The Walters Art Museum in Baltimore has received a National Endowment for the Humanities grant to digitize more than 100 medieval manuscripts from a wide range of European and Near East cultures.

From December 8, 2009 to May 3, 2010, the Bodleian Library at Oxford University will host Crossing Borders: Hebrew Manuscripts as a Meeting-place of Cultures, "which tells the story of how Jews, Christians and Muslims have together contributed to the development of the book as an object of great cultural importance."

A library assistant in Colmar, France has discovered what is believed to be an extract from the Gutenberg Bible being used as part of the binding of another book.

The Minnesota Center for Book Arts in Minneapolis, Minnesota will offer several workshops of interest to scribes and bookbinders including A Modern Variation on the Medieval Book, which will take place on Mondays March 2-23 from 6:00-9:00 p.m.

The technology magazine "Wired" takes a rare look at the private library of Jay Walker, an entrepreneur whose eclectic historical interests have led him to create a library devoted to things that have "changed the way people think." The stunningly designed room contains books and artifacts from ancient to modern times, combining museum and library.

Is there a connection believe literacy and medieval underwear? Historians believe so, since discarded rags were used to make paper needed to print books. Before the ready availability of discarded cloth, only the rich could afford to own books.

The Middle Kingdom Grete Boke, a culmination of the efforts of many scribes and artisans over several years, is now displayed online.

The National Geographic Society, the Maecenas Foundation for Ancient Art and the Waitt Institute for Historical Discovery have been working together "to authenticate, conserve, and translate a 66-page...codex."

description:
In this workshop, Jennifer Hain Teper, Conservation Librarian for the UIUC Library, will teach participants to hand sew two to three models of headbands: a traditional plain double headband, a silk headband with a single bead on the front edge and a French double headband, if time allows. Workshop attendees will use prepared second-hand books as models, or may bring their own unbound, sewn book on which to sew their headbands. Location:
Urbana-Champaign, Illinois

description:
Day One: Eastern Traditions: A discussion of various styles including scrolls, Venetian blinds, and Japanese binding. Hands on production of: Punch Binding and Hardbound Accordion

Day Two: Western Traditions: Samples and discussion of western style codex binding. Hands on production of: Hardbound exposed spine binding on tapes Students will bring basic tools like pencils, rulers, scissors, and mat knives. Items such as awls, self-healing cutting mats, and needles will be provided. Location:
Urbana-Champaign, Illinois

description:
Jennifer Hain Teper, Conservation Librarian for the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Library, will lead a workshop on the basics of book structure, identifying different types of damage, and conduct a hands-on tutorial for simple repair techniques for books, which can be used in libraries or at home.

Techniques to be covered include inserting loose pages, mending torn pages, cleaning, consolidating frayed corners and tightening loose hinges. Location:
Urbana-Champaign, Illinois

description:
What is a book worth? And how do you know? And what do you mean by the "worth of a book"? Books have dollar value and intrinsic, research value. This workshop will discuss both.

Many things add to--or detract from--the values of books. What are the variables? Many tools exist out there to help us determine what the going rate for a book is. What are those tools? How can we use them? The tools themselves are fallible. Location:
Urbana-Champaign, Illinois

In an article for the Spring 2007 issue of Skin Deep, a publication for bookbinders, Mark Winstanley discusses Tsbook [Tigrinya for Good] - The Gospel of Abba, a 6th century Ethiopian Gospel and its repair project.

The Haunted Bookshop has been selling used and rare books since 1985 and are members of the Massachusetts and Rhode Island Antiquarian Booksellers Association. They specialize in books on Medieval and Renaissance History, British Isles, Costuming and Textiles, Illumination, Art, and Architecture.

Garry and Pamela Dick of the Kingdom of AEthelmearc shared their bookbinding skills recently at the Tavern on the Edge of the Kingdom event in Barboursville, West Virginia. The event was covered by Rachel Gensler for the Herald-Dispatch.