L-25v. Reference Sources for Researching Rare Books
Joel Silver
“Until we live in the Matrix and can upload the Joel Silver Memory Palace Expansion Pack into our own brains, this course is the best you can get!” — 2017 student
Course Length: 22 hours
Course Week: 2–6 June 2025
Format: online only
Fee: $1,100
This course presents a systematic introduction to approximately 300 printed and electronic reference sources for researching rare books. Emphasis will be placed on sources in the fields of early printed books; British and American literature; historical Americana; voyages and travels; maps and atlases; science and medicine; and the book arts. In class sessions, the instructor will cover details related to the compilation of each of the sources and will provide information about their strengths and weaknesses, as well as strategies on how they can be used effectively. Students will receive listings containing bibliographical information on the sources discussed, along with reproductions of selected pages or entries from some of the sources.
The course is intended for special collections librarians, antiquarian booksellers, and collectors, at all levels, who are interested in finding out more about the books in their care. Although there are no prerequisites, a basic understanding of the principles of descriptive bibliography would be helpful. It should be noted that many students over the years have described this course as an “old style” course, in the sense that it is a lecture course, and a great deal of information about reference sources is imparted during the week. To get the most out of the course, students will need to pay close attention during the class sessions, and students have also commented that taking notes is essential to gain the greatest benefit from the course.
Course History
Faculty
Joel Silver
Joel Silver is Director of the Lilly Library, Indiana University, Bloomington, where he has worked since 1983. He has published a number of articles on rare books and book collecting in AB Bookman’s Weekly and Fine Books & Collections magazine. He has taught courses in many subjects related to rare books in the Department of Information and Library Science at Indiana University, where he serves as the Director of the Special Collections Specialization.
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