An open research documentation for the "Bamberg Treasures"

Abstract

The Bamberg State Library boasts an extensive collection of historical holdings comprising around 6,400 manuscripts and 130,000 prints dating from the 15th to the 19th century. This collection has long been the subject of scholarly interest, prompting the creation of a card index in the 1960s to document research publications covering the `Bamberg Treasures´. In the 2000s, we upgraded to a local Access database, with annual data exports made publicly available online. Currently, the database contains almost 11,500 metadata records for about 3,500 manuscripts. However, the limitations of this software meant that researchers had no way to explore the research papers or export publication lists themselves. To address this, we initiated a migration project to explore better options for documenting and sharing research findings. After careful consideration with our colleagues from the University Library we decided to use Zotero, an open-source reference management software that allows users to create and share research projects via the Zotero Web Library. This facilitates access to the research documentation from the digital copy of a manuscript. In addition, Zotero offers a variety of import and export formats, providing flexibility for subsequent use of the data.