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-------- Original Message --------Subject: changes at the British LibraryDate: Sun, 28 Feb 2010 17:42:31 -0600From: voigtslReply-To: voigtslTo: MEDMED-L@ASU.EDUReferences: AColleagues,I have recently returned from a research trip inEngland and write to report on another developmentfor those who study manuscripts. This informationis second hand, but it comes from a staff memberin the (now olim) Dept. of Manuscripts, so I believeit is reliable. I do not want to be alarmist, but thisinformation may be of use if you have plans to workin the British Library.On 18 February, the CEO [sic] of the British Libraryannounced a re-organization of the BL. Many existingDepartments are being abolished, including theDepartment of Manuscripts, which will, as I understandit, be subsumed in something called History andClassics. The head of MSS no longer has a position,although he may apply for a new post. It is by no meansclear what all the implications of this change will be,especially for readers, but one consequence appears tobe that MSS may now be catalogued in a new Departmentof Cataloguing, and not necessarily by experts inpaleography and codicology as is now the case in theDepartment of Manuscripts.Again, this re-organization may have little impact onreaders, but at least it may be useful for those whowork with medieval manuscripts to know of these changesat the British Library.all best, Lindap.s., I also was told from what I believe is a goodauthority that a chair in palaeography at Oxford hasrecently been endowed, although it will not be filled fora couple of years. Perhaps Larry Eldredge can tellus more about that.Linda Ehrsam VoigtsCurators' Professor of English EmeritaUniversity of Missouri-Kansas CityKansas City, MO 64110 USAVOIGTSL@UMKC.EDU