Where stories come to life: building connections with research outside the classroom.
I can't think of a better resource than the Book Arts Workshop for supporting experiential learning at Dartmouth. The workshop helps me bring historical technologies to life while encouraging students to think creatively and collaboratively about the material world we live in.
Professor Jessica Beckman, Assistant Professor, Department of English and Creative Writing
A Hands-on Approach to Your Curriculum
A Hands-on Approach to Your Curriculum
- Put course concepts into practice to spark fresh perspectives.
- Apply analog techniques to sharpen communication and problem-solving skills.
- Develop fluency with the equipment and materials at the BAW, to set a foundation for success in future projects and coursework.
Sarah Marcella Parella teaches a class in the letterpress studio.
A paper lets you hide behind citations and structure. A book asks you to make choices about what goes next to what, what gets a full page, what gets one sentence. Every layout decision is also an argument.
Youmi Ji '28
Crafting a Class
We offer a variety of workshops and experiences for courses or campus groups. Our sessions focus on analog techniques: relief printing, bookbinding, and many more hands-on methods.
Projects in the Book Arts workshop take time; careful planning and execution is critical for success.
What you need to know
- Group size: Our space can accommodate up to 13 people in the bindery and 9 in the letterpress room. Groups with more than 16 people will need to work in pairs or small groups.
- Fees: We charge academic departments (or campus organizations) a fee of $12/person for full workshop visits involving materials (simple tours are free). Non-departmental/alternative funding routes are also possible.
If I hadn’t stumbled upon the Book Arts Workshop at Dartmouth and found it to be such a welcoming and inspiring place, I don’t think I would be on the path I’m on today!
Ella Grim '25
Your Step by Step
Your Step by Step
- Fill out a request form
- Coordinate learning outcomes and deadlines
- Introduce the techniques together
- Students create independently
Prefer a lighter touch? Instead of a full in-class session, we can offer a tour of our space and an invitation to join our Open Studios. Students can also use our in-house Resource Guide for instructions, sign out bookmaking kits, and look forward to more extensive take-home kits soon.
Student adjust type in a workshop.
Recent Collaborations as Inspiration
Letterpress Printing
ENGL 54.15 History of the Book with Professor Beckman. Annual collaboration.
Students learn how to set type and print with letterpress machines, deepening the course theme of examining the book as a historical and cultural object. Students' prints are inspired by their course readings, providing a variety of book histories, from medieval manuscripts to contemporary digital publications.
Bookbinding
GEOG 025 Social Justice and the City with Professor Erin Collins. Annual collaboration.
Students design and make their own books, from writing to binding, through multi-session workshops. From collaging to pop-up books, students' books experiment with physical form to explore ideas of urban communities and social groups working for change.
Papyrus and Parchment Calligraphy
LAT 10.04 Latin Manuscripts and Palaeography with Professor Jennifer Lynn. 2026.
Students have the opportunity to travel back in time, by writing on genuine papyrus. We provide reed pens with lamp black and iron gall inks, alongside instructions and a brief history of these tools. Not only does this project give students greater appreciation of ancient texts and writing, but also prompts them to think about their physical production.
Let's Get Started
Ready to start? Fill out the Request Form, and hear from us shortly.
- Email: book.arts@dartmouth.edu
- Phone: 603-646-8817
Professor Jessica Beckman and students examine illuminated manuscript leaves from a 14th-century French Book of Hours. (Photo by Rob Strong ’04)
Book Arts Workshop
Photograph of Genevieve Taggard with a sunflower inflorescence; New York Public Library Digital Collections
Book Arts Workshop
