Reconstructing Nicholas Crouch: conserving a seventeenth-century medical reader (360G-Wellcome-200566_Z_16_Z)

Balliol College proposes an exciting project to open up a truly inter-disciplinary collection, one where printed books become manuscripts, and the Sciences and Humanities meet: the library of Nicholas Crouch (ca.1618-1690), Oxford medical academic and practitioner. Balliol College has a strong commitment to its historic collections, including bespoke facilities and dedicated staff to support teaching, research and public outreach. We look to the Wellcome Trust to help us extend our finite resources to employ specialist staff to meet our ambitious project goals. Key goals Catalogue: Reunite Nicholas Crouch's library, creating bibliographic records to international standards for its 4000 early printed titles. Reveal the wealth of unique manuscript material within Crouch's collection through full antiquarian copy-specific notes for his printed books and archival records for his 11 manuscripts. Create the framework for future digitisation. Conserve: Stabilise the text-blocks and bindings to prevent loss of information and allow the volumes to be accessed for digitisation, exhibition, research, teaching and outreach. Box items and move them to PD5454 compliant, secure storage. Communicate: Promote the resources and knowledge created by the project to a wide range of audiences especially in the medical humanities.