A photograph of Ronnie Malley playing an oud. A purple rectangle at the top of the image reads: "Ziryab: Music & Storytelling" while a matching rectangle at the bottom reads "Saturdya, May 16, 7:00pm - 8:15pm, Kanley Chapel Upper Chapel."

Tickets are still available for Ronnie Malley's concert! Ziryab: Music and Storytelling features the story of Ziryab, a former slave from Baghdad, whose musical abilities brought him fame throughout the Middle East, North Africa, and Andalusia. Tickets are $25 and can be added to your registration!

Background photo of books, blurred. Text over the image reads: "Graduate Student Representative Applications Live. The Richard Rawlinson Center for Anglo-Saxon Studies and Manuscript Research is seeking applications from graduate students to serve on its International Advisory Board for a two-year term beginning this May. Applications due by April 24, 2026."

If you're a Ph.D. student who has been enrolled in your program for at least a year, apply here: wmich.edu/medieval/raw...

A photo of Robert Berkhofer, Lisa Fagin Davis, and Benjamin Anthony Bertrand during social hour at ICMS 2025. Kallum, a manuscript illustration of a green dragon, is photoshopped behind the group as if he is participating.

Kallum is so excited to meet everyone at ICMS, he couldn't resist putting himself in this photo from last year. Make sure to register so you can get your picture with Kallum at the photo booth!

Text reading: Workshop highlight. The DMSI logo. Below, text reads: "Manuscript Description and Research in the Digital Ecosystem -- L. P. Coladangelo, Digital Scriptorium, and Lynn Ransom, Schoenberg Institute for Manuscript Studies, University of Pennsylvania Libraries."

Pale yellow text on a dark blue background reading: "This workshop will begin with a hands-on encounter with undescribed or underdescribed manuscript materials from the WMU collections. In the morning session, using material clues from the manuscript, instructors will work with participants to identify the manuscript's physical, scribal, and textual characteristics and create a description of it. In the afternoon instructors will introduce online tools and finding aids to learn more about the manuscript and others like it, including platforms for provenance research such as the Schoenberg Database of Manuscripts, to find out where the manuscript came from and where it has been. Participants will then craft a machine-readable version of the newly made description that will be contributed to WMU’s catalog for upload to the Digital Scriptorium Catalog. By following metadata standards informed by linked data practices, the newly described manuscript will thereby be made discoverable and citable by others. This workshop is geared toward humanities scholars and medievalists who are interested in not only manuscript research but the tools and technologies that lead to new discoveries in digital environments."

We are so excited to have the Digital Medieval Studies Institute at ICMS 2026 this year -- make sure you add your registration for their Wednesday sessions on to your ICMS registration to participate in this workshop!

Kallum, the manuscript illustration of a green dragon, is photoshopped onto the large staircase from the student center of WMU. A text box below him reads "One month 'til ICMS!"

Only one month left until ICMS 🤩 Make sure you've completed your registration, and if you realize you won't be attending a workshop or registered event, let us know!

Dark blue text on a light yellow background. Heading reads: Schedule Preview, above the DMSI logo. Below, text reads: "Wednesday, May 13, 2026. Western Michigan University."

Pale yellow text on a dark blue background reading: "8:30 - 9:00 a.m.: Gathering with Tea/Coffee 9:00 - 9:30 a.m.: Opening Assembly 9:45 - 11:45 a.m.: Workshop Session (1) 12:00 - 12:30 p.m.: Lightning Session (1) 12:30 - 1:30 p.m.: Lunch 1:30 - 2:00 p.m.: Lightning Session (2) 2:15 - 4:15 p.m.: Workshop Session (2) 4:30 - 5:00 p.m.: Closing Assembly 5:00 - 6:00 p.m.: Reception"

A little preview of what you can expect at DMSI in Kalamazoo! Make sure to add it to your registration. There are only 7 spaces left!

The odds are low, but never zero 😜

Manuscript illustration of a woman on horseback wielding a distaff like a lance with the spindle flying behind her, riding at a man dressed in mail but without any weapons.

Be sure to register ASAP to confirm your spot in special events like the medieval wool-spinning workshop! *Jousting with spinning tools is unlikely to occur.

