Zeta Books

Zeta Books este o noua editura care si-a facut aparitia pe piata editoriala din Romania. Momentul este la fel de bun ca oricare altul, numai ca amplitudinea pe care o doresc fondatorii face sa apara ca avem de-a face cu o intreprindere sisifica. Intr-o perioada in care editurile traditionale din spatiul nostru cultural isi ocupa cea mai mare parte a timpului cu reeditarile, Zeta Books propune o deschidere editoriala nu doar inspre titlurile romanesti, ci mai ales inspre cele cu audienta internationala. Multa bafta!

URL: http://www.zetabooks.com/

Ethics & Compliance Officer Training Program

SMART SOLUTIONS & SUPPORT, Romania, has launched the first professional training program for Ethics and Compliance officers. The program is unique and exclusive for Europe and the global market. It includes three modules: Ethics & Compliance Officer; Ethics & Compliance Audit Techniques; and Ethical Decision-Making and Conflict Resolution. At the end of the three modules, participants will receive and international certification developed by the company and its partners.

More details can be obtained at: www.omnisolutions.ro

Internet, Research Resources, and Scientific Community

It is an obvious fact that Internet has increased in size exponentially over the last 10 years. Today, more and more people read daily news via RSS or classical websites; more and more people use Internet to find basic and scientific information about anything from any period of time; and more and more people use it to communicate. So, in this context, the fact that Internet has been also transformed into a huge research resources repository is not a news anymore. The Vatican Curia kept itself connected to the latest technologies and developed its own web platforms in order to inform about its activities, help missionaries in their efforts and let the believers be in constant contact with what the Christian Catholic "headquarters". But it also gives access to researcher to its huge libraries and helps young scholars specialize in historical sciences (archaeology, diplomatics, paleography, and so on).

Archivum Secretum Apostolicum Vaticanum is one of the major virtual spaces that contains a lot of information about medieval manuscripts and the science of paleography. The website is like a library without walls: all the information is there, the shelves are there, the catalogues as well, but there is free and unrestricted access to its funds. Unfortunately, something are still only in print and you need to buy them directly. Otherwise, ASAV is one great site to use it for study, research or teaching.

The Schøyen Collection held by Martin Schøyen contains "720 manuscripts spanning over 5000 years". The purpose of the Schøyen webplatform is to preserve the written treasures. Many manuscripts are digitized and published there (fragments), but the idea was not to be a library. Instead of a library, we get a chest full of gold bars.

Another web media that becomes more used by the Internauts is the blog. PECIA: Le manuscrit médiéval is one example. It contains news, comments and scientific information about the world of medieval manuscripts. The blog is kept by a bunch of scholars that also host the PECIA website.

In my opinion, all three examples represent three good arguments for the idea that Internet is changing its nature from functioning as an unreliable source to a scientific community with open access research resources available wherever you are. The only problem we have with this huge information flow is that we are not able to follow it, to get down its strings and be confident that what it is said is true. I think in the near future several major problems will alarm researchers and make them feel uncomfortable about the information flow. One of these problem will concern exactly the authority of the source. Now, we are still living the excitement over the benefits of Internet, which are, by the way, real benefits.

Book Wheels

Although not a scientific article, here is a very interesting post on XVI-th century book wheels. At the end of the post, the blogger published a picture of Prof. Anthony Grafton in his office. Prof. Grafton is one of the most authoritative scholar in Renaissance studies.

• Ramelli's illustration (1588's Dell' Artificione machine)

Ancient Commentators of Aristotle at OCLA

A cross-post on neoplatonism@ group captured my attention. The post was about the launching of Oxford Centre for Late Antiquity (OCLA), a new research body served by over 50 fellows from Oxford University plus graduate students, all interested in Late Antiquity, i.e., "the period between approximately 250 and 750 CE".

The Centre brought under its roof several research projects that were scattered among Oxford faculties. In one of these projects, I have a particular interest: Ancient Commentators of Aristotle, directed by Richard Sorabji, with the help of John Sellars.

Biblioteca Vaticana - closed for 3 years

Today, looking for some information on the website of the famous Biblioteca Vaticana, I learnt that it will be closed for three (yes, 3) years -- I would say three long years -- "for important renovations". The starting date was July 14, 2007.

Now, for all of you in need of manuscripts from the Biblioteca Vaticana there is one more chance to get the materials -- the Library of St. Louis University holds an important Vatican manuscripts repository gathered together under Knights of Columbus Vatican Film Library.

Oh, I've almost forgot to mentioned that the prices are the same as for the Biblioteca Apostolica copies.