Upcoming Events: Kislak Center

Jan 15

• Workshop

Open to the Public

Coffee with a Codex: Illuminated Psalter

For our first event of 2026, on January 15 Curator Dot Porter will bring out Ms. Codex 2265, an illuminated psalter arranged in eight sections, probably originally marked by illuminations or decorated borders (all but two of which are now missing).

• January 15, 2026
• 12:00pm - 12:30pm
• Online

Jan 15

• Lecture

Open to the Public

Common Sense at 250: A Panel Discussion

Penn Professors Emma Hart, Sophia Rosenfeld, and Duncan Watts address the power and impact of Thomas Paine's revolutionary pamphlet, 250 years after its publication.

• January 15, 2026
• 5:30pm - 7:00pm
• Hybrid: Class of 1978 Orrery Pavilion, Van Pelt-Dietrich Library Center, sixth floor; and on Zoom

Jan 20

• Workshop

Open to the Public

Reimagining Illumination: Light in Artist's Books

On Tuesday, January 20, we'll look at the many ways that modern artists make use of light in their book creations - including transparencies, reflections, and electric light.

• January 20, 2026
• 2:00pm - 4:00pm
• Kislak Center Vitale II, Rm 623, 6th Floor

Jan 21

• Workshop

Open to the Public

Manuscript Studies Interest Group: Recipes

The Manuscript Studies Interest Group (MSIG) is a regular meeting for people who want to get up close and personal with a variety of handwritten objects.

• January 21, 2026
• 2:00pm - 3:00pm
• Kislak Center Vitale II, Rm 623, 6th Floor

Jan 22

• Workshop

Open to the Public

Coffee with a Codex: Austerlitz Memorbuch

On January 22, Judaica Special Collections Cataloging Librarian Louis Meiselman will bring out CAJS Rar Ms 778, the memorbuch for the community of Austerlitz (Czech Republic), dating from early 17th century.

• January 22, 2026
• 12:00pm - 12:30pm
• Online

Jan 23

• Lecture

Open to the Public

C is for Collective: The Political Work of Wanda Gág

This talk by Alicia Meyer examines children's book author Wanda Gág's work through the lens of her feminist politics.

• January 23, 2026
• 12:00pm - 1:00pm
• Virtual (link will be sent to registrants)

Jan 26

• Workshop

Open to the Public

Exploring Handwritten Text Recognition for Manuscript Studies with 2025-2026 SIMS Fellows

This discussion will present the work of two 2025-2026 Schoenberg Institute for Manuscript Studies (SIMS) Graduate Student Fellows and a 2025 Penn Libraries Data Science and Society Research Assistant exploring Handwritten Text Recognition technologies for use on a variety of historic and archival documents for future in-depth research.

• January 26, 2026
• 3:00pm - 4:00pm
• Hybrid

Jan 27

• Workshop

Open to the Public

Bookbinding Workshop: LJS 419 and Parchment Bindings

A workshop to make our own versions of MS LJS 419, a 15th century herbal from Penn's collection.

• January 27, 2026
• 5:00pm - 7:00pm
• Kislak Center Vitale II, Rm 623, 6th Floor

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