The Bodleian Libraries of the University of Oxford and the Biblioteca Apostolica Vaticana (BAV) said on April 12 they intended to digitize 1.5 million pages of ancient texts and make them freely available online.

According to Reuters, the libraries said the digitized collections will center on three subject areas: Greek manuscripts, 15th-century printed books and Hebrew manuscripts and early printed books.

The areas have been chosen for the strength of the collections in both libraries and their importance for scholarship in their respective fields.

With approximately two-thirds of the material coming from the BAV and the remainder from the Bodleian, the digitization effort will also benefit scholars by uniting virtually materials that have been dispersed between the collections for centuries.

The initiative has been made possible by a 2 million pound award from the Polonsky Foundation.