Extracurricular & International Activities

One of our goals at the Chair of Book Studies is to offer students a hands-on experience and connect with practitioners in the industry and international colleagues and students alike.

Regarding international collaboration, we have close ties to universities in Europe and beyond which teach book history and publishing. We are members of the Association of Publishing Education (APE) through which we can offer students participation in online seminars for publishing students. We participate in international exchanges and an informal publishing pen pal program coordinated by the Graduate Program Book Publishing at Portland State University.

We encourage our advanced students to contribute to scholarly organizations such as the globally active Society for the History of Authorship, Reading and Publishing (SHARP) or the UK-based Bookselling Research Network (BRN). Our students have participated actively in conferences hosted by these and other scholarly organizations.

Beyond our Book Studio and meetings with practitioners in the industry, we have organized study trips to the  Gutenberg Museum (Mainz) and to Frankfurt Book Fair. We are also currently forging closer ties with the International League of Antiquarian Booksellers (ILAB) and will visit antiquarian book fairs for exchange and new perspectives. In 2024, our students will be participating in the Leipzig and Frankfurt book fairs as part of the “Studium rund ums Buch” initiative alongside other German universities offering book studies programmes.

Leipzig Book Fair 2024
© EB

Leipzig Book Fair, 2024

This March, members of the Book Studies Team had the opportunity to represent the MA BAPS and NTNS programs at the Leipzig book fair. They did so as part of the joint booth "Studium rund ums Buch", which is a cooperation of book-related degree programs from Stuttgart, Mainz, Munich, Leipzig and Münster. The visit was organized by the Chair of Book Studies, and this was our first time at Leipzig book fair.

Book Studies visit to the Antiquarian Book Fair, Ludwigsburg (2023)
© BAPS

Antiquarian Book Fairs at Ludwigsburg, 2023

A field trip to the antiquarian book fairs was  organized in coordination with the International League of Antiquarian Booksellers (ILAB) in June 2023. In addition to touring the book fairs and attending events in Ludwigsburg, the group also visited the award-winning Stuttgart City Library.

Book Fair Frankfurt 2023
© EB

Frankfurt Book Fair, 2023

In October 2023, students visited the Frankfurt Book Fair for the second time. In addition to exploring the various halls and attending talks, the book fair also presented opportunities to network with students specializing in Book Studies / Buchwissenschaft from other German universities. 

Book Studies goes Frankfurt Book Fair (2022)
© EH

Frankfurt Book Fair, 2022

In October 2022, the Book Studies team along with MA BAPS and NTS students attended the Frankfurt Book Fair for the first time. Highlights included a guided tour of the Guest of Honour Pavilion (Spain).