Our second Alumni Zoom Talk this term takes place on Thursday 17th November, 7pm-8pm. Presented by Amélie Deblauwe, Senior Photographer for the Cambridge University Library Digital Content Unit. 

With upwards of 9 million volumes and over 600 years of history, Cambridge University Library is one of the largest research libraries in the world. The most precious and unique items, covering vast areas of human knowledge and experience, are kept within its Special Collections. Making these Special Collections available to anyone, anywhere, and at any time is one of the objectives of the University Library's Digital Content Unit. 

In the DCU, state of the art photography is used to image everything from fragile parchment manuscripts to papyrus, via medieval scrolls or cuneiform clay tablets. Additionally, new investigative techniques are constantly being developed to create a deeper understanding of the documents. Multispectral imaging is capable of revealing text erased centuries ago, while 3D imaging can shed new light on items otherwise well known. This talk will give you an overview of the wealth of materials hosted in CUL and the great lengths to which its photographers go to digitally preserve them and make them accessible to the general public.

If you would like to join this Alumni Zoom Talk, please email alumni@darwin.cam.ac.uk