of heritage. The Manuscript Center operates through a number of integrated sections (Heritage Publishing, Restoration, and Academic Activities and Specialized Translation), which work in harmony with the ones in the Manuscript Museum (Rare Collections, Microfilm, Museographic Display). In the Restoration Lab, almost 25000 papers and about 200 manuscripts and rare books have been restored. In addition to its own work, the Center also displays manuscripts from the Manuscript Museum collection. There, visitors can use touch screen technology and a sophisticated virtual browser that allows the user to turn the different pages of the original manuscript with a simple touch of the finger, and gives full control options such as magnifying and minimizing the image. Other digital presentations include a virtual visit to the Museum and a detailed text information on the available manuscripts in six languages (Arabic, English, French, German, Italian and Spanish).
The Digital Manuscripts Archive project aims to produce digital copies of the BA’s entire manuscript collection numbering more than 6000 titles, as well as rare books, maps and important documents. So far, over 600 manuscripts have been digitized. These are available for consultation and study in the Manuscript Reading Room.
In addition, the Center publishes some of the most valuable manuscripts in digital CD-ROM collections of seven manuscripts each. The set comprises seven CDs, each showing an unabridged rare manuscript. These collections are made available to scholars at a cost.
The Manuscript Center has produced a digital manuscript collection of the codices held by Uppsala University Library, Sweden, within the framework of a bilateral cooperation agreement concluded between the two countries. Six rare manuscripts held at the Uppsala Library can be seen at the BA through the virtual browser.
Following the tradition of the Ancient Library of Alexandria, the Center, through the Resident Scholar Program (RSP), invites accomplished heritage scholars from all over the world to the BA to meet with specialists and academics from Egypt.
For more information, please visit : http://www.manuscriptcenter.org/center//