Harvard College Library Wintersession looks forward, to the past

In a 2007 excavation of Harvard Yard, archaeology students unearthed a handful of metal fragments, each imprinted with a letter. The pieces, which were determined to be 17th-century movable type, root the history of printing at the feet of current students and gave context for Houghton Library’s letterpress printing workshop during this year’s Wintersession.

Across campus, faculty and staff explored editorial production on the other end of the technological spectrum. “Multimedia Exposed,” a series of symposiums led by the Expanding the Boundaries of Authorship group, Lamont Library’s Multimedia Lab, and other campus organizations, investigated emerging tools for authoring with digital media.

The events punctuated 10 days of lectures, hands-on presentations, and panels hosted throughout the Harvard College Library and FAS Libraries as part of this year’s January term. The sessions are built to enrich learning in a relaxed setting removed from the demanding pace of the semester schedule.