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Cambridge University Library

 

The Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall will have the chance to meet staff from Cambridge University Library during a special visit to the University of Cambridge on Tuesday 29 November. The royal visit is being hosted at the Fitzwilliam Museum and will mark the museum’s 200th anniversary and Cambridge University Library’s 600th.

During their visit, Their Royal Highnesses will be introduced to some of the Library’s digitisation techniques. Experts from the Library will demonstrate the support of fragile items, book handling, colour management and, to demonstrate photogrammetry (mapping), they will exhibit a scan of a 3000 year-old Chinese ‘oracle bone’ made in collaboration with Addenbrooke’s Hospital for the Library’s 600th anniversary celebrations.

Their Royal Highnesses will also be shown rare items from the Library’s major 600th exhibition, Lines of Thought, including Charles Darwin’s own copy of On the origin of species by means of natural selection (1859), Andreas Vesalius De humani corporis fabrica librorum epitome (1543), and an illuminated 16th Century copy of the Shāhnāmah, the famous epic of the Persian Kings.

The Library delegation includes staff of all levels from all parts of the Library system, as well as volunteers and representatives of the Friends of the Library. There will also be the opportunity for staff to discuss the Library’s active and critical role in research.

As well as meeting representatives from both the Fitzwilliam Museum and Library, Their Royal Highnesses will meet other representatives of University-led and local outreach, education and development initiatives, and pupils from local schools and colleges.

Picture: A Chinese oracle bone. Click here to view the high-resolution image of the bone, which measures about 9x14cm, knitted together using 1.3 million aspects to allow a seamless view of its entire surface.