An Enduring Digital Collection
Fifteen years after its launch, Parker Library On the Web has been rebuilt for the long run.
The Parker Library at Corpus Christi College, University of Cambridge is the renowned repository of the manuscript and printed book collection of Matthew Parker (1504 -75), Archbishop of Canterbury and Master of the College. Its wonderful rarities include the sixth-century Gospels of Augustine of Canterbury, the earliest copy of the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, the magnificent Bury Bible, the autograph copy of Matthew Paris’ Chronica majora, and many historically important works written in Anglo-Saxon and Middle English.
Parker Library On the Web began as an ambitious intercontinental partnership between the University of Cambridge and Stanford University Libraries to digitize and contextualize every one of more than 550 manuscripts in the collection. Since the website debuted in 2009, it has been continually developed, with significant enhancements enabled by the International Image Interoperability Framework, a Mirador viewer, updated manuscript descriptions, and accompanying bibliographies.
In 2018, Parker Library On the Web transformed from a partly subscription-only model to an entirely free online resource. It stands today as an exemplar of the digitization of an entire library of medieval manuscripts. Other national libraries have followed in its footsteps to make their cultural heritage treasures publicly accessible and comparable side-by-side with the Parker Library’s manuscripts.
In 2025, commencing a yearlong celebration of the website’s longevity, the Parker Library Blog stated: “From the perspective of history, considered in hundreds of years (our oldest manuscript was made over 14 centuries ago!), a decade and a half is barely even a blip. However, the collaboration between the Parker Library at Corpus Christi College, University of Cambridge and Stanford University Libraries culminated in an exceptional bright moment about 15 years ago: the launch of Parker Library On the Web.”
“When he donated his manuscripts to Cambridge in 1574, Matthew Parker famously stipulated that the volumes be transferred elsewhere if any went missing in an annual audit, and true to his vision, the collection remains intact to this day,” said Ida M. Green University Librarian Michael A. Keller. “In the same way, we are building safeguards into the infrastructure of Parker Library On the Web to ensure its sustainability, and we do believe that a digital collection can endure as long as Parker’s manuscripts on vellum and paper,” Keller added.
Discover Stanford University Libraries' remarkable journey in developing Parker Library On the Web over the past fifteen years by viewing the following videos, featuring insights from three key figures: Rare Books Curator Benjamin Albritton, Roberta Bowman Denning Professor of Humanities Elaine Treharne, and Ida M. Green University Librarian Michael A. Keller. Please note that the manuscripts visible in the videos are drawn from Stanford's Special Collections.