Traces in Time – Ex-Libris Albania is a digital humanities project dedicated to researching and cataloging the provenance marks in the rare book collection of the National Library of Albania (NLA). This website serves as the digital object of a masters thesis in the Rare Book and Digital Humanities program in UBFC. This project primarily focuses on ex-libris marks, personal inscriptions, and ownership seals that trace the historical journey of each book. The analysis of these marks, reveal the connections between notable figures, scholars, and institutions that played a key role in Albania’s cultural and intellectual history.

Digital Project Objectives

• To catalog and analyze provenance marks in the antiquarian and book collections of NLA.
• To map the geographical and intellectual journey of these books through time.
• To provide a digital resource for researchers and book historians.

Why Ex-Libris? Ex-libris, or bookplates, serve as a window into the intellectual history of Albania. These marks allow us to trace the ownership and movement of books through time, shedding light on their cultural significance.