This fall, six library fellows worked with Osher Lifelong Learning (OLLI) students and librarians to curate an exhibition on the history of the book. Students participated in ten weekly seminar classes taught by library staff where they came into contact with some of the oldest books in the libraries’ collections. Classes covered early means of book and scroll making, the advent of printing in the age of Gutenberg, the history of Bibles, the printer’s “bread and butter,” and they studied the parts of a book. They also learned about curatorial methods, including how to select objects that tell a story, what to look for when determining if a book is in good condition to be on display, how to write labels for a broad audience and layout their items, and how to use WordPress to create an online exhibition. Students will present on their cases on November 30. Our thanks go to Poppy and Richard Buchanan, whose funding has made this program possible. Applications for spring semester classes on “geographic information systems” and on “the power of propaganda, persuasion, and information dissemination” are now being accepted.
