As an individual currently studying rare books, manuscripts and Book History, I was delighted to hear about, and download, a new iPad app from the British Library. More than 60,000 books from the 19th Century will be made available in this app later in the summer, at a price yet to be confirmed. Until then, the app has been launched for free with 1000 books available, providing terrific opportunities for readers, scholars and all book lovers to gaze at rare editions in the comfort of home.
There are a few areas that make 19th Century books suitable for this kind of project. The most obvious is that, in conservation terms, these pieces are in the best condition. A major project to scan rare books is always conducted against a background consideration of whether the original manuscript will be damaged by the process. In addition, books from this period were produced closer to ‘modern’ standards, and by this stage all major publications were in printed text. This may seem like a strange point to make, but dealing with rare books and manuscripts written, in hand, by scribes is a much more delicate affair than printed matter. Finally, books like these are better known to the public. This collection includes writers such as Charles Dickens, Thomas Hardy and Henry James, helping to make it appealing to potential consumers.
Having looked at the app, it must be said that the quality of the scans, in conjunction with the clarity offered by the iPad screen, is excellent. It is possible to see watermarks, illustrations and subtle details, important considerations for scholarly work in book history. For the reader, the experience has the clarity of reading a modern eBook, while being able to appreciate the presentation and overall look of the original edition. Although you can’t zoom or change the text size, inevitable with scanned pages, the size of the screen and quality of the images more than compensates.
In terms of how this app will progress, I’m interested in a few things. Firstly, how much this app will cost. Will it be a one off charge, a monthly fee, or perhaps different charges depending on the content accessed? It goes without saying that the British Library will need to recoup costs, but hopefully it won’t be too expensive. Secondly, will further collections like this be developed for other historical periods? As I pointed out earlier in this article, the reasoning for producing a 19th Century collection is sound, but it would be a delight if earlier periods receive the same treatment. From an academic standpoint, it would be invaluable.
I hope anyone with an interest in books from the 19th Century will support this product, as a high number of downloads will hopefully encourage more apps like this from the British Library. This is an example of how technology, be it eBooks, websites or ‘apps’ like this, can open doors previously closed to the general public. For those who don’t live in London and can’t get regular access to these editions, this is an opportunity to view some of the finest literary artefacts in the world.
Until next time,
Thomas
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