Experiencing medieval manuscripts using touch technology

Arduino boards, a current trending open-source platform technology, are being used by museums and other institutions to create interactive exhibits for their patrons. Academic libraries are often faced with the challenge of finding new inspirations to educate and engage patrons. The Illuminated Lifestyles exhibit at Binghamton University was an attempt to teach library users about the sensory experiences of medieval manuscripts using touch technology. Relatively inexpensive, these boards can be incorporated in various ways to make an exhibit interactive. In this case, the boards were used in conjunction with large-scale frames covered with digitized replicas of manuscript leaves that spoke to the viewer as they touched the images. This case study explains the technology and platforms used within the exhibit and what the long-term impacts and benefits, if any, the library experienced.