Rare Book School

Rare Book School (RBS) is an institute dedicated to educating its students in bibliography, book history, printing, digital humanities, and more. Founded at the Columbia University School of Library Service in 1983 by Terry Belanger, RBS had humble beginnings as a small collection of courses offered through Belanger’s bibliographical laboratory called the Book Arts Press (BAP) which he founded in 1972. In 1992, it moved its headquarters to Alderman Library (now Shannon Library) at the University of Virginia (UVA) where it remains today. Belanger retired as director of RBS at the end of August 2009; his successor is Michael F. Suarez, S.J.

RBS's courses are mainly hosted at its headquarters in Charlottesville, VA, but it also offers courses remotely and in-person at partner institutes in New York City, Washington, D.C., and Baltimore, Maryland. In addition to its typical courses, RBS hosts public events such as lectures which are open to students and community members. RBS went from hosting eight courses during its first Summer Session at Columbia to now providing about forty summer courses every year. Each non-credit summer course lasts five days and usually contains twelve or fewer students; they are all taught by prestigious scholars and professionals in their respective disciplines. The courses are intensive with an expectation of full-time participation and attendance. The courses offered each year have varying requirements regarding levels of educational and professional achievement, and they cater to a wide range of disciplines including library sciences, education, antiquarian book collection, and more. New applications for each course are allowed until the enrollment limit has been reached by accepted students.

RBS is an independent, non-profit, and tax-exempt organization headed by its own board of directors. The school is committed to keeping its courses accessible and offers several scholarships and fellowships. As a continuing education institute, RBS expects a wide range of ages, backgrounds, and experience levels in its cohort.