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Places

Explore the many countries, cities and institutions of HMML’s fieldwork sites.

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People

Meet some of the people, communities and traditions who are part of HMML’s global team.

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Manuscripts

Learn more about the manuscripts in HMML’s digital and microfilm collections.

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    • Preserve

    HMML has photographed more than 250,000 handwritten texts from 550+ partner libraries around the world.

    • Share

    HMML permanently archives the images, describes their contents, and makes them available online.

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    Visit vHMML.org to access
    thousands of items across
    HMML's many collections.

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    Latest News

    National Endowment for the Humanities names Fr. Columba Stewart, OSB, the 2019 Jefferson Lecturer. Learn more.

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    The HMML Journey

    Step 1: Connect

    HMML staff search for endangered or inaccessible manuscripts, meet those responsible for them, and agree on a partnership. Projects employ local people to preserve their own cultural heritage.

    Step 2: Preserve

    Digital imaging captures the contents and physical attributes of each manuscript. Images are archived using best-practice methods to ensure availability even if the original is lost.

    Step 3: Share

    Experts located around the world describe the contents of the manuscripts. All images are available online for free in vHMML Reading Room.

    Our Global Work

    Since its founding at Saint John's University in 1965, HMML has partnered with libraries in more than 20 countries to photograph historic manuscripts in dozens of languages. Many are accessible only through HMML’s images. Some of the original manuscripts were later destroyed, stolen, lost, or moved for safekeeping. These and many other manuscripts are accessible only through HMML’s images.

    Visit the Places

    Connecting Communities

    HMML works with librarians, religious leaders, governmental authorities, and other not-for-profit organizations to preserve the contents of historic and endangered manuscripts.

    Meet the People

    A World of Manuscripts

    HMML holds the world’s largest collection of resources for the study of manuscript cultures across Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and South Asia.
    View the Collections

    Support our mission

    HMML ensures that manuscripts threatened by war, disasters, looting and neglect are preserved and accessible for future generations. Support HMML and receive exclusive updates on our work. Questions? Contact Katrina Schlude, Director of Advancement, 320-363-2095
    Become a Donor