News Archives

Sneak Peek of Rare Book School’s Fall 2023 Courses

Rare Book School is pleased to announce three online courses that will be offered this September, October, and November. Check back next week for more details, including how to apply. […]

Curator of Maps and Graphics — Clements Library, University of Michigan in Ann Arbor

The William L. Clements Library at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor is looking for a full-time Curator of Maps and Graphics. Reporting to the Director of the Clements Library, this position will be responsible for collection development, conservation, and access for maps and graphic arts materials in the Clements collections. Required qualifications include: 1) an M.A. in Art History, American Studies, Media Studies, History, Geography, Literature, or related areas, or an M.L.I.S. from an ALA-accredited library school with 4-plus years of experience working with graphic & map materials; and 2) knowledge of or experience with current practices and standards related to the identification, […]

American Antiquarian Society Lecture: “Caterina Jarboro, the 1898 Wilmington Riot, and the Challenges of the Archive”

The American Antiquarian Society (AAS) invites you to attend a free, hybrid event, “Caterina Jarboro, the 1898 Wilmington Riot, and the Challenges of the Archive,” which will take place both online and in person at AAS’s Antiquarian Hall, on Wednesday 19 July at 7:00 p.m. ET. Admission is free, but registration is required for both virtual and in-person attendance. For more information and to register, click here. […]

Rare Book School Shares Summer 2023 Lecture Series

Rare Book School is thrilled to announce the lineup for this summer’s lecture series at the University of Virginia, as well as special lectures at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia and the Grolier Club in New York City.

All lectures are free and open to the public. Unless noted, these talks will take place at 5:30 p.m. ET. Lectures are 30–40 minutes in length with approximately 10 minutes for Q&A, and will be followed by a reception. RSVPs are not required. Lecture recordings will be made available by fall 2023. […]

Announcing the 2023–25 RBS-Mellon SoFCB Junior Fellows

The Andrew W. Mellon Society of Fellows in Critical Bibliography (SoFCB) at Rare Book School is pleased to welcome its 2023–25 cohort of Junior Fellows. Many congratulations to all the new Junior Fellows; we look forward to seeing you at RBS!

The names and institutional affiliations of 2022–24 RBS-Mellon SoFCB Junior Fellows are:

Jiayi Chen – Ph.D. Candidate, Department of East Asian Languages and Civilizations, University of Chicago

Du Fei – Ph.D. Candidate, Department of History, Cornell University

Heng Du – Andrew W. […]

Virginia Museum of History & Culture Event: “British Virginia—A Digital Humanities Project”

The Virginia Museum of History & Culture (VMHC) invites you to attend a free, in-person event, “British Virginia—A Digital Humanities Project,” which will take place at the VMHC on Tuesday 25 April at 4:00 p.m. ET. Admission is free, but registration is required. For more information and to register, click here.  […]

Printer of the Press — Colorado College

Colorado College is hiring a new full-time Printer of the Press, who will manage/run the letterpress printshop, work with students and faculty in book arts, produce books for the Press imprint, and teach some courses in letterpress printmaking. Required qualifications include an M.A. in Fine Art or a B.A. in Art with substantial corollary work in Fine Art; and two years of related experience as a letterpress printer, book/graphic designer, small press publisher, and/or teacher of books arts. For more information and to apply, please click here. […]

RBS Fellowship Program Kicks Off New Podcast Series about Archival Materials and Counter Narratives

On Wednesday, 29 March 2023, the Andrew W. Mellon Fellowship for Diversity, Inclusion, and Cultural Heritage at Rare Book School launched Counter Narratives in Practice, a podcast series about multicultural heritage collections, storytelling, and representation in galleries, libraries, archives, museums, and beyond. This podcast is part of a larger project that highlights the work of the RBS Cultural Heritage Fellows.

The Fellows, led by book historian Allie Alvis, worked together from across the U.S. to tell stories about the archival materials in their collections and how those stories can prompt thinking about counter narratives in professional practice. […]

The Dark Archives Scholarship Fund: Call for Applications, Starting 27 March 2023

In partnership with its donors, the Guild of Book Workers is pleased to announce an upcoming funding opportunity, The Dark Archives Scholarship Fund. The scholarship is designed to help expand funding opportunities in the area of Book Arts education. The funds, of up to $800, may be used by any individual identifying as BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color) towards taking or teaching a book arts class. Applications will be accepted beginning 27 March 2023 on this webpage. […]

RBS in the News: “For Rare Book Librarians, It’s Gloves Off. Seriously.” – a New York Times Article by Jennifer Schuessler

The following article by Jennifer Schuessler, which features Barbara Heritage (RBS Associate Director & Curator of Collections) appeared in The New York Times on 9 March 2023. Click here to view the article via nytimes.com.  

