There’s nothing like a book, especially one crafted by artisans from the University of Iowa Center for the Book. The innovative, interdisciplinary program draws papermakers, printers, bookbinders, calligraphers, and others dedicated to preserving the art of book production—and expanding the potential of print and paper.

A unit of the Graduate College, the center combines practical experience in book arts with research into the book’s social and cultural influence. It offers a graduate certificate that’s often combined with master’s or doctoral degrees, including a library and information science degree focused on special collections.

Visitors to the center’s facilities in North Hall—and its historical print shop and bindery in nearby Homestead, Iowa—gain intimate insight into a timeless craft. The feel of damp pulp, the scent of ink, the sounds of hand-operated presses remind us where books come from. Beneath their words lie works of art.