MIchigan Collection: machine serachable inventory

All 7076 inventory numbers that form the type-written Inventory book of the University of Michigan Papyrus Collection have now been entered into the APIS database. For now they are only searchable at the local site http://quod.lib.umich.edu/cgi/i/image/image-idx?c=apis&page=search , but eventually they will also be available through the Papyrological Navigator. The unpublished papyri are in the database with only brief descriptions, and as imaging progresses, will be accompanied by a thumbnail image.

This does not mean we are done, of course. We now have to venture into the uncataloged part of the collection, the many fragments in what Traianos always called the don't-sneeze-boxes, when he showed them during tours. This will be quite an exciting adventure, adding many more inventory numbers (This to prevent claims that the slight disagreement over which is the largest north-American collection is now settled...)

All this would not have been possible without the tireless efforts of Nikos Litinas, who in the past years has spent every summer here in Ann Arbor, making sure that we have now reached this milestone. Thank you, Nikos. His presence in Ann Arbor the last two summers was supported by the Office of the Vice President of Research and the College of Literature, Science and the Arts.

Thanks,

--arthur

Arthur Verhoogt

Acting Archivist

U-M Papyrology Collection