What is Facsimile Finder for Libraries?

FF4L (for short) is a database of all medieval manuscript facsimiles available in your library. Read the guide below to learn how to use the search features.

The ultimate tool to find and locate medieval manuscript facsimiles in your library holdings.

Manuscript Feature Search

You can search facsimiles according to the historical features of the original manuscript. Need a Gothic manuscript written in French and produced in the British Islands in the 13th century? Then make the most of our faceted search to locate the facsimiles available in your library!

Keyword Search

Perform a database-wide search using keywords. This way you can type in any free text such as influences, workshops, or artists of the facsimile you want. The search engine will run through all the data and records, fetching the most relevant manuscript facsimiles in your library collection.

The selection of keywords and facets allows you to narrow-down the number of results.

Interesting & Useful features

Manuscript Feature Search

You can search facsimiles according to the historical features of the original manuscript. Need a facsimile of a Gothic manuscript written in French and produced in the British Isles in the 13th Century? Then make the most of our faceted search to locate the facsimiles available in your library!

Manuscript Date Search

Which is more relevant, the publication date of the facsimile or the production date of the manuscript? Until today, you could only search by facsimile date in your library catalog. From now on, you will be able to use three different filters to perform date-based searches: you can search by range, century, or historical period.

Keyword Search

Perform a database-wide search using keywords: essential in finding manuscripts made by or with the influence of an artist, workshop, etc. The search engine will run through all the data and records, fetching the most relevant manuscript facsimiles in your library collection.

Gorgeous photos

Look out for the “Photo by Facsimile Finder” label: that’s a photo we’ve taken to show the actual appearance of the facsimiles. In all other cases, you’ll know if it’s a “Publisher” photo, or a picture of the original manuscript.

AutoCorrect

Do not worry about typos! If you mistype a keyword, our search engine will suggest the closest word in the database. Moreover, if you type a keyword that is also a filter, the search engine will suggest its use. Overall, you will get obtain more accurate results by using the filters instead of the corresponding keyword.

Consolidated Information View

All the information you need is conveniently placed in plain view. First, a concise Codicology box offers you an overview of the essential historical details, then, a longer description provides the compelling story of the manuscript. If your library owns one or more facsimiles of the same manuscript, all editions will be listed under the manuscript.

Desktop & Mobile

You can browse through our database from your computer, your tablet, and even your smartphone. We have designed the interface to give you the ultimate experience across every platform.

Print Friendly

You can find the “Print PDF” link under the Tool tab and print a short summary of the manuscript’s features, along with the list of available facsimiles and their location in your library.

Let’s say you are researching medieval books of hours: wouldn’t you find it handy to know all the facsimiles of books of hours available in your library?

We thought you would, so as all facsimiles have been catalogued also by their theme, the best choice would be to start your search by using this filter.

  • Click on the Theme filter.
  • Choose Private Devotion Books (it includes book of hours!)

Now you can browse through your results, ordering them by Title or Manuscript Date according to your needs; should you wish to narrow down your results, search by adding a keyword or another facet. If your results are still to many you may wish to display them in less space so to have a better overview, in that case Grid View is what you need!

In the facsimile record, together with the original manuscript’s common name and its current location (E.g.: Trés Riches Heures of Duke de Berry, Ms. 65 › Musée Condé, Chantilly), you’ll find the Call Number of the relevant facsimile(s) in your library system.

Imagine that for your current research, it would be useful to examine facsimiles of medieval manuscripts produced in Italy between 850 and 1118. How do you locate them?

An impossible-to-perform search until today, it’s now easily achievable in just a couple of clicks: simply use the Date Range filter and add the relevant Country facet.

  • Click on Date or Century, enter your range (E.g from 850 to 1118) and click Filter.
  • Once the first result list is displayed, choose the Country facet and select Italy.

It’s that easy! You now have the list of all facsimiles of manuscripts produced in Italy between 850 and 1118.

If a facet is not available after your first search selection, it means there are no available results for such value.