Case Study: Middle English Text Series modernizes open-access digital publishing with Cast Iron Coding

Middle English Text Series migrates 100+ editions with Cast Iron Coding

The Middle English Text Series (METS) at the University of Rochester faced challenges with its outdated Drupal platform, which had issues with accessibility, organization, and a clunky reader experience. Their goal was to modernize the site to better provide open-access digital editions of Middle English literature. METS partnered with Cast Iron Coding to undertake a comprehensive redesign and rebuild of their digital platform.

Cast Iron Coding implemented a modular architecture using a headless Craft CMS for editorial content and a custom Rails API to ingest and manage complex Text Encoding Initiative (TEI) documents for the digital editions. The new platform features a modern, accessible design and a sophisticated reader interface. The results were overwhelmingly positive, with users praising the usability and new functionality. The redesign significantly elevated METS' online presence, leading to a notable increase in interest from potential contributors and allowing the internal team to focus on future growth instead of constant troubleshooting.

Middle English Text Series (mets)