The Catalogue of Manuscripts Relating to Voltaire: new approaches to digital cataloguing

The Catalogue of Manuscripts Relating to Voltaire/Catalogue des manuscrits relatifs à Voltaire (CMV) pushes the boundaries of what can be achieved in a manuscript catalogue, both in terms of the granular entries it provides and the digital architecture underpinning the resource. As an open-access, online catalogue, CMV features entries for manuscripts held in diverse global collections, uniting these in a single place for the first time. Producing a data model to accommodate these diverse manuscripts in a way that is dynamic and accessible has presented some challenges, for which custom solutions have been built. This project report discusses the construction of the catalogue, providing an overview of its digital architecture, and exploring how and why CMV represents a positive step forward in digital cataloguing.