The Material Evidence in Incunabula (MEI) database by CERL tracks copy-specific evidence in 15th-century books.
Freely accessible and continually expanding through international collaboration.
๐ Explore MEI: data.cerl.org/mei/_search
The CERL Provenance Working Group has just published its annual newsletter, with reports on projects and ongoing research, case studies, internships and fellowships, events and publications, contributed by colleagues all over Europe.
www.cerl.org/collaboratio...
Registration is now open ๐
CERL Manuscript Librarians Working Group Conference
Collections Across Repositories: Manuscripts and their Custodians
๐ Zentralbibliothek Solothurn, Switzerland ๐๏ธ
๐
10 March 2026
To attend, email: secretariat@cerl.org
#bookhistory #manuscripts
We invite papers connecting manuscripts across repositories, professions, legal frameworks & borders - from medieval codices to born-digital records.
๐ Proposals in all European languages welcome (translation into EN/FR/DE provided).
๐ข Call for Papers | CERL Manuscript Librarians Working Group
Collections Across Repositories: Manuscripts & Their Custodians
๐
10 Mar 2026 | ๐ Solothurn ๐จ๐ญ
20-min papers & 45-min roundtables welcome.
๐ Deadline: 30 Jan 2026
๐ง daryl.green@ed.ac.uk
โญ New CERL Newsletter out now (Dec 2025)
Featuring a letter from Chair Claudia Fabian, community news, awards & grants, the Polish Provenance Database, recent seminars, upcoming bookbinding talks, and new Board members & libraries.
๐ www.cerl.org/_media/publi...
โญ New CERL blog post
โStudying the โlifeโ of Spanish incunabula at Huntington Libraryโ by Ivรกn Pรฉrez Marinas, CERL Grant recipient 2025. Based on a 4-week research stay co-financed by The Huntington Library.
๐ cerlblog.wordpress.com/2025/12/16/c...
Polish Provenance Database (PPD) Web Page
PPD Launch at the international Hinc Omnia conference, December 3, 2025, University Library in Warsaw.
Helena Nebel (DCG Gรถttingen), Wojciech Kordyzon (University Library Warsaw), Martyna Osuch (University Library Warsaw)
๐ Proud to announce that the Polish Provenance Database (PPD) has launched!
Focused on post-1500 books in Polish collections, itโs a collaboration of 17 libraries & CERL, led by the University Library of Warsaw. Work and testing of PPD in progress.
Search PPD: data.cerl.org/polish-prove...
๐
Weโre delighted you enjoyed the event. Thanks for joining us!
๐ฃ Thank you to everyone who joined us last week for a successful second seminar on Founding Collections in the 21st Century at @guildhalllibrary.bsky.social.
The recordings are available on YouTube and the proceedings will be published!
#bookhistory
Had a fantastic day today @guildhalllibrary.bsky.social listening to colleagues from across Europe present on their founding collections for the @cerl-community.bsky.social annual seminar. Thanks to all involved!
Join us in London on 5 Dec 2025 for CERLโs Seminar at Guildhall Library (guildhalllibrary.bsky.social)! Explore how Europeโs founding library collections continue to shape research today.
With support from @abararebooks.bsky.social!
Register: secretariat@cerl.org
Livestream coming soon!
๐ข New on our YouTube channel:
Maria Ruiz Fargas & Laia Navarro de Llobet explore cataloguing provenance at UBโs CRAI Rare Book & Manuscript Library.
๐ฅ Watch: www.youtube.com/watch?v=qlnN...
#bookhistory
You have another 30 minutes to ask for the link, by writing to secretariat@cerl.org!
Join us online on Thursday 13 Nov for the 5th CERL Provenance Seminar!
16:00โ16:30 Marina Ruiz Fargas & Laia Navarro de Llobet (Univ. of Barcelona)
16:30โ17:00 Mira Krall (Austrian National Library)
17:00 Discussion
Register via secretariat@cerl.org to receive link!