Don't worry! Kallum (short for Kallumazoo) is generally very polite, he'll be hanging out in the photo booth for most of Congress, and only occasionally intimidating some undergraduates (no fire allowed).

A slightly blurred photo of a crowd from ICMS 2025, with a manuscript illustration of a green dragon in the foreground. A speech bubble above the dragon reads: "Have you registered for ICMS yet? Early registration ends soon!"

Make sure you register for ICMS 2026! icms.confex.com/icms/2026/re...

A little throwback Thursday for us all... we couldn't resist putting the pond vikings in!

Text reading: Workshop highlight. The DMSI logo. Below, text reads: "3D Modeling from Photo and Video - Mathew Davis, Independent Scholar".

Pale yellow text on a dark blue background reading: "While digital facsimiles of medieval codices and inscriptions have now become fairly sophisticated, due to these objects’ physicality—and their inscriptions' relationship to it in particular—information can be lost when images are translated to a two-dimensional space. Photogrammetric methods combined with 3D modeling software can recover these lost connections. To best capture all three dimensions, workshop participants will learn techniques for taking pictures of both interior and exterior spaces, and the material object under consideration. From there, participants will process pictures in the Meshroom Visual Programming framework to create 3D objects that can then be displayed online. Participants will need a laptop and an email address. Information on downloading and setting up Meshroom will be provided upon registration."

Can't get enough of ICMS? If you add on the registration for the Digital Medieval Studies Institute, you can kick off Congress a whole day early!

A green rectangle with tan text reading: "Let's Dance! A Participatory Workshop for Researching Medieval Dance Composition and Performance. Workshop Leader: Karen Miriam Silen, Independent Scholar. Thursday, May 14 1:30 - 3:00 PM." Below the text is a section of a tapestry showing a medieval couple dancing while a man drinks from a jug and another man plays some sort of pipe.

Make sure to register for ICMS Kalamazoo ASAP, our workshops are filling up fast!

Image: Hunting with a Hawk (from the Hunting Parks Tapestries). The Met, Medieval Art and The Cloisters. Bequest of George Blumenthal, 1941.

A photo of a man sitting at the ICMS registration table, looking like he is mid-explanation of something. Caption on the image reads: "TAMW Nathan finds out you haven't registered for ICMS yet."

Avoid that awkward moment, and register now for ICMS 2026!

Workshop Highlight. The DMSI logo. Below, text reads: "Building a Virtual Medieval Pilgrimage - Kalani Craig, Department of History, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Member of the Videntes Collective".

Pale yellow text on a dark blue background reading: "Would you like to be able to send people on a medieval pilgrim’s experience without ever leaving your town or campus? This public-digital-history workshop will walk participants through creating a web-based global medieval pilgrimage with several pre-created historically-inspired pilgrimage routes that can be mapped onto a local environment. Participants will need a laptop, a word processor, and an email address."

Don't forget to register for DMSI when completing your ICMS registration!

Text on a light brown banner reading: "ICMS registration is OPEN! Attend: May 14-16, Kalamazoo MI" over a manuscript illustration of a green dragon with a slightly weasel-like face.

Register for ICMS here --> icms.confex.com/icms/2026/re...

Photo of Alison Perchuk with text next to her that reads: "Apocalypse and Community in Medieval Italian Art" -- Alison Perchuk, California State University, Channel Islands. Plenary lecture sponsored by Medieval Institute Publications and De Gruyter Brill.

ICMS's first plenary lecture this year will be presented by Dr. Perchuk on May 14th from 7 to 8pm in Sangren 1910. All plenary lectures will be broadcast live on the meeting site for virtual
attendees and recordings will be made available to all registrants Monday, May 18 through Sunday, May 31!

Graphic with leaves from a manuscript on a yellow background. Text reads: "Register early to save your spot for: Workshops! Concerts! Tuesday arrivals!"

The sooner you register, the more spaces are available for concerts, limited Tuesday arrivals, and workshops!

Workshop Highlight. The DMSI logo. Below, text reads: "Handwritten Text Recognition for Beginners: Tools, Methods, and Discussions -- Tobias Hodel, Digital Humanities, University of Bern.

