This Spring the Preservation Lab is partnering with the English Department to co-teach Book Arts (ENG3097). The Lab is leading the hands-on experiential learning portion of the course, with Gary Weissman (Associate Professor and Director of Literary & Cultural Studies, Department of English) leading the seminar portion.

During the Lab portion, students will be exposed to a brief history of the codex, make western-style paper, learn to a variety of sewn structures, have an overview of printing techniques, and explore ways to add interest to the codex structure (movable structures, closures, enclosures, material choice, etc.), among other activities.

For the February 5th class session, students made a model of the Nag Hammadi Codex VIII. Catarina Figueirinhas, Assistant Conservator, began the session with a short lecture on the discovery of the codices and the importance of the find to papyrologists, and book history and religious scholars. She then led the students through the creation of the half scale model.

It was a wonderfully successful afternoon thanks to a group of very engaged students and an amazingly prepared, as always, Catarina Figueirinhas.

Holly Prochaska (UCL) — Preservation Librarian

All images provided by Melissa Norris (UCL) — Director of Communications