DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – A digital replica of the Iowa Constitution is now available online for public viewing. Secretary of State Matt Schultz said Friday that the document from 1857 had been scanned so that a replica could be provided online. Previously, people could only see the original beneath glass in the Secretary of State’s office at the State Capitol.

The constitution – which features 40 pages of hand-written text – was digitized through a partnership between Schultz’s office and the State Library of Iowa. The library bought a $23,000 scanner a year ago to use on fragile documents.

State officials said they hope the public will enjoy being able to look over the historic document. The digital version of the Iowa Constitution is on the State Library of Iowa’s website.