Dr. Jennifer Carnell joined the staff at HMML in 2023 as Cataloger of Western Manuscripts. She holds a BA in English and German from Stetson University in central Florida and an MA and PhD in Germanic Studies with an emphasis on Medieval Studies from the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities. While at the University of Minnesota, Carnell taught undergraduate and graduate courses in modern German and participated in HMML’s paleography program, the Minnesota Manuscript Research Lab (MMRL), where she first learned in-depth about HMML’s mission. She has developed online resources for undergraduate researches using early modern books, and she has presented work at many conferences, especially the yearly International Congress on Medieval Studies at Western Michigan University. Carnell continues to partner with the Center for Premodern Studies at the University of Minnesota in their Medieval Books in the Schools outreach program.

Now at HMML, Carnell improves the catalog information of HMML’s microfilms of Western European manuscripts, particularly those photographed at German and Austrian libraries, in order to prepare the manuscripts for HMML Reading Room.

What she enjoys most about her work: “I am honored to have a role in improving access to knowledge for an international community of researchers, especially by opening new avenues for intercultural and interlingual research, which is a passion of mine. While the world seems to be growing more divided, I feel even more motivated to assist HMML's larger goal of preserving the knowledge and faith traditions of many cultures and building bridges. Every day, I learn something new and interact with amazing colleagues.”

Stories by Dr. Jennifer Carnell

•   Postscript — A Legacy of Female Literacy
•   Anna Roede and the Fight for Sovereignty
•   Sacred Gingerbread in Southern Germany
•   What Does the Fox Say? A Hierarchy of Animal Voices
•   Visualizing the Audible: Depictions of Music in a Medieval German Manuscript
•   Do You Hear What I Hear? The Audible and Inaudible in Medieval Music