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 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.