FAQs
Photograph by Katherine Acheson from the collection of the Folger Shakespeare Library, STC 2982.
BookMark
How does Book Mark work?
Post Request: As a registered user of the site, you can post a request for photographs of marginalia (or other features) in early modern books. You need to fill in as much information as you can in the form. When you click “submit,” this is what happens:
- The information you have submitted will move to the Fulfill Request database, and be displayed on that page.
- An email that documents your request will be generated and sent to your email address.
Fulfill Request: As a registered user of the site, you can commit to fulfilling a request that another user has posted. Clicking on the green plus symbol at the left of the request you want to fulfill will initiate the following activity:
- A pop-up box will open up with the details of the request and two options will be provided: “Fulfill Request” and “Send Email”. You haven’t committed to anything at this point.
- “Fulfill Request”: Where you can email the poster and view the information of the request.
- “Send Email to User”: Where you can be redirected to the “Claimed Request” form to fill out the information on the request you will be claiming.
- If you click on the “Send Email to User” link, a form called “Claim Request” will open up.
- The information about the request should be inputted into the “Claimed Request” form, and you will fill out the date by which you can fulfill the request and select (or not) the check box to indicate you’d like recognition in the use of the photograph(s).
- If you are using a stand-alone email client (i.e., one that isn’t running within a browser, but is its own app), an email will be generated that will put you in touch with the requester.
- *When emailing and fulfilling a request, please CC yourself on the email alongside emmrn@uwaterloo.ca for your records*
- Please send the photographs by email to the requester when you are able. (Our site does not archive photographs that are generated by the peer-to-peer connection!
If you are interested in sharing your findings, please see the FAQ for EMMRN’s Signature Blog below for more information on how to post.
What are your tips for taking good photographs of marginalia?
- Review and abide by the photography policies of the repository
- Include a slip of paper with the repository and call number on it in the photo
- Try and capture a signature or page number in the photo
- Open the book as far as it can safely be opened
- Use cradles, supports, and snakes as needed
- Take photos from directly above the book or item
- Do not alter the photograph (cropping, filters, contrast, etc.) before sending it to the requester
Who owns the photos that are taken to fulfill requests?
If you took the photograph in a repository that allows photography for research or personal use, the photograph belongs to you and can be used according to the photography policy of the repository. When you send the photo to the requester, they may also use the photo according to the policies of the repository to which the original item belongs.
How do I find the photography policy of the repository?
The photography policy is usually on the repository’s website. You can also ask library staff. Normally, institutional photography policies that allow for personal or research photographs allow for them to be shared with other scholars for their research or personal use. Normally, these policies also allow for photographs taken of their holdings to be posted on social media and published in scholarly work with appropriate attribution. However, they do not allow photographs to be used for commercial reasons.
How do I select a request that I can fulfill?
On the premise that you want to fulfill requests that are in a location that is easily accessible to you (either regularly or on a research trip), start by filtering for “Location” on the Fulfill Request page. The next most salient request criterion is probably date by which the request needs to be fulfilled. Beyond that, it’s a matter of your personal interests and the time you are willing to commit.
How do I fulfill a request?
First, sign up for the request. Second, take the photographs to the best of your ability. Third, send the photograph to the requester at the email address they submitted! That’s it. If you asked for acknowledgement, you can confirm with the requester any details they need to know and ask them to alert you to publications when they come out.
Will I get recognition in publications and presentations for providing a photograph for another scholar through BookMark?
If you would like recognition for your contribution to the requester’s research, please check the box which says I would like recognition for this contribution and complete the preferred name and title field. If a publication or presentation happens without the recognition you have requested, please let us know.
Can I connect with the requester about their request?
Yes, if you have questions or information that would help you fulfill the request, you can connect with the requester about their request through the email they have provided in the request.
What if there are too many requests and not enough offers to fulfill them?
This is the biggest peril of the system, establishing parity between placing requests and fulfilling them; there will never be a perfect balance! We don’t expect individuals to balance their requests with fulfillments, because some people have different or better access to the resources that are central to the project. We’ll keep an eye on the situation and see what we can do to keep the two sides of the system in balance.
I’m a librarian or work in a library. I don’t have time to fulfill requests myself, but how can I help?
Can you make scholars in the reading room aware of BookMark? If they have a few minutes to spare, they could sign up to fulfill a request from your collection, which would be great. And if their work could benefit from placing a request, they can do that.
Are you storing photos that are taken to fulfill requests?
We are not. However, if you have a photo of marginalia that you think might be by a woman-identified person of the long early modern period, please consider submitting it to [Ros’s project https://cems.anu.edu.au/marginalia-and-the-early-modern-woman-writer-1530-1660/%5D. And if you have a photo of marginalia about which you have questions and ideas, please consider submitting an entry for our blog, Signature, about it.
Can I post a request using an alphabet other than Roman?
Yes, of course – however the item appears in the catalog of the repository will work for us.
My request was not fulfilled by the date that I set, but I would still like it to be fulfilled. Can I re-post it?
Absolutely, please re-post your request.
Signature
I’m interested in writing a post for Signature. How do I start?
Just reach out to us! Posts about examples of marginalia are usually between 500 and 1500 words and have at least one and as many as five or six photos accompanying them. They are that curious genre, public academic writing, which means the vocabulary and style should be accessible and the writing direct and to the point, but we can assume the audience has an academic or intellectual interest in the topic. Here are the steps to getting your blog post on Signature:
- Propose a topic to the editor (Katherine Acheson) at emmrn@uwaterloo.ca.
- Create an account on https://earlymodernmarginaliaresearchnetwork.com/register/ or log in to an existing account.
- When the editor approves the topic, you can go ahead and write your post and submit it to the blog.
- The editor will approve what you’ve submitted, after confirming any changes with you.
- Photographs must be credited and their source documented (e.g., Photograph by Katherine Acheson from the collection of the Folger Shakespeare Library, call number).
I’m willing to be interviewed about my interest in marginalia. Who do I reach out to?
Great! Please get in touch with the editor <emmrn@uwaterloo.ca>.
I have an announcement I’d like to make on Signature. How do I do that?
If you have an announcement of a publication or event related to marginalia, please create a blog post on Signature, and ensure to add a “Announcement” tag to said post. After posting this announcement, it will appear on the blog after editorial approval.
How can I contact you?
We would love to hear from you. We can be reached at <emmrn@uwaterloo.ca>.