Christiana Cooley

Texts and Contexts: Medieval Literature

An Analysis of the Online Reference Book for Medieval Studies

The Online Reference Book for Medieval Studies (ORB) is located at the URL http://orb.rhodes.edu/. I have evaluated the website [according to=>on the basis of?] the authority and objectivity of the editors and contributors, the accuracy and currency of the information provided (including verifiable documentation), and the organization and presentation of the website’s content.

The initial conception of ORB, an academic website created as an online compendium of Medieval literature and research, began at the International Congress on Medieval Studies in May of 1995. ORB is sponsored by both the University of Kansas, which provides computer space and technical support for the website, and Rhodes College, the provider of a permanent home for the database, and is also affiliated with, among others organizations and institutions, Fordham University, Boston College, Yale University, the University of Michigan, the National Endowment for the Humanities, and the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada. The site’s current editor is Carolyn Schriber, an associate professor of history at Rhodes College in Memphis, Tennessee, who also holds a Ph.D. in history from the University of Colorado (1988). The site provides well-documented and certifiable references and accreditations for each editor and contributor.

ORB was last updated on July 10, 2002. While there is no way to know how frequently the site is updated, the propinquity of the last update suggests that the editors and contributors are active in maintaining an up-to-date website that provides the most current and relevant information and research on the medieval time period. A wide variety of subjects concerning medieval studies can be accessed through the ORB network, from basic background on the time period to advanced studies of [^such] specific subjects such as Gregorian chant or astrology and astronomy techniques of the times. In addition to the student resources provided, such as the ORB Encyclopedia and the ORB Textbook Library, there are also resources for teachers and professors, complete with sample syllabi, study questions, and bibliographies. ORB also provides a database of excerpts, full texts, primary, and secondary sources for medieval literature. Though the articles compiled within ORB are the submissions of its contributors and editors, the accuracy and objectivity of the is implied through the professional status of the author, which can be verified on the Contributors and Editors section of the site (http://orb.rhodes.edu/text/about.html).

The presentation and organization of the site are the only features of the site not up-to-par with the quality content and otherwise very beneficial character of ORB. The manner in which the editors have structured the site can in no way be construed as confusing or difficult to navigate, but it would appear the most current websites employ the use to frames to facilitate easier site navigation. However, while frames would lend another degree of navigability to ORB, the site is relatively easy to navigate, and information can be searched by subject as well as by intended audience. The presentation of the site is attractive, but not distracting, promoting easy readability and interest in the subject without having to deal with the confusion of animated graphics or pop-up advertisements.

As a whole, the Online Reference Book for Medieval Studies appears to be a current and academically supported website devoted to the preservation of medieval studies and knowledge. As a resource, ORB provides a variety of easily accessible information about the age, not only on literature and the arts, but also on the [Do these really seem appropriate to conjoin?=>basic historical background and intricacies] of the time period.