Material Evidence in Incunabula

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You may use right truncation for searches in the local database by adding a question mark to your search term (e.g. 'aristot?'). Please note that this does not work for searches in the ISTC database.

In order to search special aspects of the database you may use the following search codes:

• To edit in the MEI database, you need to obtain a login from the CERL Secretariat. Please contact Dr. Dondi on this matter (c.dondi@cerl.org).
• The MEI database allows for editing records on the copy level only. I.e. you may enter a description of a copy and/or several clues to provenance evidence found in the book in question. It is not possible to edit bibliographical data extracted from ISTC.
• You are encouraged, whenever possible, to link any name of place or former owner to the CERL Thesaurus. If a certain name is not available from the CERL Thesaurus, please send a short note to the CERL Secretariat or the Data Conversion Group (convert@gbv.de).
• To edit an existing copy record, click on Edit in the Copy record's headline (i.e. next to the name of the holding Institution). If you want to discard your editing without saving the record, click Cancel Editing to leave the editor.
• To add a new copy that has not yet been described in MEI, click on Add another copy… in the Editor's Menu on the left. Please note if you decide to discard your editing without saving the new copy, leave the editor by clicking Delete Copy instead of Cancel Editing.
• Please note that you cannot edit a copy while someone else is working on it. If you leave your browser window without saving the record or without unlocking it by clicking Cancel Editing and thus cannot reenter the editor, please contact the Data Conversion Group.
• Name of record creator / revisor: Please add in the 'General Notes' field of the first folder: “Created by [name]”. If the record is later revised by somebody else, add “Created by [name]. Revised by [name]”.

The first tab in your editor relates to the 'copy in general'. When changing the order of the blocks of provenance information (which should be a chronological order), make sure the 'copy in general' form remains always the first editor tab.

• Each change in ownership is recorded by the evidence found in the book or elsewhere.
• PLEASE NOTE, the purpose of the MEI database is to track the movement of the book, from the place it was printed (represented by the bibliographical information), through its first and successive owners or areas, to the library where the book is held at present; THEREFORE THE LAST BLOCK OF PROVENANCE SHOULD ALWAYS BE AN ENTRY FOR THE LIBRARY WHICH HOLDS THE BOOK TODAY, possibly with the year of its foundation.
• If more than one type of evidence relates to an ownership, please record them in the same evidence form (or block of provenance). For example, 16th century German ownership and 16th century German binding.
• To add a new block of provenance click New evidence.
• If possible provide the evidence in chronological order. To change the order of the evidence forms, move the mouse over the dotted area in the evidence tab and drag the tab slowly into the appropriate position. Please note: No evidence tab must be placed before the tab that contains the copy-specific information.
• To delete a whole Evidence description block, do the following:
  • Empty all fields and delete the entries from the Editing history.
  • Save the record.
  • Move the tab to the rightmost position.
  • Save the record.

See here for a list of fields by field identifiers (tags): List of Fields