University of Iowa Conservation Lab Book Model Collection

Collection

Identifier: MsC1261

No requestable containers

Scope and Contents

See more See less

The Book Model Collection (BMC) at the University of Iowa Libraries is an extensive teaching collection of more than 400 items housed in the Conservation Lab that demonstrates bookbinding techniques from various eras of history and across a broad range of cultures.

Items in the BMC generally fall into one of three categories. These types are: models, exemplars, and workshops materials.

Models can be hypothetical or replicas and are generally made with the purpose of demonstrating historical features of book structures. Their production is noncontemporary, materials are as close to historical practice and evidence as the binder could get, and books tend to be blank. Binding models in the BMC are generally denoted in their call number by the use of a lower case “a.”

Exemplars are contemporaneous objects, originating directly from the period in question and exemplifying historical features. Exemplars in the BMC are generally denoted in their call number by the use of a lower case “b.”

Workshop materials comprise bindings produced in a workshop setting, teaching aids, and demonstration samples. Workshop models in the BMC are generally denoted in their call number by the use of a lower case “c.”

This significant mechanical and material study of the book as physical object is contextualized and extended into the 20th and 21st centuries by the inclusion of machine-produced books and electronic reading devices in the collection.

Dates

Creation: 1985-2025

Conditions Governing Access

This collection is open for research and accessed by appointment in the Conservation Lab at the University of Iowa Main Library. To set an appointment, please email Suzanne Glémot (suzanne-glemot@uiowa.edu) and Giselle Simón (giselle-simon@uiowa.edu). In your message, please include details about your interest in the collection or your research needs.

Note that materials in this collection are non-circulating, but we warmly welcome the use of photography and (pencil) notetaking to extensively document your research.

Conditions Governing Use

Copyright status for collection materials may be unknown. Transmission or reproduction of materials protected by U.S. Copyright Law (Title 17, U.S.C.) beyond that allowed by fair use requires the written permission of the copyright owner. Works not in the public domain cannot be commercially exploited without permission of the copyright owners. Responsibility and potential liability based on copyright infringement for any use rests exclusively and solely with the user. Users must properly acknowledge University of Iowa Libraries Special Collections & Archives as the source of the material. For further information, visit https://www.lib.uiowa.edu/sc/services/rights/

Please consult Suzanne Glémot (suzanne-glemot@uiowa.edu) for further information.

Full Extent

70 Linear Feet

Language of Materials

English

Additional Description

Physical Characteristics and Technical Requirements

In the Conservation Lab, BMC items are generally shelved by century of prevalence–that is, the general time period during which features represented by a model would have been observed in use. Call numbers are assigned first by century of prevalence (0 through 21), then collection sub-category (denoted by “a,” “b,” or “c”), and finally by instance (starting with “.01,” and increasing as items are accessioned). Folio-sized items are further denoted as such by a lowercase “f” at the start of the call number and shelved accordingly. These call numbers ultimately reflect an accession order and act as a unique identifier, and not a shelf location or shelving order.

For ease of shelving and shelf-reading, a square tag featuring the century of prevalence category is affixed to each item’s enclosure in the space below its call number, and colored stickers enhance the three subcategories: models (a) are coded in red, exemplars (b) are coded in blue, and workshop materials (c) are coded in green.