Transformation of the Codex Sinaiticus into a digital tool

该项目计划耗时两年，目的是提供一个面向未来的、基于iiif的在线门户网站，专门介绍西奈抄本，不仅允许学者详细访问，还允许他们直接在门户网站中工作，并实现简单的机器处理。西奈抄本（Codex Sinaiticus）是现存最古老的圣经手稿之一，也是第一个完整包含新约的手稿，它被伦敦的大英图书馆、莱比锡大学图书馆、西奈的圣凯瑟琳修道院和圣彼得堡的俄罗斯国家图书馆以不同大小的部分保存着。在2005年至2011年期间，在DFG德国研究基金会资助的一个项目下进行了重要的工作，其结果可以在www.codexsinaiticus.org.The平台上访问，该平台包括以上所有页面的高分辨率数字副本，完整文本的字母精确转录以及对羊皮纸叶子非文本不规则性的详细描述。然而，所有与研究有关的信息主要是为在屏幕上观看而准备的，只能通过基本的、很大程度上非标准化的形式通过接口访问。此外，该软件的界面功能也不再满足当今用户的期望。由于所使用的技术体系结构，显著改进当前门户需要付出不成比例的努力。因此，为了使数字数据得到最佳利用，已决定采用既定的数据存储和提供标准。国际图像互操作性框架（IIIF）将用于数字图像和相关数据的传输和显示。包括莱比锡大学图书馆（Leipzig University Library）在内的知名机构组成的广泛社区正在不断努力改进标准接口，并开发开源软件，这将大大简化计划中的门户网站的后续扩展。该项目涉及为《西奈法典》创建一个基于iiif的门户网站，并实施两种使用模式：a)直接在虚拟环境中工作；b)以现代的、可扩展的形式并在免费许可下进一步处理丰富的数据。与当前门户相比，不会丢失功能。设计和用户体验专家将参与其中，以保证出色的用户体验，并将要求主要目标群体的代表提供反馈，即国际圣经研究人员和世界各地的圣经专家。莱比锡大学图书馆独立主办了目前的展示，并计划在自己的力量下运营新的门户网站。该项目的所有开发成果将在开源许可下免费重用。

The aim of the project, which is scheduled to take two years, is to provide a future-proof, IIIF-based online portal devoted to the Codex Sinaiticus which not only grants scholars detailed access but also allows them to work directly in the portal and enables simple machine processing.The Codex Sinaiticus, one of the oldest surviving Bible manuscripts and the first to contain the New Testament in its entirety, is held in different-sized portions by the British Library in London, Leipzig University Library, St Catherine’s Monastery in Sinai, and the Russian National Library in St Petersburg. Between 2005 and 2011, significant work was carried out under a project funded by the DFG German Research Foundation, the results of which can be accessed on the platform www.codexsinaiticus.org.The platform includes above high-resolution digital copies of all pages, a letter-exact transcription of the complete text and detailed descriptions of non-textual irregularities of the parchment leaves. However, all information relevant for research has been primarily prepared for on-screen viewing and can only be accessed via interfaces in a rudimentary, largely non-standardized form. Moreover, the software’s interface functions no longer meet the expectations of today’s users. Significantly improving the current portal would require disproportionate effort owing to the technical architecture used.Therefore, to permit the optimum use of the digital data, it has been decided to employ established standards for data storage and provision. The International Image Interoperability Framework (IIIF) is to be used for the transmission and display of digital images and related data. A broad community of renowned institutions, including Leipzig University Library, is continuously working to improve the standard interfaces and to develop open source software that will considerably simplify subsequent enlargements of the planned portal.The project involves the creation of a IIIF-based portal for the Codex Sinaiticus with the implementation of two modes of use: a) directly working in a virtual environment; and b) the further processing of the enriched data in a modern, extensible form and under free licenses. There will be no loss of functions compared to the current portal. Design and UX experts will be involved to guarantee an outstanding user experience, and feedback will be requested from representatives of the primary target groups, i.e. international Bible researchers and Bible experts across the world.Leipzig University Library independently hosts the current presentation and also plans to operate the new portal under its own steam. All development results of the project will be made available for free reuse under open-source licenses.