A Digital Repatriation of a Lost archive of the Spanish Pacific: The Library of The Convent of San Pablo (Manila, 1762)

Important note: Unless otherwise indicated, the hard-copies of the manuscripts in this collection are housed at the LILLY LIBRARY at Indiana University. If you are using any of the documents, please reference them appropriately. Description: This project seeks to repatriate books and manuscripts seized from the archives of the Convent of San Pablo during the British occupation of Manila, 1762 to 1764. Using the original index of the archives, and subsequent records related to the sale and dispersal of its contents, the project envisions a virtual reconstruction of the library’s materials, ca. 1762. Beyond the digital reconstitution of the archival corpus, the “return” of the library to its original site, the project reconceptualizes the library’s original systems of knowledge production, modes of access, and use. The project serves as an entry point to the study of Spanish colonialism in the Pacific and the experience of affected communities, especially in the Philippines.