16-03-2026, 07:29 PM
Believe me, I have said as much to the Beinecke curator and conservator over lunch recently, but the answer is a firm "no," at least for now. The Library has limited staff and resources, and there is a lot of concern about handling the manuscript (even if the methods of collection are non-destructive, the manuscript must still be moved to the lab, strapped down, and handled for sampling, all of which pose clear dangers to the binding, foldouts, and sewing of this fragile manuscript). They are focusing on other objects for now. I hope that perhaps someday it will be possible but it just isn't going to happen anytime soon.
Of course, whomever has the 2009 samples (if they are even still preserved, which I find doubtful) can do what they want with them.
Of course, whomever has the 2009 samples (if they are even still preserved, which I find doubtful) can do what they want with them.