Overview of Archival Project for the Anglo-Norman Dictionary
Post 1, by Max Graziano (Archive Masters student at Aberystywth University)
Beginning on the 28th of January 2026, we, a group of six Archive Masters students from Aberystwyth University, will be undertaking a large archival project for the Anglo-Norman Dictionary. We will be responsible for a large portion of the current archival holdings of the Anglo-Norman and shall begin a process of modernizing the collection; through this project, we shall create the conditions for the collection to become focused on the intellectual creation of the Anglo-Norman Dictionary and, as a result, shine its historical value for all users of the AND.
(Photo of the project’s collection holdings from the Anglo-Norman Dictionary, Day 1)
Through generosity of and cooperation with Dr. Geert De Wilde, the current Chief Editor and Project Leader of the Anglo-Norman Dictionary, we have been given the opportunity to gain experience in our archival practice as we have been given charge of the sorting, appraisal, and disposal of records and documents held within the Anglo-Norman Dictionary’s collection, which ranges from early drafts of the first and second editions of the dictionary to personal/professional correspondences amongst the team members of the Anglo-Norman Dictionary beginning from its inception through the early 2000s.
Over the course of this project, we will have to overcome challenges involving preservation of existing documents, sorting of said documents, and the determining of the most valuable pieces of information within the collection to best represent the goal of conveying the history of the creation of the dictionary in the most clear and constructive way possible. Additionally, we will be piecing together the history of the creation of the Anglo-Norman Dictionary as we explore in-depth the challenges and obstacles faced by the dictionary project team, such as funding, adversity/intellectual disagreement, revision and correction of substantial initial mistakes, and the need to make serious additions due to lapse in research and failure to initially utilize valuable sources, during its development.
(Photo of Archival Project Group with collection at the start of project)
The project will last 15 weeks in total and will conclude on the 8th of May 2026. Following the end date of the project, all accessioned documents, records, and archival material, with the exception of any deaccessioned/disposed-of materials, within the collection will be returned to Dr. Geert De Wilde and the Anglo-Norman Dictionary along with a concise catalogue for the organization and potential digitization of the collection at a later date. Throughout the duration of the project, we as the project team will be in constant and readily available communication with Dr. Geert De Wilde concerning every decision concerning the structure and integrity of the collection that we make. It is our hope and desire that our work with the Anglo-Norman Dictionary will help its archive become an even more valuable resource to all students, researchers, scholars, and those interested in the history of the Anglo-Norman language for decades to come.