Rochester Institute of Tech Project Digitizes Books on Bookbinding

In a touch of high tech irony, a collection of rare books about bookbinding from the Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) has found its way onto two digital book sites. RIT's Bernard C. Middleton Collection, a set of printed resources on bookbinding history and practice, has been digitized and made available through Kirtasbooks.com, a site that sells books printed on demand and that's hosted by Kirtas Technologies, which sells book imaging equipment. The collection is also available on RIT's own Cary Graphic Arts Press Web site.

"We are delighted to participate in this ground-breaking venture with Kirtas," said David Pankow, Cary Collection curator. "Imaging and innovation are the hallmarks of RIT and the Rochester community, and our partnership with Kirtas is another example of that spirit."

Kirtas currently has 12 partnerships with universities and public libraries to make special collections available for sale online. Distribution rights are non-exclusive, so the books can also be made available through other distribution channels at a library's request.

About the Author

Dian Schaffhauser is a former senior contributing editor for 1105 Media's education publications THE Journal, Campus Technology and Spaces4Learning.

Featured

  • Abstract neural network 3D illustration

    Intel® AI EmpowerED: The AI-Ready Campus, Delivered

    Artificial intelligence is transforming higher education, prompting institutions to rethink how they manage infrastructure, security, governance, and workforce readiness. Successful adoption requires a strategic, institution-wide approach that aligns AI initiatives with educational goals, faculty enablement, and scalable operational frameworks.

  • circuit patterns

    Anthropic Launches Lower-Cost Claude Sonnet 5

    Anthropic has released Claude Sonnet 5, positioning the model as its most autonomous mid-tier offering to date and a lower-cost alternative to its flagship Opus 4.8 system. The company said the model can plan multi-step tasks, operate tools such as browsers and terminals, and complete agentic work at a level that previously required larger and more expensive models.

  • Illustration of campus building with wireless symbol

    Campuses Ready Their Wireless Infrastructure for the Future

    Universities aim to be ready to turn new technologies and practices into opportunities for innovation and ultimately, ROI on the institution's investment in wireless infrastructure.

  • lock symbol with quantum bits in dynamic motion

    Microsoft Accelerates Focus on Quantum-Safe Security

    Microsoft is speeding up its quantum-safe security timeline, saying advances in quantum computing and new federal requirements have pushed post-quantum cryptography from a future planning issue into an immediate engineering priority.