The BBC is reporting that the Vatican Library will close for its annual summer break in mid-July, and then not reopen until September of 2010. The announcement was entirely unexpected. Renovation plans include the installation of air conditioning and dust protection units.
Readers will "still be able to obtain digital copies of ancient manuscripts in the Vatican library that they can study at home," according to the BBC report, but it's unclear how that process will work.
Expect much scholarly outrage.
[h/t Germaine Warkentin, Ex-Libris]
