The Manuscripts and Archives Research Library (M&ARL) is the new name for what was once the Manuscripts Department within Trinity College Library Dublin. The re-naming, and the front-and-centre presence on the Library’s re-designed website (http://www.tcd.ie/Library/) serves to draw attention to the presence of a significant collection of historical and literary manuscripts and archives.
Trinity College Dublin’s manuscripts collections are very varied in chronological range, in format and in subject. They range from the Book of Kells to the archives of the University itself over 400 years. One of our key collecting strands is modern literary papers in Irish and English. We number among our collections the papers of Samuel Beckett; John Banville; Jennifer Johnston; the Irish-language author Martín Ó Cadhain; the ‘lost’ Man Booker winner J.G. Farrell; Edith Somerville; James Stephens; John B. Keane; George MacBeth and others.
The absence of an online catalogue has impeded access to this collection: the catalogues have, for the most part, only been available within the Library with the obvious effect of keeping them hidden, to an extent, from the national and international research community.
No longer! The Library is pleased to announce that its manuscripts catalogues are now available online. The Manuscripts & Archives Online Catalogue (MARLOC), can be accessed at http://marloc.library.tcd.ie/
We trust the opening up of our collections through our new online catalogue will usher in an era of enhanced interest and use of these and others of our materials and we welcome comments and questions.
Jane Maxwell
Project Manager
Manuscripts & Archives Online Catalogue
Trinity College Library Dublin
Many congratulations to the M&ARL team on the launch of such a fantastic resource. Looking forward to many hours of searching your unique collections.