The New Handbook of Syriac Literature (NHSL) is a born-digital TEI-encoded reference work for the study of Syriac literature. The first volume, Bibliotheca Hagiographica Syriaca Electronica, was published by Syriaca.org in 2016 using a simple TEI schema to describe a single genre (hagiography) (Saint-Laurent et al. 2016; see also Saint-Laurent 2016, Zanetti 2016). Past TEI-encoding practice has focused on describing specific manuscripts or creating editions of works. By contrast, the NHSL seeks to describe abstract or conceptual works (including unpublished ones) and to relate them to people, places, and other works, as well as to the manuscripts, editions, and translations that embody them. Two key features of this encoding model include using for description of works and fully leveraging @source for scholarly citations. In preparation for expanding the NHSL to include other genres, Syriaca.org is revising the TEI schema used for hagiographic works. Among other revisions, the new model will employ RDF classes and properties as @type and @ref values, respectively, in order to aid RDF serialization. The authors actively seek feedback, suggestions, and criticism concerning this revised schema
