New Training Programing in Imaging Ancient Manuscripts

Proposals for Round Two of USC’S TRAINING Program for scholars, conservators, library and museum professionals, archivists and researchers in the use of Reflectance Transformation imaging (RTI) for documenting ancient texts and artifacts, including the loan of imaging equipment, are due January 15, 2013. CALL FOR PROPOSALS (ROUND TWO) The University of Southern California’s West Semitic Research Project (www.usc.edu/dept/LAS/wsrp) has just approved the first applicants for training in Reflectance Transformation Imaging (RTI). The projects that have been accepted include RTI documentation of: • Egyptian graffiti incised on stone blocks • Wax and lead tablets and clay seals ranging from the first century BCE to the eighth century CE • Egyptian quartzite statues • Korean artifacts The Training Program is funded by grants from the Institute for Museum and Library Services (IMLS) Laura Bush 21st Century Librarian Program and the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation. The IMLS and the Mellon Foundation have also funded the purchase of imaging equipment to support the Training Program. The objective of this project is to develop an infrastructure for training scholars in the use of RTI technology and subsequently to lend the necessary imaging equipment to participants in the training program so they can do an initial RTI documentation project either in field environments (archaeological sites, etc.) or in libraries, museums and/or other similar venues, worldwide. This initial undertaking should be understood to be a pilot project that can develop into an ongoing, broader documentary effort and preferably may also serve as the catalyst for establishing a scholarly network consortium for image documentation of a given corpus (or corpora) of ancient texts and/or artifacts. All equipment to be lent out is both rugged and compact and is thus ideal for doing sophisticated imaging in remote locations. Twenty-four awards over three years (approximately eight per year) for traineeships will be provided based on the merit and intrinsic importance of a proposed pilot imaging project as well as the appropriateness of the subject matter for RTI imaging. The next deadline for applying to the training program is January 15, 2013, followed by another deadline of April 15, 2013. For more information, see http://www.usc.edu/dept/LAS/wsrp/Training_Program.pdf, http://www.usc.edu/dept/LAS/wsrp/projects/imls.shtml, or contact Marilyn Lundberg (mlundber@usc.edu) or Bruce Zuckerman (bzuckerm@usc.edu).