Open up! Disclosing heritage for research and ‘the people’. A double-win approach Nele Gabriels & Bruno Vandermeulen University Library, KU Leuven

University University Library UL Central Services Digitisation Imaging Lab Who we are

What we do Digitisation Curators Research Education Analogue materials ULCS Metadata Services LIBIS (LIS Provider) Digital content Digital Archiving & OPAC Customers Partnerships

1.Content availability Closed books in need of opening up 2. Academic context Alliance with research: double-win Assets

Researchers are… 1. Our public => catalogue-based accessibility => collection-based virtual libraries KU Leuven, Ms. 201, link from LIMO (discovery and delivery interface) to Mets viewer (left); representation within the virtual collection of lecture notes from the ancient University of Leuven (LECTIO platform; right) (infrastructure development / implementation: LIBIS).

1.Our public 2.Our clients: - Research needs => new tools (post-imaging: iiiF, OCR; during imaging: Reflectance transformation & MS imaging) -Funding Researchers are… KU Leuven, Ms. 201(l) and Ms. C5 (r) in iiiF viewer (Mirador) (development: LIBIS) KU Leuven, EBIB HIST L-BE MIT 1901 (awaiting OCR)

1.Our public 2.Our clients 3.Our infrastructure developers -Hardware -Software Researchers are… Prototype of Portable Light Dome, developed for the digitisation of cuneiform texts (development: ESAT, KU Leuven)

Research question (Illuminare): -Studying the working method of medieval scribes, illuminators and print makers -Looking for new tools for no-touch interactive exploration of the material characteristics of graphic materials in a non-destructive way Case: Art-technical imaging

Available: Portable Light Dome (Photometric stereo; ESAT, KU Leuven) -Multidirectional lighting -Interactive object display (viewer) -Fine measurements and height profiles of object surfaces (2D+ models) Case: Art-technical imaging

Answer: Microdome -Shape adjusted to physical requirements of fragile books with tight bindings -Versatile usage (on table, with tripod or Conservation Copy Stand) Case: Art-technical imaging

Microdome, RICH project (development: ESAT, KU Leuven)

Result: Microdome -Shape adjusted to physical requirements of fragile books with tight bindings -Compatible with tripod, Conservation Copy Stand, … -Combination of multi-directional lighting and digital filters => uncovers ‘invisible’ data Case: Art-technical imaging

UntreatedTreated Height profile comparison Antiphonary

Application: -Non-destructive art-technical research -Instrument in determining and monitoring conservation treatments Case: Art-technical imaging Follow-up project: Multi-Spectral imaging -In-depth digital analysis (UV, BGR, IR) -Objective data gathering re. pigments and scribal/illuminating techniques -Mapping XRF to spectral data, creating a chart for pigment reaction to MS light

KU Leuven, BTAB, MS1993, fol. 8r with normal and IR light Visual spectra FCIR: IR, G, B KU Leuven, GBIB, MS1 (Anjou Bible), fol. 1v

KU Leuven, GBIB, MS1 (Anjou Bible), fol. 1v as viewed in the Portable Light Dome viewer (adjusted to enable interactive exploration of multi-spetral data)

Society Research questions Imaging Team up digitisation and research! Double win

ULCS Digitisation CS Digital Imaging Lab Faculty of Arts University Library Teaming up digitisation and Leuven

Society Research questions Imaging ULCS Digitisation CS Digital Imaging Lab Open up! Disclosing heritage for research and ‘the people’. A double-win approach Nele Gabriels & Bruno Vandermeulen University Library, KU Leuven