Last month, The New York Times reported on an ultrarare medieval Hebrew Bible that was headed to auction with a record-smashing estimate of up to $50 million.

The reaction was swift.

“Why are they handling this without cotton gloves? Shame on them,” one reader wrote in the comments section, referring to photographs showing someone touching the worn pages. […]

Two New Job Opening — Wells College

Wells College is hiring two new positions: Director for the Book Arts Center and Victor Hammer Fellow. Review of applications for both positions will begin on 1 March 2023. […]

RBS Announces M. C. Lang Fellows in Book History, Bibliography, and Humanities Teaching with Historical Sources

With pleasure, Rare Book School announces the fourth cohort of M. C. Lang Fellows in Book History, Bibliography, and Humanities Teaching with Historical Sources. Congratulations to all, and we look forward to welcoming you to RBS this summer! […]

RBS General and Buice Scholarship Awards for 2023 Announced

Rare Book School is pleased to announce the recipients of its General Scholarship Committee awards, as well as the winners of the Buice Scholarships for returning RBS students. Congratulations to these recipients! […]

Digital Preservation Outreach & Education Network: Professional Development Funding

The Digital Preservation Outreach and Education Network (DPOE-N) is seeking applications from individuals and institutions to support professional development in the area of digital preservation. DPOE-N is interested in hearing from both individuals and  institutions who are looking to enhance their digital preservation capacities, those who may have digital preservation challenges stemming from the COVID-19 outbreak, as well as emerging professionals with an interest in digital preservation, and any information worker laid off or furloughed during the Covid- 19 pandemic.

Interested individuals may apply, for example, to use funds to participate in L-130v. Digital Sustainability for Cultural Collections, […]

RBS Announces Summer 2023 Course Applications

We are pleased to announce that applications are now open for Rare Book School’s summer 2023 courses! Our roster of more than 40 in-person and online courses can be found at rarebookschool.org/schedule/. Click on the course titles to view detailed descriptions and faculty biographies, along with the schedule, format, location, and fee for each offering. For courses that have run before, be sure to consult the evaluations written by past students in order to gain further insights into what to expect.

For the best chance of being admitted, please submit your application(s) by the first-round deadline: Monday, […]

Librarian/Archivist – Portland Art Museum

The Portland Art Museum in Portland, Oregon, invites applications for the position of Librarian/Archivist. The Librarian/Archivist is responsible for the maintenance, supervision, and preservation of the Portland Art Museum’s Library and archival holdings.  Click here to view the full job description. Applications are due 20 January 2023. […]

Antiquarian Booksellers’ Association of America: Summer Internship Program

The Antiquarian Booksellers’ Association of America’s Diversity Initiative Committee is proud to announce a paid summer internship program, co-sponsored by AbeBooks, aimed at providing an alternative route to success in the antiquarian and rare book business. This ten-week paid, hands-on, learning-oriented program seeks to provide entry to those historically underrepresented among workers in the trade—Black, Indigenous, people of color, and/or LGBTQ+—to offer the tools, experience, and exposure necessary to pursue a career in the antiquarian book trade. The deadline to apply is 31 March 2023. Click here to apply. […]

RBS in the News: “The 2,000-Year Story of Building the Book” – a New York Times Article by Jennifer Schuessler

The following article by Jennifer Schuessler about “Building the Book from the Ancient World to the Present Day,” RBS’s Grolier Club exhibition, appeared in The New York Times on 2 December 2022. Click here to view the article via nytimes.com.  

For a certain kind of book nerd, Rare Book School at the University of Virginia is the closest a person can come to Valhalla.Each summer, bibliophiles from all over the world gather for weeklong courses in nearly every aspect of the history of the book, in an atmosphere that combines deep immersion in the most arcane aspects of printing, […]

Book Arts Studio Manager – University of Richmond

The Book Arts, Archives, and Rare Books department at the University of Richmond is accepting applications for a full-time Book Arts Studio Manager position. The Studio Manager will oversee the daily use and maintenance of the Book Arts Studio, including letterpress equipment, binery tools, and studio materials. The position also supervises two-plus student assistants, trains new studio assistants, monitors studio open hours, and conducts studio orientations, in addition to assisting the Book Arts Studio Program Director with creative projects and instruction in our growing program. Review of applications will begin 9 January 2023 and continue until the position is filled. […]

2022 APHA Lieberman Lecture: “The Power and Promise of a Union”

The American Printing History Association invites you to attend the free 2022 Lieberman Lecture, “The Power and Promise of a Union: Labor, Printing, and Graphic Design.” The virtual event will take place over Zoom on Monday 5 December at 7:00 pm ET.

The talk, given by Danielle Aubert, will look at case studies, such as the Detroit Printing Co-op and contemporary union-organizing efforts, and reflect on the relationship between graphic designers, printers, and organized labor. […]