Rare Book School

Rare Book School is now accepting applications for its 2024 scholarship and fellowship cycle. Learn more and apply at:?https://lnkd.in/eBAPTr5Q. Applications are open for: ·??????All RBS-awarded scholarships?(for both first-time and returning RBS students). The application deadline for scholarships is?Wednesday, November 1, 2024?at 11:59 p.m. ET. ·??????The SoFCB Junior Fellows Program. The Society of Fellows in Critical Bibliography (SoFCB) is a community of scholars working across disciplines to advance the study of texts, images, and artifacts as material objects. Ten Junior Fellows will be selected to join the SoFCB; they may become Senior Fellows after completing two years in good standing. The application deadline for the SoFCB Junior Fellows Program is?Friday, November 1, 2024?at 11:59 p.m. ET. ·??????The M. C. Lang Fellowship in Book History, Bibliography, and Humanities Teaching with Historical Sources. The Lang Fellowship is a two-year program open to faculty and librarians at liberal arts colleges and small universities (i.e.,?institutions that have?5,000 or fewer?undergraduates?and do not grant any humanities doctorates)?in the United States. The application deadline for the Lang Fellowship is?Monday, December 9, 2024?at 11:59 p.m. ET.

Thank you to UVA Today for sharing the story of bibliophiles and RBS supporters Cathy and Glen Miranker and their recent $3.1 million dollar gift, the largest donation in the School’s history! “I realized you don’t have to be J. P. Morgan to collect books,” Glen recalled for UVA Today, referring to the banker whose extensive library-museum is marking its 100th year.?“RBS is teaching me how to read the whole book.” The?Mirankers’?gift?endows?a?full-time?curatorial?chair?for RBS’s exhibitions program and teaching collection of more than 100,000 items. Now called the Miranker Family Director of Collections, Exhibitions & Scholarly Initiatives, the post is currently held by Barbara Heritage, who has worked at the School since 2002. Photo: Glen (left) and Cathy Miranker (right) view the teaching collections with RBS Miranker Family Director of?Collections, Exhibitions & Scholarly Initiatives Barbara Heritage (center). Photo by Stephanie Gross, 2024. ? Alt text: A man and two women look at a small, closed book, which one of the women is holding. The three people are in a room full of books, manuscripts, and collection boxes on floor-to-ceiling shelves. https://lnkd.in/ejAQCj9G

Apply to the M. C. Lang Fellowship in Book History, Bibliography, and Humanities Teaching with Historical Sources by Monday, December 9.?To learn more, check out the images below, or visit: https://lnkd.in/g_P7jBgb

?? Got a long car ride coming up? Need to take a break from your social media feed? You’re in luck! Audio recordings of our Summer 2024 Lecture Series are now available! https://lnkd.in/gqCfhGKX

Apply by 9 December to RBS’s Lang Fellowship for a one-of-a-kind learning experience especially for educators at small institutions. But don’t take our word for it! Check out what former Lang Fellows have to say… ?? “I have already started to re-imagine how I might infuse book history and bibliography more clearly into all of the courses I teach and how I can build a more robust culture of the book at my home institution.” ?? “I feel inspired to be a whole lot more creative in my teaching ...and I feel that I have been given all the tools I could possibly need (and more) to achieve that goal.” ?? “The Lang program is well-designed to reach faculty who can have a maximal impact on student exposure to book history.” ??♀? Learn more, apply, watch an info session, and quickly review the session slides:?https://lnkd.in/dWaPH2cF

?????Hear ye, hear ye! Announcing the last call for applications for… -all RBS-awarded scholarships (for both first-time and returning RBS students) -the SoFCB Junior Fellows Program. The Society of Fellows in Critical Bibliography (SoFCB) is a community of scholars working across disciplines to advance the study of texts, images, and artifacts as material objects. Ten Junior Fellows will be selected to join the SoFCB; they may become Senior Fellows after completing two years in good standing. **The application deadline for both is THIS FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 1 at 11:59 p.m. ET** Learn more and apply at: https://lnkd.in/gfiuDjA7

Join RBS’s Andrew W. Mellon Fellows for Diversity, Inclusion & Cultural Heritage for a free two-part Zoom series, “Archival Conversations.” Everyone is welcome! The first event of the series, “The Ethics of Selling and Acquisitions,” happens next Monday, November 4 at 3:00–4:30 p.m. ET. Learn more and register at: bit.ly/ethicsAC The second event is “Realities of Archival Diaspora” and takes place next Wednesday, November 6 at 2:00–3:30 p.m. ET. Information and registration for that event can be found at: bit.ly/diasporaAC

Newly posted RBS video! Check out our informational session about the M. C. Lang Fellowship in Book History, Bibliography, and Humanities Teaching with Historical Sources. https://lnkd.in/eBPbf_Y2 RBS’s Lang Fellowship is specifically for educators (librarians, faculty, or staff) at liberal arts colleges and small universities in the United States (i.e., 5,000 or fewer undergraduates and do not grant any humanities doctorates). The Fellowship includes: -Two RBS courses -An annual stipend for travel and housing -Matching funds for book-historical projects at home institutions Applications are due on Monday 9 December.?For more details, including video slides and application instructions, please visit: https://lnkd.in/dWaPH2cF

Join RBS’s Cultural Heritage Fellows for “War of the Dots: A Symposium Exploring Accessibility in Archive and Museum Exhibits.”?This Zoom event, which is free and open to everyone, happens next Tuesday, November 5 at 2:00–3:30 p.m. ET.?Registration is required at:?https://lnkd.in/eAYDf9pQ In 2022, Washington State University (WSU) began to collaborate with the Washington State School for the Blind (WSSB) to establish a museum highlighting the history of the school. In 2024, the two organizations set up their first collaborative exhibit—a pop-up experience called “War of the Dots.” The goal of the exhibit was to engage blind and low-vision students in the history of tactile print, connecting accessibility challenges of the past with the present day. The presenters of this symposium will reflect on the experience of creating the exhibit while taking into account accessibility for blind and low-vision audiences. In both the past and the present, the “War of the Dots” draws attention to the need for truly inclusive museums and cultural experiences. This symposium is sponsored by RBS and the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation as part of the Mellon Fellowship for Diversity, Inclusion & Cultural Heritage.

Private collector Elizabeth Canning wrote about her experience in an RBS bookbinding course this summer as well as about the Book Club of Washington’s newly available scholarship. Read her post at:?https://lnkd.in/dPJs2SRf According to Elizabeth, “The course was intense, and though our days were full, I found myself wishing for even more time with the books. It was an enriching experience that deepened not only my knowledge of British bookbinding but also my admiration for Rare Book School and its dedicated faculty and staff. With the Book Club of Washington now offering a scholarship to RBS for Washington [state] applicants, I encourage anyone passionate about books and book history—whether you're a librarian, scholar, bookseller, or collector—to apply and take advantage of this opportunity.” Apply for this (and other) RBS scholarships by November 1 at:?https://lnkd.in/dmxfKYWN Photos:? Exploring books from the RBS teaching collection with faculty member David Pearson (left); The course included a demonstration of handpress-era bookbinding techniques (right). Photos courtesy of Elizabeth Canning.