Book History in Libraries: A Roundtable with Philadelphia-Area Librarians

AHA Session 140
Saturday, January 7, 2023: 8:30 AM-10:00 AM
Congress Hall A (Loews Philadelphia Hotel, 4th Floor)
Chair:
Jessica C. Linker, Northeastern University
Panel:
Rachel D'Agostino, Library Company of Philadelphia
John Pollack, Kislak Center, University of Pennsylvania
Sarah Horowitz, Quaker and Special Collections, Haverford College

Session Abstract

The study of book history, including bibliography, print culture, and material texts, is frequently centered in libraries and special collections and led by librarians and curators. This roundtable, sponsored by the Society for the History of Authorship, Reading and Publishing, and, in celebration of AHA 2023 being held in Philadelphia, consists of Philadelphia-area librarians whose book history work in aggregate broadly encompasses new scholarship, pedagogy, programming, collecting, and innovative collaboration with faculty and students. We aim to hold a panel discussion on the state of book history in libraries with special attention to the institutions each individual represents: Sarah Horowitz is the Curator of Rare Books and Manuscripts and the Head of Quaker and Special Collections at Haverford College, Rachel D’Agostino is the Curator of Printed Books at the Library Company of Philadelphia, the oldest library in the United States, and John Pollack is the Curator of Research Services at the Kislak Center for Special Collections, Rare Books and Manuscripts at the University of Pennsylvania, as well as a co-convener of the Workshop in the History of Material Texts. This panel seeks to center the important historical work that librarians do while assessing how they have adapted (temporarily or permanently) in response to the coronavirus pandemic and other contingencies to promote the history of the book in their local communities. Each panelist will present briefly about their library's present approach to book history, highlighting institutional strengths and individual efforts, before responding to questions from the chair. The audience is invited to join the discussion for what will be a lively conversation about book history and librarianship in the greater Philadelphia area.
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