The INDEX project seeks to promote the dissemination and transfer of knowledge to both the general public and the higher education sector through cooperation with libraries, archives, the National Heritage, and universities.
Several projects developed at the SR in recent years have been devoted to the study of the theory of censorship, the indexes of prohibited books, and the expurgatory policy of the Hispanic Monarchy during the long sixteenth century. They have focused on analyzing the ideological principles and intellectual impact of censorship practices and have investigated the methods of eradicating dissent based on the control and surveillance of reading and textuality.
The study of censorship and expurgation allows for a better understanding of the textual dimension (and management) of religious and political conflicts in the early modern period, as well as of the mechanisms of social disciplining in Catholic Europe. Moreover, it provides a more accurate perception of the instability of Europe’s cultural heritage, fosters critical awareness of the qualitative effects of instruments of social control, and promotes a clearer identification of new forms of strong and diffuse censorship in contemporary society.
This Proof of Concept seeks to apply and validate the hypotheses and concepts developed in these projects within bibliographic collections and holdings, and to transfer the research results to other institutions, to the general public, and to the higher education system. To this end, it proposes a high-quality exhibition program with strong social and educational impact, along with a series of podcasts, freely available on major platforms, designed for international outreach and teaching purposes, which develops and complements the exhibition program.
The exhibitions will take place at the National Library of Spain and the General Library of the University of Salamanca. They will be accompanied and enhanced by parallel activities, catalogues, guided tours, virtual exhibitions, seminars, and publications. The exhibition program aims to disseminate the textual heritage preserved in the participating libraries and institutions—which will serve as venues for the transfer activities—and will make it possible to showcase and assess works and collections affected—and transformed—by censorship and expurgation.
