Jane Austen's library brought online
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Reading with Jane:
A project in what Jane called 'The Great House'
in the village of Chawton in Hampshire, England.
Watch the video
The overall project was the development of an online equivalent of the library that belonged to Jane Austen's brother - and one which she visited often, loved, and where she spent a great deal of happy time in the company of its volumes.
This online library offers photos of the spines of the books, their frontespieces, and any providence within.
This means that those with interests in a variety of subjects can identify books that can aid their research and expand their knowledge. Then, through a simple request to Chawton House, a person can come and read those books in Jane Austen's brother's ' Great House', just down the path from her own residence where many of her books were written.
Some opportunites leave memories that last long afterwards, and helping to bring access to the library Jane Austen used, is just such a project.
Handling the books Jane handled and finding hand-written notes inside some of the books that hadn't been read for hundreds of years was an honour and a delight.