On 5–7 June 2024, the Thomas Fisher Rare Book Library and Hidden Stories project welcomed participants to an intensive 3-day seminar on ‘Book Science’ aimed at rare book librarians, conservators, book historians, and others with a primarily non-scientific background desiring a better grounding in the subject. The seminar was coordinated by Hidden Stories’ Jessica Lockhart and Rachel Di Cresce in collaboration with David Fernández (Thomas Fisher Rare Book Library) and featured both local and international specialists offering introductions to their areas of expertise. 

Guest speakers Juilee Decker, Roger L. Easton Jr., and Izzy Moyer from the Rochester Institute of Technology led an introduction to multispectral imaging and use of their new low-barrier portable MSI system, MISHA. (See their resources including sample data; and the form for receiving the parts list and software.)

Sebastian Bosch (Universität Hamburg’s Centre for the Study of Manuscript Cultures) introduced the field of ink and pigment analysis as studied through x-ray fluorescence and other techniques, and gave the students a hands-on introduction to using a dino-lite to distinguish iron gall, vegetal, and carbon black inks. 

Speakers from the University of Toronto’s scientific community included Aaron Au, who offered a preview of a research project ongoing at the University of Toronto using FTIR and scanning electron microscopy for ink analysis, and Earl Magsipoc, who offered an introduction to microCT scanning and scanned a model manuscript with us using their new RX Solutions EasyTom 230 Micro-CT XRay System. 

A highlight of the final day was a set of interviews with rare book librarians Deborah Meert-Williston (Western University) and David Fernández reflecting on their priorities as caretakers of cultural heritage collections.

Sessions led by Jessica Lockhart emphasized the importance of well-planned and balanced collaboration in pursuing meaningful and achievable research questions and avoiding some of the beginner pitfalls of book science work. 

You can find the seminar’s introductory reading list and some of the research project management-related worksheets on the next pages.