Archives and the Middle Ages: Materials for History

Abstract

Archivists and rare-book librarians, necessarily well trained in Medieval Studies, work every day to preserve critical historical documents. They make these documents freely available to scholar researchers and to the general public, whom they assist by reading old manuscripts, explaining the medieval languages, and sharing historical information. But they are also careful to collect new documents, even ones that were undiscovered, and to restore them when necessary. By means of their publications or the exhibitions they create, they contribute deeply to the general knowledge of the past. They are the custodians of the memory of humanity.