RBMS 2015 Blog

My memories from RBMS Conferences of years past include the excitement of the opening plenary, browsing at the ABAA Booksellers’ Showcase, and discussing a particularly exciting session with a few colleagues. I remember exploring the Nevada State Museum in Las Vegas, and attending the bag lunch as a brand-new attendee during my first conference. It’s always been a fantastic experience, and each time I attend, I come away with new ideas and full of enthusiasm for my work.

One part of the Conference I have yet to experience, however, is the workshops offered each year. I’ve sadly never taken the opportunity to enjoy one, and this year’s array of workshop offerings is truly fantastic. We’ve recently highlighted A Multi-Faceted Exploration of Digital Exhibitions for Special Collections Libraries, taught by Jason Kovari and Jessica Lacher-Feldman, and we have three other interesting, in-depth programs that (like Wheaties) will start your conference out the right way.

In addition to Jason and Jessica’s offering, Anne Bahde, Heather Smedberg, and Mattie Taormina will be leading what promises to be an enlightening session entitled Active Learning with Challenging Objects. In this course, the trio will tackle effective methods for teaching with a diverse array of special collections materials, allowing participants to participate in pedagogical exercises and practice crafting learning objectives for different audiences. Anne, Heather, and Mattie are skilled, experienced practitioners in teaching with special collections and developing next-level foundations for our field. Anne is the Rare Books and History of Science Librarian in the Special Collections and Archives Research Center at Oregon State University in Corvallis, Heather Smedberg is the Reference and Instruction Coordinator at UC San Diego’s Special Collections and Archives, and Mattie Taormina is the Head of Public Services as well as a Manuscripts Processing Librarian at Stanford University. All three have published extensively, and recently co-edited a collection of exercises for special collections professionals to use in teaching, entitled Using Primary Sources: Hands-On Instructional Exercises.

Another offering we are excited to see this year comes from Grendl Löfkvist, an Instructor in the Visual Media Design Department at the City College of San Francisco. Ms. Löfkvist has been teaching at CCSF since 1999, specializing in printmaking, letterpress printing, bookbinding, and other book arts. Her workshop, Printing with Wood Type: Cabarets, Capitalism, & Snake Oil During the Industrial Revolution will introduce participants to wood type, its place in history as related to the rise of capitalism and the Industrial Revolution. Participants will also be able to collaborate in the creation of a broadside, and explore the different types available in the CCSF print shop.

Although these wonderful offerings are currently at capacity, make sure you seek out colleagues and friends who were able to participate (as well as the instructors themselves) and engage them in conversation! I’m definitely inspired by these varied offerings to take a workshop next year, and I hope you’ll join me. If you’re lucky enough to participate this year, I hope you’re excited, and prepared to share what you’ll gain with the rest of us! Stay tuned for information on Dr. Simran Thadani’s workshop, A Very Speedy Introduction to Vernacular English Paleography, coming soon.

– Elizabeth DeBold, Folger Shakespeare Library