A Year in Review, 2025

Dear Friends and Colleagues-

2025 was another great year for the Rare Book and Special Collections Division! Our team was hard at work helping researchers, adding new books to the collection, facilitating classes, and hosting workshops and symposia. We also added several new staff members to our team! As a way of reflecting on this past year and looking forward to the next, we have shared several programmatic highlights and collection resources that are now available for you to enjoy. As always, thank you for being part of our book-loving community. We couldn’t do it without you!

New Exhibition Cases in the Rare Book Reading Room

As promised in last year’s post, new exhibition cases in the Rare Book Reading Room are up and running! Exhibits have thus far included astronomy books in honor of the 2025 solar eclipse, as well as an extensive display of RBSCD’s miniature book collection (still on view!). The Rare Book Team is already eagerly brainstorming for our 2026 rotations, with exhibitions on early printed medical texts, illustrated natural histories, and America 250 highlights already in the queue.

Image of a women by a table. — Amanda Zimmerman clears a path for new cases in the Rare Book Reading Room.

Image of a woman setting up a display. — Stefany Merkelbach installs a new exhibit on miniature books.

Image of a man by a display case. — Michael North poses proudly by RBSCD’s new exhibition cases.

The Rare Book Classroom and Copper Torch Press

The Rare Book Classroom and the Copper Torch Press continue to be a hub of activity and learning for LC staff and visitors alike. In addition to hosting classroom sessions for visitors of all ages, RBSCD staff continued to hone their skills with our colleagues from the Chesapeake Chapter of the American Printing History Association, including the incomparable Lauren Emeritz and Stephen Heaver.

Image of three people sewing. — Andrew Gaudio and Patrick Hastings learn the finer points of book binding with Leslie Long from the Conservation Division.

Image of someone pulling on a hand press. — Emily Moore and Lauren Emeritz show off their skills during during a printing workshop.

Image of two people holding a piece of paper. — All smiles when Stephen Heaver and Callie Beattie are pulling prints.

Image of two people printing. — Marianna Stell and Patrick Hastings print a holiday keepsake for LC staff.

Image of two people paper making. — Stefany Merkelbach offers papermaking instruction in the Rare Book Classroom.

Image of a woman printing. — Stephanie Stillo’s pull receives proper inspection by Chris Sweterlitsch.

An Aramont Symposium about Book Artists and Studio Practice

RBSCD hosted Book Artist in the Studio in August, 2025, a multi-component event that focused on the workshop considerations of active book artists. Lauren Emeritz, President of the Chesapeake Chapter of the American Print History Association, lead a printing activity in the Rare Book Classroom using the Copper Torch Press. The printing demo was followed by a panel of speakers that included Emily Moore, former Assistant Curator of the Aramont Library, book artist and type designer Russell Maret, and intaglio printmaker Sarah Horowitz. Patrons were greeted by a coordinated display of collection items from the Aramont Library, the Russell Maret Artist Archive, and limited edition works by Sarah Horowitz. With hundreds of people in attendance, the event was a smashing success!

Imaging of a printer inking a form. — Lauren Emeritz hosts a printing activity on the Copper Torch Press in the Rare Book Classroom.

Image of three smiling people. — Sarah Horowitz, Russell Maret, and Emily Moore enjoying a collegial moment. (See link in the ‘online resources’ section below for the full recording).

National Collegiate Book Collecting Competition

In September 2025, RBSCD staff collaborated with the Antiquarian Booksellers’ Association of America (ABAA) to host the award ceremony for the Susan Tane Prize for Student Book Collectors. Rare Book Division staff provided a collection display for the top three prize winners alongside their families and mentors in the Lessing J. Rosenwald Room at the Library of Congress. A keynote lecture was offered by local print collector, writer, and Executive Director of the Small Press Expo (SPX) Warren Bernard.

Image of two women behind a table. — Amanda Zimmerman offers thoughtful reflection during the Susan Tane Prize for Student Book Collectors.

Ashley Rose Young stands near a podium in front of a seated audience at the Library of Congress. — Ashley Rose Young welcomes prize winners and members of the rare book community to the Library for the award ceremony.

New Online Resources

Through 2025, RBSCD provided reference services and resources for over 9,000 virtual and onsite patrons! We also recorded several of our events, continued our collection-focused video series, and created several new LibGuides. Keep an eye out in 2026 for new videos on our Reading Room webpage and the Library’s From the Vaults YouTube channel!

