Presentations

History of the Book

Throughout the year, the Rare Books Division offers presentations to University of Utah faculty and students in conjunction with courses to an overview of the history of the book — from Sumerian clay tablets to 21st century artists' books.

In most circumstances, presentations consist of a display of items from the rare book collections, a lecture by the curator, and an opportunity for participants to engage, hands-on, with selected items from the rare book collections. Presentations generally last from 50 minutes to an hour and a half. The curator is happy to discuss variations of this format with faculty.

We welcome participation of faculty and students from other institutions of higher learning. Presentations to adult community groups on- and off-campus may also be arranged. We regret that we are unable to accommodate K-12 groups.

Scheduling is accommodated on a first come, first served basis. Please email Lyuba Basin or call 801-585-6168 for details.

Students carefully examine rare books on display in a library or archive. Photo by Heidi Brett.

Students from Professor Ann Engar's Honors ITW course, Spring Semester 2011.
"The session was an eye-opener for me. It made me think about many things that happened throughout history, see the main linking points and connect it to the discussions that we have in our classes." Graduate student, CLCS6750, Fall Semester, 2010
A group of students listens to a lecture while rare books are displayed in the foreground. Photo by Heidi Brett

Curator, Luise Poulton, and students from Professor Ann Engar's Honors ITW course, Spring Semester 2011.