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 data flow

    Google Intros New Gemini Enterprise Agent Platform

    Google Cloud has announced a new platform for building and managing enterprise AI agents, as the company seeks to turn its Gemini models and Vertex AI tooling into a broader system for automating business workflows.

  • Neon blue security locks with a single red highlight

    AI Shifts Cybersecurity Focus from Finding Flaws to Fixing Them

    For decades, one of cybersecurity's most difficult challenges has been finding vulnerabilities before attackers do. A growing number of security professionals now say artificial intelligence is changing that equation, shifting the focus from discovering flaws to fixing them quickly enough to prevent exploitation.

  • digital lock with circuit patterns

    IBM Announces New AI-Powered Cybersecurity Tools

    IBM has announced an expanded portfolio of AI-powered cybersecurity products, positioning the company to compete more aggressively in a rapidly evolving market where enterprises are increasingly turning to artificial intelligence to defend against automated cyber threats.

  • abstract smartphone translucent screen displaying AI interface

    Apple Introduces Redesigned Siri AI

    At its recent Worldwide Developers Conference, Apple introduced Siri AI, a redesigned version of its voice assistant that Apple describes in its own announcement as "a profoundly more capable and personal assistant." The update is intended to make Siri more conversational, more context-aware, and more useful across iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch, and Vision Pro.