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A distinctive degree-granting program that integrates training in book arts practice and technique with research into the history and culture of books.

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Facilities

We offer a wide variety of experiences in bookbinding, letterpress printing, papermaking, lettering arts and more.

Special Collections

Student Handbook

References for procedures, policies and resources for all UICB students.

Graduate study opportunities

The UICB offers an MFA degree and a graduate certificate in book studies or book arts.

Center news

UICB's Leonard awarded CBAA Distinguished Career Award

Wednesday, June 25, 2025
Julie Leonard, Professor and Director of Graduate Studies at the University of Iowa Center for the Book (UICB), has been awarded the College Book Art Association's Distinguished Career Award.

An immersion in Japanese paper arts

Thursday, April 17, 2025
Students at the University of Iowa Center for the Book get an in-depth experience with kozo paper, from harvesting to processing to crafting works of art.

Upcoming events

Exhibit Opening Celebration for ‘Paper Engineering in Art, Science, and Education’  promotional image

Exhibit Opening Celebration for ‘Paper Engineering in Art, Science, and Education’

Wednesday, September 10, 2025 4:00pm to 5:30pm
University of Iowa Main Library
Enjoy refreshments, remarks from the curators, and an open house in recognition of the fall 2025 Main Library Gallery exhibit, Paper Engineering in Art, Science, and Education.Event Schedule 4–5:30 p.m.: Reception and open house with curators Elizabeth Yale, Damien Ihrig, and Giselle Simón 4:30 p.m.: Brief remarks in the Main Library Gallery 5:30 p.m.: Opening event ends 6 p.m.: Main Library Gallery closesAdmission to the gallery is always free. No RSVP required for this event.About the exhibit...
Read Aloud at the Lagoon Shelter House:  Tending Iowa's Land promotional image

Read Aloud at the Lagoon Shelter House: Tending Iowa's Land

Tuesday, September 23, 2025 10:00am to 2:00pm
Lagoon Shelter House
Iowa has stories to tell: hard lessons learned from soil loss, compromised water quality, and fragmented natural systems, but also proven solutions built on knowing and doing better that are ready to scale up.In Tending Iowa's Land, local researcher and writer Cornelia Mutel offers a collection of essays and personal stories from experts and everyday people that prove the challenges and explore the pathways to a regenerative future for our natural environment.Help give voice to these stories on...
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UICB papermaking
Two hands and various type settings