Pale yellow text on a dark blue background reading: "Handwritten Text Recognition (HTR) is becoming standard practice in the humanities, and for many scripts and styles, automatic transcription is just a few commands away. In this workshop, we’ll introduce the core technology, give a brief overview of the open-source platform eScriptorium, and let you try it on your own materials. We’ll then discuss approaches and techniques tailored to your research questions. Please bring your scanned or digitized documents."

There are still some spots available for the DMSI, make sure to add it to your Congress registration!

Photo of Michelle M. Sauer with text next to her that reads: "The Queerness of Solitude" -- Michelle M. Sauer, University of North Dakota. Plenary lecture sponsored by the Medieval Academy of America.

Dr. Sauer will be presenting one of the plenary lectures this year on Friday, May 15 at 7 p.m. in Sangren 1910. All plenary lectures will be broadcast live on the meeting site for virtual
attendees and recordings will be made available to all registrants Monday, May 18 through Sunday, May 31.

Image of a shield with a small dagger. Under it, a light green square has black text that reads: "George Carroll will display items commonly made using bloom iron: hand forged nails, hoe blade, cauldrons, hammer, etc. In addition to these items, he will compare a Viking Age sword made of “steely” bloom iron and a falchion made from modern steel and their production techniques."

Wonder how medieval people made and used everyday objects? Explore medieval ways of making at the experimental archaeology and artisan displays in Sangren Lobby from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. daily during Congress. #medievalsky

Workshop Highlight. The DMSI logo. Below, text reads: "From Digitized Manuscript to Digital Edition -- Laura Morreale, Independent Scholar, and Nicholas Laiacona, Performant Software"

Pale yellow text on a dark blue background reading: "If your work involves transcribing medieval manuscripts from digital images, you may also want to publish your work in a professional-looking online edition. This workshop will teach participants how to upload and transcribe manuscript images using the collaborative transcription platform FromThePage, then create an online edition using FairCopy and EditionCrafter."

More details on one of the workshops being put on by the Digital Medieval Studies Institute! There are still limited spots available for the DMSI, look for more information while completing your ICMS registration!

A manuscript illustration of a green dragon with a long, weasel-like face. A speech bubble has been added, reading: Don't forget to register for ICMS 2026!

Don't forget to register early for limited workshops, early arrival, and best options for housing! wmich.edu/medievalcong...

And we're back! Feel free to register as usual.

And we're back! Feel free to register as usual.

ICMS registration is temporarily down due to a server issue. We expect the problem to be resolved shortly and will notify when it's back up!

Ronnie Malley presents a journey of cultures and coexistence that spans time and space across the geographies of Andalusia, the Middle East, and North Africa.

Make sure to catch the concert and special workshop with Ronnie Malley at ICMS1 The workshop explores the intersections of languages like Arabic, Ladino, and Spanish and the musical expressions that evolved from them in medieval Spain. Through a combination of music performance and storytelling, 1/2

A photo of Robert Berkhofer, Director of the Medieval Institute at Western Michigan University, in conversation with scholars at ICMS Kalamazoo 2025. The Muppets Statler and Waldorf are behind him, gesturing their confusion.

The Medieval Institute alumni breakfast at ICMS 2025, featuring the Muppets Gonzo and Rizzo at the head of the table.

A photo of various scholars gathered in small groups outdoors at ICMS 2025. Miss Piggy is seated on her luggage chatting with a group while Fozzie Bear stands looking confused by himself.

An overhead photo of a happy hour from ICMS 2025, featuring Dr. Teeth and the Electric Mayhem.

We see the vision.

A photo of Robert Berkhofer, Director of the Medieval Institute at Western Michigan University, in conversation with scholars at ICMS Kalamazoo 2025. The Muppets Statler and Waldorf are behind him, gesturing their confusion.

The Medieval Institute alumni breakfast at ICMS 2025, featuring the Muppets Gonzo and Rizzo at the head of the table.

A photo of various scholars gathered in small groups outdoors at ICMS 2025. Miss Piggy is seated on her luggage chatting with a group while Fozzie Bear stands looking confused by himself.

An overhead photo of a happy hour from ICMS 2025, featuring Dr. Teeth and the Electric Mayhem.

We see the vision.