This exhibit is devoted to cataloging and interpreting provenance about printed books held in the Rare Books and Special Collections (RBSC) at Michigan State University Libraries. Built by students, each page hosts one book from this expansive collection and details the unique markings, illustrations, and writings within the pages that give information about the book’s ownership and usage. The close collaboration with the RBSC expands previous provenance projects and catalogs the “life stories” of books not registered in traditional library catalogs. As a result, students and scholars can consult this database to explore the deeper history of rare books. This website was built at LEADR (Lab for the Education and Advancement in Digital Research) in the College of Social Science at Michigan State University.
Provenance: The History of the Book
