About the Rutgers Initiative for the Book (RIB)

Recent events include talks, bookbinding studios, and scavenger hunts with Javiera Barrientos,Tia Blassingame, Ryan Cordell,Nicholas Dames, Isabel Duarte-Gray, Jesse Erickson, Denise Gigante, Miles Grier, Isabel Hofmeyr, Kari Kraus, Matthew Kirschenbaum, Jill Lepore, Melina Moe, Olivia Moy, Priyasha Mukhopadhyay, Heather O’Donnell, Christy Pottroff, Matt Rubery, Katherine Ruffin, Jonathan Senchyne, Andrew Stauffer, Whitney Trettien, and Corinna Zeltsman.

We also organize field trips to area libraries, letterpresses, and tanneries.

Interested in hearing from us?

❦ Email us to subscribe to our newsletter: book@cca.rutgers.edu.

❦ Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ruscarletletterpress/.

❦ Want to sign up to use the makerspace? https://go.rutgers.edu/zgir0x95.

Upcoming Events

The Black Bibliography Project, a digital humanities initiative that aims to revitalize descriptive bibliography for African American literary studies, is hosting a conference at Rutgers from April 9-10. The proceedings will include two printing workshops at the Scarlet Letterpress and a panel presentation by a Book Initiative graduate fellow, Mitchell Edwards.

Please register here if you would like to attend. There is no registration fee.

Thursday & Friday April 9th & 10th | All Day

Alexander Library | College Avenue, New Brunswick

Join the Rutgers Book Initiative, the Early English Reading Group, and the Medieval and Renaissance Colloquium for our Second Annual Medieval Materiality Event!

Come learn how to make medieval ink and hear live readings of Old and Middle English literature! The Scarlet Letterpress will demonstrate how to make medieval inks: black, blue, and red (and potentially more!). Anyone can stop by to participate in making medieval ink and writing with it on historic parchment and historical cloth paper. Email Novella Frasier (novella.r.frasier@rutgers.edu) to RSVP for a free lunch at noon among friends and medievalists!

Wednesday April 22nd | 10:00 am – 5:00 pm

Room 101A (The Lounge) Murray Hall | College Avenue, New Brunswick

Contact for Questions or Lunch: novella.r.frasier@rutgers.edu

Visit our Rutgers Day table at Voorhees Mall, and take home a bookmark or postcard!

Join us in printing historical materials associated with Bram Stoker’s 1894 Gothic novel Dracula.

Sunday April 25th | 10:00 am – 4:00 pm

English Department Tent | College Avenue, New Brunswick

Past Events

The Translation Studies Initiative and the Scarlet Letterpress welcome all Rutgers translators to set type and print a translation.

Please join Professor Sean Silver and friends, who will help translators set type and print translations.

Thursday March 26th | 1:00 pm – 5:00 pm

Room 309 Murray Hall | College Avenue, New Brunswick

The Letterpress is going mobile!

Join us at the Piscataway Public Library, introducing some not-yet-obsolete technology at their annual Makers’ Day celebration. Visit and print a poem or a postcard!

Saturday March 28th | 11:00 am – 3:00 pm

Piscataway Public Library

Our second annual Valentine’s Day printing event!

Join us in printing handmade cards and memorabilia to celebrate the festivities!

Friday February 13th | 1:00 pm – 5:00 pm