Book Model Collection at the UI Conservation Lab
Gary Frost discusses a book from the model collection with students.
Book models are handmade artifacts that replicate binding structures to show us how a book operates. They range from practical to experimental and may reproduce bookbinding techniques from various eras and cultures. In both private practice and institutional settings, model-making has long been established as a rigorous strategy for investigation and instruction.
The Book Model Collection (BMC) at the University of Iowa Libraries is a teaching collection of more than 400 items housed in the Conservation Lab. These models are a world-class resource for the dynamic community of conservators, scholars, librarians, artists, bookbinders, and other curious minds at Iowa and beyond.
The expert understanding of book craftsmanship—old and new—represented in this collection makes the BMC an indispensable tool in the effort to preserve the cultural heritage of the book.
A Brief History of the Book Model Collection
Bill Anthony, first conservator of the University of Iowa Libraries, was known for his replicas or models of historical bindings. Works created by lab staff and students, beginning with Anthony, form the core of this collection—which includes a wide range of binding techniques: historic, modern, wooden board, and monastic binding.
You can read more about the history of the BMC here.
Access
As of fall 2025, a complete record of our holdings is browsable in ArchivesSpace.
In addition, you can view detailed descriptions and photographs of several dozen of our items in the Iowa Digital Library.
This collection is open for research and accessed by appointment in the Conservation Lab at the University of Iowa Main Library. To set an appointment, please email Suzanne Glémot and Giselle Simón. In your message, please include details about your interest in the collection or your research needs.
Note that materials in this collection are non-circulating, but we warmly welcome the use of photography and pencil note-taking to document your research.
The Book Model Collection and resource library in the current UI Libraries’ Conservation Lab.