News Archives

  • Remembering Joan M. Friedman

    It is with profound sadness that we announce the death of Joan M. Friedman on 14 February 2026. With professional talents spanning rare book curation and general accounting, Joan was an ardent early supporter of Rare Book School (RBS) and a long-serving Treasurer from 2007 to 2019.  

    Her early association with RBS goes back to its Columbia University origins at the School of Library Service, co-teaching the illustration processes course (I-20) with Terry Belanger from 1983 into the late 1980s. That class annually made a highly memorable field trip to New Haven, where Joan was Curator of Rare Books at the Yale Center for British Art.  […]

    Posted by RBS

  • George Washington’s Mount Vernon Seeking Special Collections Processing Archivist

    George Washington’s Mount Vernon is seeking to hire a Special Collections Processing Archivist. The position reports to the Chief Librarian and works closely with the Special Collections Librarian to ensure proper care, documentation, management, and access to special collections holdings. This position is primarily responsible for tracking and managing data entry, electronic and physical documentation for receiving special collections manuscripts and books, relating to accessioning, loans (internal and external), and deaccessioning.  The Archivist processes, describes, and houses Special Collections manuscripts and archival collections.

    S/he will coordinate with the Technical Services Librarian, who is responsible for cataloging rare books, […]

    Posted by RBS

  • Support RBS Students through the Annual Fund Matching-Gift Challenge!

    Rare Book School has concluded another successful summer of courses both at home and far afield. We welcomed some 570 students to 43 courses, which took place in Charlottesville, at nine partner institutions—including our first international courses at the Bodleian Library in Oxford—and around the globe with eight course offerings available online. RBS also hosted ten free public lectures, which examined topics such as a Renaissance publisher’s profit/risk strategies and the role that inexpensive editions played in making Jane Austen famous.

    Even as our School continues to thrive, we recognize a growing crisis of financial access for our students. […]

    Posted by RBS