5 March 2022

The Institute of Historical Research, School of Advanced Study, London, hosted a one hour webinar in which Research Fellow Louise Gardener discussed her research into the Edinburg University Library manuscript EUL MS 183, more commonly known as the Royal Letter Book. This is a book of bound letters dating from the reign of Richard II (1377-1399). Louise described how these letters are not originals, but instead copies which are thought to have been used as a type of style guide. They are bound in three distinct sections and are out of chronological order (for more details on the history physical traits and contents of the letters, see this blog post from 2016).

As working with rare books and manuscripts is one of my career goals, I like to attend webinars such as this to learn more about how and why people study manuscripts, what can be learnt from the study, and how this knowledge is used within the fields of manuscript and library studies. Louise’s talk was an interesting insight into how manuscripts are studied and showed how other disciplines such as palaeography and provenance studies factor into understanding the secrets of manuscripts. Louise’s study also has a direct impact in the field of library studies through the production of a calendar of the letters.

The calendar that Louise is producing will allow the contents to be better understood in chronological order increasing the usability of the manuscript by researchers in various fields. The EUL is already using her findings to create more detailed cataloguing entries for the manuscript. The more details that can be provided for the cataloguing of manuscripts increases their findability and accessibility. I was told by one of my subject co-ordinators, that one of the best ways to learn and understand catalogue and metadata records is to search for and study them in online library catalogues or databases. I have been able to use the catalogue records of MS 183 as well as the digitised copies of the letters to gain a greater understanding of the work and detail required for cataloguing rare books. I have been able to use this to gain an insight into the work of a rare book and manuscript cataloguer which has helped to confirm my chosen career goals.