From the Aldine Press to Aldus@SFU: Showcasing Simon Fraser University Library’s Aldines Online

This report stems from a joint commemoration in 2015 of the fiftieth anniversary of the opening of Simon Fraser University and the five-hundredth anniversary of the death of pioneering Renaissance publisher and scholar Aldus Manutius. To mark these occasions, Publishing@SFU and SFU Library Special Collections joined forces to create a web-based resource comprising an outstanding selection of Aldines from the Wosk–McDonald collection, one of the largest such in North America. This report details the creation of Aldus@SFU, a prototype digital exhibition of the collection intended to be as widely accessible as possible on the Internet through ubiquitous technologies. Adopting a syncretic approach that emphasizes the continuous relationship between innovation and tradition, this report outlines and explores the key intersections between Aldus’ plan to popularize classical literature and the core mission of our project: to contribute to public knowledge by making SFU Aldines conveniently and freely available online via a flexible, mobile-optimized user interface. With original contributions from both scholars and popular media figures complementing the digitized volumes, Aldus@SFU is more than a mere companion website to a library collection. Instead, it is intended as a larger crossover digital platform: an inclusive, collaborative scholarly environment and a visually appealing educational resource whose audience includes not only scholars but also a wider interested public.