AAS established the Program in the History of the Book in American Culture (PHBAC) in 1983 to focus its unparalleled resources on an emerging field of interdisciplinary inquiry. Through the Program, AAS draws not only on its traditional resources as a center of bibliographical research and as a matchless repository of colonial and nineteenth-century printed books, but also on innovative scholarship that examines the American book as a material artifact and as a force in history and culture.
Now in its fifth decade of providing leadership in the field, the Program regularly sponsors lectures, seminars, conferences, and virtual symposia that investigate the history of books and material texts in their full economic, social, and cultural contexts. PHBAC remains the only scholarly program of its kind, and it has influenced generations of students and faculty in the United States and across the world.
To receive notifications about upcoming PHBAC events and programming, join the PHBAC mailing list. For further information, please contact John J. Garcia, Director of Scholarly Programs and Partnerships at jgarcia [at] mwa.org or (508) 471-2134.
Current Offerings
- Virtual Book Talks
- Summer Seminars in the History of the Book
- James Russell Wiggins Lectures in the History of the Book in American Culture
- A History of the Book in America is a five-volume collaborative scholarly work
Additional Information