By Madison Timms, BFA ’26, spring 2026 rare books intern
Over the course of the spring ’26 semester as a rare books intern, I have been working on adding descriptive metadata to the Student Artist Book Collection. Through this process I have spent a large amount of time with the creations of Ohio University’s past and present artists. As a fellow art student who will be graduating soon, I feel a special connection with this collection full of work by students like me spanning over 50 years. The descriptions I have written will improve the finding aid so that it is easier to navigate this large and incredibly diverse collection. I would like to highlight a few of my favorite artist books that I’ve worked with to show off the wide range of materials that the collection houses.
Abernathy Case: Banker’s Box by Unknown, pictured with the box closed (left) and open (right).
Abernathy Case: Banker’s Box by Unknown
The first book I will be highlighting is by far my favorite and is exemplary of an artist’s book that breaks the traditional notion of what a book entails. Abernathy Case: Banker’s Box is by an student artist who chose to remain anonymous by not including their name anywhere in their book. It was created in Don Adleta’s Letterpress and Bookbinding class in 2013. Inside of a small paper box printed to look like a, you guessed it, banker’s box, sits a clear plastic wallet holding the belongings of a fictional private investigator named Gordon James. Bits and pieces of ephemera allow the viewer to make small connections about Gordon’s life; from the case of a missing elderly woman he is investigating to his caffeine consumption habits. The hand designed and risograph printed receipts, scrap pieces of paper, and ID cards act as the pages of this “book”, and they tell a story that the viewer gets to piece together. This is a book that I came across early in my time as an intern and it has stuck with me ever since. I encourage those reading to visit the Mahn and see what else you might find about Gordon James and the missing person’s case of Betty Abernathy.
Type by Ming Tsang
The next book is an example of a large portion of the collection: typography studies. These books compile the typography studies of Ohio University’s graphic design students, some individually and others in large spiral-bound books with a few pages by each student enrolled in the course. While many of these books follow a similar format, Type by Ming Tsang is one that took me by surprise. The book itself is decorated with beautiful images of insects, and the introduction details how the study of insects and the study of type are very similar in nature.
The rest of the book follows the same pattern of typography studies and projects seen across many of the boxes in the collection, but the real star of the show was in an unassuming white box accompanying the book. At first, I didn’t even realize the two went together, but when I opened it, I immediately made the connection. Inside was a pinned specimen of a real tiger swallowtail butterfly.
Tsang had worked with a biology professor to compile information, as well as the specimen, for the making of the book. I was surprised when I came across this box, to say the least. I sat in awe with the specimen for a while, before editing my description of what I had previously assumed to be just any other type book. This book is proof that even the most unassuming materials in the collection can hold the most interesting surprises.
Instructions for Pulling Cards from Public Catalog by Wanda Sue Rohrbough
The last book is a wonderful combination of two of my own passions: printmaking and libraries. Created by Librarian Emerita of Collections and Access Wanda Sue Rohrbough in a summer class in 2009, the book’s cover is a file folder, with the introduction being a brief history of Alden Library’s transition from a physical to digital catalog. Inside of the other file folders are colorful letterpress monograms for various digital catalogs, including the familiar (up until 2025) ALICE and OhioLINK. As a printmaking major who will be pursuing a MLIS and a career in archives, this artist book holds a very special place in my heart. The author being a former employee of the library, plus the added history of Alden, is just icing on the cake.
My time as a Rare Books intern working with student artist book collection has been incredibly rewarding. I am glad to know that the descriptions I have written for these books will be used by students to navigate the collection and experience the wonder and creativity it has to offer. I hope that those who are interested will schedule an appointment with the Mahn to spend time with the amazing work in the collection and find their own favorites!
Further Exploration
Ohio University Student Artist Book Collection finding aid.
Post by former intern Lindi Harden who first processed the Student Artist Book Collection: “Handmade Narratives: Creativity, Expression, and Personal Stories within the Student Artist Books Collection.”