Library services during winter break: Van Pelt-Dietrich Library Center will be closed on 12/25 and on 1/1-1/2, and will be open all other weekdays between 12/25 and 1/1. All other libraries will be closed from 12/25 to 1/4. Circulation of books and materials, as well as other services, will also be affected. See our Service Alerts for more details. 

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Upcoming Events: Common Press

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Jan 27
  • Lecture
Open to the Public

The Messiness of Independence

Dr. Emily Sneff, a leading expert on the history of the Declaration of Independence, will share some of the stories behind the first printings of the founding document of the United States.

  • January 27, 2026
  • 5:30pm - 7:00pm
  • Class of 1978 Orrery Pavilion, Van Pelt-Dietrich Library Center, sixth floor
Original print of the declaration of independence
Jan 30 - 31
  • Workshop
Open to the Public

Reinterpreting the Declaration: A Creative Typesetting Workshop

In this creative typesetting workshop, the Declaration text will be split amongst registered participants, and each participant will have the freedom to choose to include, edit, or redact the words in their segment. The workshop runs January 30 & 31 from noon to 5 p.m. at Common Press.

  • January 30 - 31, 2026
  • Common Press, Fisher Fine Arts Library, Lower Level
thomas jeffereson early edits
Feb 20
Open to the Public

Papermaking Open House: Rag Preparation

See how rags from our community cloth collection are processed in preparation for papermaking. Stop by the Common Press to participate in removing buttons, tags, and zippers and cutting the fabric into tiny pieces.

  • February 20, 2026
  • 2:00pm - 4:00pm
  • Common Press Space
Black and white illustration depicting the processing of rags for papermaking
Mar 06
Open to the Public

Open Studio Session: Indigenous Space

Join us for a drop-in Open Studio at Common Press to print a broadside about the Lenape, the original users of the land around the Historic Rittenhouse Town papermill!

  • March 6, 2026
  • 2:00pm - 4:00pm
  • Common Press, Fisher Fine Arts Library, Lower Level
A portion of a vintage, hand-drawn map showing townships, creeks, and the names of land owners.
Apr 03
Open to the Public

Open Studio Session: Ink and Flax in the Revolutionary Era

Join us for a drop-in Open Studio at Common Press to print a broadside exploring a key ingredient used to produce ink, fabric, and paper during the Revolutionary era: flax!

  • April 3, 2026
  • 2:00pm - 4:00pm
  • Common Press Space
Antique botanical illustration of a slender flax plant with delicate blue flowers, green leaves, and roots, framed by a blue border.
Apr 18
  • Workshop
Open to the Public

Open House: Papermaking at Historic Rittenhouse Town

See the work of Common Press during our residency at the papermill at Historic Rittenhouse Town where we will be turning the cloth collected during our community rag collection into large sheets of handmade paper.

  • April 18, 2026
  • 11:00am - 4:00pm
  • Historic Rittenhouse Town
Black and white illustration depicting the processing of rags for papermaking
May 01
  • Workshop
Open to the Public

Papermaking in Weitzman Plaza

Visit us on Weitzman Plaza where we will be pulling sheets of paper from the pulp made from the cloth collected during our community rag collection. This handmade paper will be used to print copies of the Declaration of Independence at Common Press during Summer 2026.

  • May 1, 2026
  • 1:00pm - 3:00pm
  • Weitzman Plaza
Black and white illustration depicting the processing of rags for papermaking

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