Collection Guides:
Video Series:
- This year, RBSCD produced a series of short films that highlight items related to American history and culture with particular focus on the Founding era. Links to the new videos are listed and described in this Bibliomania blog post from July and, more recently, in this post from November. Videos are also available on our Reading Room webpage and the Library’s From the Vaults YouTube channel.
Recorded events:
- Book Artist in the Studio, August 14, 2025
- The Declaration in Print and Script with John Bidwell, July 17, 2025
- Women Collectors and Authors: The Vanishing of Carolyn Wells, March 13, 2025

New Faces in RBSCD

This summer, RBSCD was busy welcoming and training new staff members to support the mission of the Library. In July of 2025, Dr. Ashley Rose Young joined the Rare Book & Special Collections team as our new American History Curator. While she’s only been with us for six months, Ashley is already trailblazing new and exciting ways to connect with audiences over a shared enthusiasm for books and her life-long passion, food history!

Image of someone showing a book. — Ashley Rose Young shows some historic cookbooks.

Image of a women behind a table of books. — Ashley Rose Young exploring the rise of entomology as a popular past time in nineteenth-century America in a From the Vaults video.

Image of someone holding a jar. — Ashley Rose Young teaching us how to make the perfect Sazerac (for after work, of course!)

In June, Callie Beattie, joined as a Reference Specialist in the Rare Book Reading Room. Callie is no stranger to RBSCD. She first joined our team as a Junior Fellow in 2023, then returned as a Librarian-in-Residence in 2024. She is now a permanent member of the reference team, and we couldn’t be happier!

Image of someone setting up a display. — Callie Beattie prepares for an artist book display in the Rosenwald Room.

Image of a woman next to a lecturn. — Callie Beattie explains Man Ray’s Revolving Doors (1926).

Also in June, with generous support from the Aramont Charitable Foundation, Stefany Merkelbach joined the Rare Book team as the 2025-26 Community Outreach Librarian-in-Residence. Stefany has been instrumental in organizing public programming about RBSCD collections, including hands-on activities in the Rare Book Classroom, pop-up displays, and exhibitions. Stefany’s curiosity and enthusiasm about special collections are unmatched. We’ll see if we can keep up with her in 2026!

Image of someone showing books. — Stefany Merkelbach and Callie Beattie offer a presentation to the winners of the Susan Tane Prize for Student Book Collectors.

Additional Highlights from 2025:

Image of a man smiling. — Patrick Hastings wraps an audio recording about the Dunlap Broadside.

Image of two people sitting on a stage. — Amanda Zimmerman interviews Rebecca Rego Barry about her new book on Carolyn Wells. (See link in the ‘online resources’ section above for the recording).

Image of three woman standing behind books. — Monica Varner, Amanda Zimmerman, and Stephanie Stillo staff a history of science display.

Jennifer Meehan, director of Special Collections at the Library of Congress, tries her hand at setting type.

Image of a women being filmed. — Marianna Stell films a new segment about the Goddard Declaration of Independence.

Image of a woman holding a piece of paper. — Callie Beattie shows offer her skills with the Copper Torch Press.

Image of a man at a table. — Patrick Hastings and John Cole, retired founding director of the Center for the Book at the Library of Congress, chat about the Federal Writers’ Project (FWP) American Guide series.

Image of a man at a podium. — John Bidwel, curator emeritus at the Morgan Library & Museum in New York City, offers a talk about his new book about the Declaration of Independence. (See link in the ‘online resources’ section above for the recording).

Image of four people smiling. — Marianna Stell, Patrick Hastings, Ashley Rose Young, and Stefany Merkelbach visit the Peabody Library.

Image of a woman with her hand up. — Stefany Merkelbach proclaims her love of rare books to adoring fans.

RBSCD staff prepare for a Madison Council Event.

Image of a man behind a table of books. — Mark Manivong shows off new material at the Library’s annual New Acquisitions Display

Image of two people behind a table of books. — Amanda Zimmerman and Marianna Stell show off Walt Whitman material for a book talk.

Image of two people smiling. — Mark Dimunation, retired Chief of the Rare Book Division at the Library of Congress, and Stephanie Stillo break bread at the New York Book Fair.

Image of a table of food. — Stefany Merkelbach and Ashley Rose Young prepare for holiday cheer.

Looking towards 2026

2026 is going to be another busy year for the Rare Book Team. We’re already planning new and exciting events to celebrate America 250 throughout the calendar year. We are also happily planning new (and free!) educational opportunities for the Rare Book Classroom and Copper Torch Press. Stay connected with our community of book lovers by subscribing to Bibliomania. You won’t be disappointed!

From RBSCD staff, wishing everyone a happy and healthy New Year!

Comments (4)

JudithEllen says:
January 5, 2026 at 10:18 am

Hello & many thanks for this amazing update. Please know that I remain a proud donor in support of the Library Of Congress. In peace & well-being for all, JM
- Stephanie Stillo says:
  January 5, 2026 at 10:50 am
  
  We couldn’t be more grateful, Judith!!
clare imholtz says:
January 5, 2026 at 10:51 am

Thanks for the great pictures!
Peter Koch says:
January 11, 2026 at 11:55 am

I am deeply impressed with the care you folks at the Library of Congress take to highlight the underlying crafts that have made our world of books and what they can do. Magical!