Rare Book School (RBS) is pleased to announce its 2008 medieval and Renaissance course offerings.  Each year, RBS offers about 35 five-day, non-credit courses on topics concerning book history, old and rare books, manuscripts, and special collections.   Classes are held annually at the University of Virginia (Charlottesville, VA); at the Grolier Club and at the Morgan Library & Museum (NYC); at The Johns Hopkins University and the Walters Art Museum (Baltimore, MD); and at the Freer/Sackler Galleries of the Smithsonian (Washington, DC).

In 2008, these five-day, intensive course offerings include:

1.  Introduction to Paleography, 800-1500
Offered 9-13 June at the University of Virginia taught by Consuelo
Dutschke (Columbia)

2.  The Book in the Manuscript Era
Offered 21-25 July at the University of Virginia taught by Barbara
Shailor (Yale)

3.  Introduction to Illuminated Manuscripts
Offered 20-24 October at the Morgan Library & Museum taught by Roger
Wieck (Morgan Library & Museum)

4.  Introduction to Western Codicology
Offered 3-7 November at The Walters Art Museum taught by Albert
Derolez (Free Universities of Brussels)

And, in 2009 ...

5.  15th-Century Books in Print and Manuscript
Offered 5-9 January 2009 at The Walters Art Museum taught by Paul
Needham (Princeton) & William Noel (Walters)

Many RBS courses are offered annually; others are offered every two or three years. For a complete listing of courses and more information about the school, including application procedures, see the RBS website.

RBS courses are small; almost all of them are limited to twelve or fewer students. Admission is by competitive application.  In 2008, tuition for each five-day, intensive course is $895.  Scholarship help may be available to full-time students.  If you wish to be considered for a scholarship, along with your completed application (and personal statement) please submit an additional (no longer than one page) statement in which you also:

1. Explain how you anticipate that attending RBS will help you in developing your educational interests, and
2. Explain why receiving this scholarship is necessary for you. Please explain the likelihood of institutional support for tuition, housing, travel, &c., or the circumstances which might preclude such support.

RBS faculty members make their first round of admission decisions exactly three months before their courses begin; after this they review applications as they are received.

Note that while scholarship recipients receive free tuition towards an RBS course, these awards do not include support for other expenses such as transportation or housing.  These awards are made by RBS administration in consultation with the instructor on a course-by-course basis and are not transferable to other RBS courses.

Inquiries should be directed to RBS Program Director, Ryan L. Roth at (434) 924-8851.