Book Arts & Letterpress Lab

About the Baylor University Book Arts & Letterpress Lab

The Book Arts & Letterpress Lab features a variety of resources and tools to learn and explore many aspects of the art and history of the book and offers hands-on experiences in composing and hand setting movable type, operating historic printing presses, and exploring a variety of book arts related activities. 

The Book Arts & Letterpress Lab provides transformative and engaging experiential learning opportunities to:

• Support the integration of literacies and active learning experiences in the technologies of communication, printing, and book history
• Serve as a working model of historical printing practices that ushered in a pivotal chapter in the creation, documentation, and dissemination of knowledge and human expression
• Serve as an experiential studio in which visitors can learn about the history and craft of book arts and letterpress printing and create their own expressions rooted in the rich heritage of the book and printed communication
• Inspire learning and creativity for the entire campus and for all disciplines

The lab serves as creative extension of the Baylor Libraries' distinctive collections, most notably, the Baylor Book Arts Collection. This nationally recognized collection of artists’ books and fine press books provides a rich resource for Baylor, local community organizations, and visitors from around the country. Each semester, hundreds of students across a variety of disciplines and courses engage with the Baylor Book Arts Collection, exploring the many ways artists have used the concept and format of the book, including letterpress printing, for creative expression. 

Location

The Book Arts & Letterpress Lab is located on the first floor of Jesse H. Jones Library, in rooms 105 and 107. Look for the entrance just to the left of the main entrance of Jones Library, at the base of the stairs.

Workshops and Events

The Book Arts & Letterpress Lab offers a variety of workshops to inspire creative work across the breadth of the book arts. For more information on workshops and events, please visit  libguides.baylor.edu/letterpresslab for scheduling and registration information.

Open Hours

Our open hours are for all Baylor community members to come and learn about our space, work on projects, and be creative. Please visit our Libguide to see the open hours for this semester. These hours are subject to change, as occasional class sessions and workshops will take priority.

For hours, events, and up-to-date info, please visit our LibGuide

Integrating the Lab Experiences into Your Courses

Our Lab Team Members partner with instructors and students to create a wide-variety of curriculum-based, experiential-learning experiences and projects.  Click here to request a collaboration with your course