#bookhistory
Text: CERL Board of Directors. Background image: Photo of Claude D. Conter midspeech.
Claude D. Conter, director of the BnL, has been elected to the Board of Directors of the Consortium of European Research Libraries (@cerl-community.bsky.social) at the Annual General Meeting on 22 October 2025.
Photo: ยฉ Brainplug
Gathering in Edinburgh for CERLโs 2025 AGM ๐
Grateful to the National Library of Scotland (@natlibscot.bsky.social) for hosting us, and to everyone helping connect libraries and early printed collections across borders ๐
๐ธ Callum Ollason
Poster for CERL seminar on Founding Collections (at the Guildhall, London on 5 December 2025)
Join us for this hybrid event on Founding Collections, taking place on 5 December 2025 and hosted by the @guildhalllibrary.bsky.social
Programme and registration details on www.cerl.org/services/sem...
Due to strong interest in the seminar theme, a follow-up event will take place at Guildhall Library, London, on 5 December 2025, with proceedings from both events to be published together. We hope to see you there! @guildhalllibrary.bsky.social #bookhistory
Autumnal scene of Edinburgh, October 2025
CERL Secretariat members Marian Lefferts, Claudia Fabian and Cristina Dondi lead the CERL Annual General Meeting
Nijolฤ Klingaitฤ-Daseviฤienฤ presents on the founding collections of Vilnius University Library during the CERL Seminar
Last week, CERL held its annual seminar in Edinburgh, exploring founding collections in the 21st century ๐โจ
Huge thanks to the National Library of Scotland @natlibscot.bsky.social for hosting us so warmly! ๐๏ธ
#CERL #Libraries #BookHistory
๐ New on the CERL Blog!
Librarian Tomรกs de Brito from CERL member Ediciones Ampersand in Buenos Aires offers insights into the history of the house's library - a space that bridges publishing, scholarship, and bibliophilia.
๐๏ธ Full blog post here: cerlblog.wordpress.com/2025/10/27/e...
@bne.es
Josรฉ Luis Bueren Gรณmez-Acebo (Biblioteca Nacional de Espaรฑa) presents on the CERL Security Network at the EGATTT session during ICA 2025 Barcelona โ join online today, thereโs still time to register! #CERL #EGATTT #ICA2025 #bookhistory
Get zoom-link here: us02web.zoom.us/meeting/regi...
@natlibscot.bsky.social
Just a reminder to register for the CERL Seminar 2025 - โEngaging with Founding Collections in the 21st Centuryโ - on 21 Oct at the National Library of Scotland, Edinburgh.
Free to attend (registration required): secretariat@cerl.org
#bookhistory
Speaking at the @cerl-community.bsky.social Collection Security Summer School in @nlireland.bsky.social and glad to see this ๐๐๐ I hope nobody lights that fire!๐ฅ
For the past month RIA Library has been delighted to welcome Madeline Birnbaum, Assistant Archivist at the Boston University School of Theology Library, to the Reading Room. Madeleine was awarded a @cerl-community.bsky.social grant to undertake provenance research into the Charles Haliday collection
๐In Memoriam: Ulf Gรถranson
We are deeply saddened to learn of the passing of our former Chairman, Ulf Gรถranson on 20 July 2025.
His leadership, vision, and generosity have left a lasting impact, and we remember him with immense gratitude and respect. ๐ฟ
๐ New on our blog: 900 years after Cosmas of Pragueโs Chronicle of the Czechs, the National Library marks the anniversary with #Cosmas900 (24 Septโ24 Oct 2025), uniting manuscripts from across Europe.
Read: cerlblog.wordpress.com/2025/08/04/c...
#CzechHistory #Manuscripts #CulturalHeritage
๐ฐ๏ธ How would you draw time?
Thatโs what kids were asked at Lambeth Palace Libraryโs workshop tied to the Unfolding Time exhibition.
Read in our latest CERL blog post how this creative outreach brought medieval calendars to life for 200+ London pupils.
๐ cerlblog.wordpress.com/2025/07/28/z...
