Iowa Bibliophiles is a group for book lovers and enthusiasts of all kinds. Each fall the group invites a speaker to come to campus to give a talk on an aspect of book history or collecting featuring their collections or materials from Special Collections. In the spring, Iowa Bibliophiles is invited to get an up close look at some of the new acquisitions joining the Special Collection’s stacks.
All meetings are free and open to the public. You can find some of our previous talks on our YouTube page.
Join the Iowa Bibliophiles newsletter for more up to date information on these events by emailing Elizabeth Riordan at elizabeth-riordan@uiowa.edu.
October 22, 2026
The Poison Book Project:
The Mysterious History of Victorian-Era ‘Poison Books’ and Their Legacy Today
Dr. Melissa Tedone
Are there really old books full of arsenic and other toxic heavy metals? How common are they? How dangerous are they? Why were they made at all? Melissa Tedone, co-founder of the Poison Book Project, will share the colorful history of Victorian bookbinding and its legacy on our bookshelves today.
Dr. Melissa Tedone is Assistant Professor in the University of Delaware Department of Art Conservation and Associate Director of the Winterthur/University of Delaware Program in Art Conservation (WUDPAC). Melissa leads the Poison Book Project, a joint research initiative at the University of Delaware and Winterthur Museum, Garden & Library. She also co-founded the Bibliotoxicology Working Group (BibTox), an international cohort of over 90 conservators, scientists, librarians, and health and safety professionals working to define safer practices for managing toxic library and archives collections.
CALENDAR OF UPCOMING EVENTS
ACCOMMODATIONS
Individuals with disabilities are encouraged to attend all University of Iowa sponsored events. If you are a person with a disability who requires a reasonable accommodation in order to participate in this program, please contact Elizabeth Riordan at elizabeth-riordan@uiowa.edu in advance of the event.