Book History

The recent formation of a popular certificate program on the “Material Histories of the Human Record” has contributed to a rise in graduate student interest in the field of book history broadly conceived: this includes papyri, scrolls, codices, manuscript and print culture from across the world. Much of this material is represented across Yale’s varied collections, but there is not yet a forum for students and faculty to gather and share their interests and research. This working group aims to supplement recent curricular efforts and collaborate with more specific groups, such as the Arabic Scribal Cultures working group, to provide an intellectual and social framework for continued work in the field. The group will recruit, organize, and sponsor graduate students interested in sharing their work at the Harvard-Yale-Brown Book History Graduate Conference to be held in Providence, Rhode Island, in May 2026.