Album studiosorum of Szczecin-based academic schools and its subsequent editions

Abstract

The aim of this article is to describe the task of preparing two forms of editions of historical matriculation registers from the collections of the Pomeranian Library in Szczecin, carried out by the library staff. It may serve as an inspiration for curators of rare books and manuscripts in other institutions. An additional goal is to popularize knowledge about these sources and their potential use – both in their original form and in the prepared editions – by researchers and other interested parties. Methods: The article employs a descriptive method. It briefly characterizes the historical documents, including their history, content, and source value, and discusses the assumptions behind the two forms of editions, which offer users different possibilities for searching and analyzing the data contained in the original documents. Results and conclusions: The article explains the motivations behind undertaking the editorial task, which include: 1) the reintegration of protected documents into academic circulation, and 2) the fulfillment of the obligation to study collections and disseminate the results of these studies, which is a responsibility of the staff of academic libraries. The article highlights the differences between the two forms of editions, their advantages and disadvantages, and how they complement each other. The main advantage of printed editions is the full presentation of the content and structure of the documents, along with an introductory section and translation of the narrative parts of the sources. On the other hand, the database allows for quick content searches using various search categories and the ability to update data as new findings emerge. The limitation of printed editions is the restricted searchability – only through personal and geographical indexes – and their fixed, closed form. In the case of the database, the downside is the absence of certain elements from the original documents and the lower durability of the electronic format compared to printed works. The article also points out the potential of academic libraries to carry out and securely preserve the results of such projects.