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RARE TREASURES IN DIGITAL
COLLECTIONS
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When we endeavour to share the
Library and Information Service’s digital heritage treasures online, we
often follow a two-pronged approach. On the one hand, we want to make
frequently-used material, which is in high demand, openly accessible to
our users. On the other hand though, we also want to draw attention to
lesser known and unique items, which would probably remain undiscovered
if they were to remain solely on a bookshelf.
Two such treasures which have recently
been digitised and made available on
SUNDigital Collections are the handwritten memoirs of a Scottish
missionary in South Africa dating from the late 19th century
and a handwritten Dutch ship’s journal from the 18th century.
Both these original manuscripts form part of the Africana collection of
the Library and Information Service.
The
Dundas L Erskine collection on SUNDigital Collections is a digitised
version of a journal entitled “Some notes of a trip to South Africa in
1884-5” – an account of Scottish missionary Reverend Dundas Logan
Erskine's voyage to South Africa, his stay in Cape Town and Stellenbosch
and his extensive travels in the Eastern Cape. Different sections of the
entire diary have been uploaded as separate pdf files.
The second collection,
Journaal gehouden in het schip Meyenbergh, is a digitised copy of a
handwritten Dutch manuscript which recorded the voyages of the Dutch
East India Company’s ships “Meyenbergh” from the Netherlands to the Cape
of Good Hope in 1728, and “d’Eendragt”, sailing from Batavia to the Cape
of Good Hope in 1743. The pdf format of the digital version allows the
reader to zoom into great detail and read the elaborate cursive
handwriting of the unknown author.
Thanks to digital technology we can be
transported to the past to not only experience first-hand accounts of
adventures long gone, but also to gain access to unique primary research
material from the comfort of our own home or office.
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SELDSAME SKATTE IN
SUNDIGITAL COLLECTIONS
Wanneer ons die Biblioteek- en
Inlitingsdiens se digitale erfenisskatte aanlyn beskikbaar maak, volg
ons soms ‘n tweeledige benadering. Ons wil graag materiaal wat in
aanvraag is en baie gebruik word, beskikbaar maak vir gebruikers, maar
ons wil ook die aandag vestig op minder bekende en unieke items wat dalk
op ‘n boekrak verborge sou bly.
Twee skatte wat onlangs gedigitaliseer is
en op
SUNDigital Collections beskikbaar gemaak is, is die handgeskrewe memoirs van ‘n Skotse
sendeling in Suid-Afrika uit die laat 19de eeu en ‘n Nederlandse
skeepsjoernaal uit die 18de eeu. Albei hierdie oorspronklike manuskripte
vorm deel van die Africana-versameling van die Biblioteek- en
Inligtingsdiens.
Die
Dundas L Erskine-versameling op SUNDigital Collecitons is ‘n
digitale weergawe van die joernaal getiteld “Some notes of a trip to
South Africa in 1884-5” – die verhaal van die Skotse sendeling, Logan
Erskine, se reis na Suid-Afrika, sy verblyf in Kaapstad en Stellenbosch,
en sy daaropvolgende reise in die Oos-Kaap. Verskillende dele van die
boek is opgelaai as aparte pdf lêers.
Die tweede versameling,
Journaal gehouden in het schip Meyenbergh, is ‘n gedigitaliseerde
kopie van ‘n handgeskrewe Nederlandse manuskrip wat die vaarte van twee
VOC-skepe, die “Meyenbergh” van Nederland na die Kaap in 1728, en
“d’Eendragt”, van Batavia na die Kaap in 1743, beskryf. Die pdf-formaat
van die digitale weergawe laat die leser toe om die teks te vergroot en
sodoende die kursiewe handskrif van die onbekende skrywer in detail te
bestudeer.
Danksy tegnologie kan ons weggevoer word
na die verlede om nie net eerstehandse beskrywings van vergete
wedervaringe te ondervind nie, maar ook om vanuit ons huise of kantore toegang te verkry
tot unieke
primêre navorsingsbronne.
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