We are launching an exciting new project at Northern Illinois University to create a NIU Book Lab, which will focus on the history of the book, printing presses, and print culture!

The Northern Illinois University Libraries have created a crowdfunding project to restore the vintage printing presses at NIU, so that our students can engage in their own projects using printing technologies and learn about the history of the book.

The Printing Revolution (c.1450-1550), Renaissance printing, early modern news, religious pamphlets, political pamphlets, and prints are major components of my undergraduate courses on HIST 420 The Renaissance, HIST 414 European Wars of Religion, HIST 422 Early Modern Europe, and HIST 423 French Revolution and Napoleon. My honors and graduate teaching also deals significantly with print cultures and history of the book.

Many undergraduate and graduate students in History do research projects using woodblock prints, engravings, political pamphlets, religious pamphlets, treatises, and other rare printed works from the early modern period. So, a Book Lab would serve these students’ research projects and contribute to the development of their research skills.

These skills are important for historical research, museum studies, archival practices, library and information sciences, and related fields.

Please consider donating to help us “start the presses”!

The NIU Book Lab crowdfunding website has more information about this campaign.