University of Illinois RBML @illinoisrbml.bsky.social · 29/09/2026Congratulations to our Velde Graduate Fellowship recipients for 2026-2027! Read more about their projects in our new blog post (link below). 143
University of Illinois RBML @illinoisrbml.bsky.social · 21/09/2026Today we celebrate the birthday of English novelist and essayist, H.G. Wells (1866-1946)! Here we have a letter written to his mother, Sarah, in 1892, in which Wells describes how he spent his 26th birthday, and a picture of the two outside Spade House circa 1904. 282
University of Illinois RBML @illinoisrbml.bsky.social · 16/09/2026Exciting news! RBML was featured on WGN-TV this morning in their interview with Michael VanBlaricum, who discussed the Michael L. VanBlaricum Ian Fleming and Bondiana collection, and the Ian Fleming Foundation collection. Watch the interview here: www.youtube.com/watch?v=SNWT... 061
University of Illinois RBML @illinoisrbml.bsky.social · 09/09/2026Join us on Thursday, September 24 from 3-5 pm for the opening of our new exhibit, "I could people the hours with creations": Celebrating Mary Shelley's Frankenstein! Curator Lynne Thomas will present brief remarks and refreshments will be served. 1195
University of Illinois RBML @illinoisrbml.bsky.social · 03/09/2026RBML will be closed on Monday, September 7 in honor of Labor Day. We will reopen with our regular hours on Tuesday, September 8. 120
University of Illinois RBML @illinoisrbml.bsky.social · 28/08/2026A special congratulations to Cait and Chloe! We're so proud! 062
University of Illinois RBML @illinoisrbml.bsky.social · 26/08/2026Today's Collection Spotlight highlights the John Starr Stewart Ex Libris collection, which contains approximately 1500 bookplates that span roughly 1725-1953. 161
University of Illinois RBML @illinoisrbml.bsky.social · 20/08/2026Welcome (back) to campus, Illini! We are always excited to see new and familiar faces, so please consider stopping by RBML, whether it's your first visit or your 100th. 121
University of Illinois RBML @illinoisrbml.bsky.social · 30/07/2026Today is the International Day of Friendship, which celebrates the bonds people make with one another around the world. Be sure to show your appreciation for your friends today! 297
University of Illinois RBML @illinoisrbml.bsky.social · 22/07/2026Need to add something new to your game night rotation? Look no further than A New, Moral, and Entertaining Game of the Reward of Merit (1801). These images show a portion of the original linen game board and our playable facsimile! 1157
University of Illinois RBML @illinoisrbml.bsky.social · 16/07/2026Happy World Snake Day! World Snake Day is a global awareness day dedicated to appreciating the diversity, beauty, and ecological importance of snakes. Snakes feature as both symbols and specimens in our holdings, so slither on down to RBML and check them out! 🐍 1217
University of Illinois RBML @illinoisrbml.bsky.social · 01/07/2026RBML will be closed on Friday, July 3 in observance of Indepencence Day, and will reopen with our modified summer hours on Monday, July 6. In view of the 250th anniversary, here is a copy of the Declaration of Independence, published in miniature by Achille J. St Onge for the U.S. Bicentennial. 151
University of Illinois RBML @illinoisrbml.bsky.social · 17/06/2026RBML will be closed on Friday, June 19 in observance of Juneteenth. We will reopen on Monday, June 22, with our modified summer hours. 171
University of Illinois RBML @illinoisrbml.bsky.social · 11/06/2026Goaaaal! Or shall we say, Gol! ⚽️ Today marks the start of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, taking place in several US cities plus Mexico and Canada. We’re joining the summer soccer—ahem, football—fun-train with some books dedicated to the beautiful sport. 131
University of Illinois RBML @illinoisrbml.bsky.social · 29/05/2026Today's Collection Spotlight is an example of papier-mâché binding, a popular feature of Gothic Revival gift books, designed by English artist Henry Noel Humphreys (1810-1879). This technique involved applying a plaster mixture over or combined with papier-mâché, which was then pressed into a mold. 1121
University of Illinois RBML @illinoisrbml.bsky.social · 22/05/2026RBML will be closed on Monday, May 25 in observance of Memorial Day. We will reopen with our modified summer hours on Tuesday, May 26. 220
University of Illinois RBML @illinoisrbml.bsky.social · 21/05/2026Ever wondered about the origins of the term "venereal disease"? Or want to look at a beautifully illuminated early Greek translation of the New Testament? How about both at the same time? Check out our latest blog post: wordpress.library.illinois.edu/rbx/2026/05/... 271
University of Illinois RBML @illinoisrbml.bsky.social · 11/05/2026Happy belated Mother's Day from RBML! The first photo shows Gwendolyn Brooks next to her mother, Keziah C. Wims Brooks (second from right), and her two children, Henry Blakely III (far left) and Nora Blakely (in regalia) in 1972. 1102
University of Illinois RBML @illinoisrbml.bsky.social · 08/05/2026We had so much fun painting fore-edges at our event yesterday! Thank you to everyone who came and participated, and a special thanks to the artists who let us share their work here! 🎨📚 0100
University of Illinois RBML @illinoisrbml.bsky.social · 06/05/2026May is Asian American & Pacific Islander Heritage Month! These artists’ books by Jana Sim explore the challenges of living with two different languages. “Konglish” features movable paper wheels (volvelles). “Language Möbius” represents the mental loop between Korean and English in a conversation. 140
University of Illinois RBML @illinoisrbml.bsky.social · 04/05/2026Just a sneak peek at some of the available designs we'll have at our Splendid Spredges event this week! Be sure to BYOB(ooks) to test them out yourself! 📚🎨 192
University of Illinois RBML @illinoisrbml.bsky.social · 29/04/2026Join us on Thursday, May 7, from 3-5 pm and celebrate the semester’s end at RBML! Bring your own books and paint the edges with our supplies, and view historical fore-edge paintings from RBML's collection. All are welcome to attend. Refreshments will be served. 081
University of Illinois RBML @illinoisrbml.bsky.social · 22/04/2026Happy Earth Day! 🌎 Understanding how Earth has changed over time is essential to our ability to protect its future. These materials provide some insight into how our planet has historically been observed and recorded, with particular focus on the United States. 171
University of Illinois RBML @illinoisrbml.bsky.social · 15/04/2026Our newest blog post features reflections from RBML's archives staff on processing some now-available collections! Visit the following link to learn more: wordpress.library.illinois.edu/rbx/2026/04/... 021
University of Illinois RBML @illinoisrbml.bsky.social · 08/04/2026The results are in! After 15 rounds, you chose RBML's oldest item, the Clay tablet with Sumerian cuneiform script, as the winner of RBML Madness 2026. 🥇🏆 You can check out the completed bracket at the following link: go.library.illinois.edu/RBMLMadness2... Thanks for playing along! 091
University of Illinois RBML @illinoisrbml.bsky.social · 06/04/2026Did you know RBML's holdings extend far beyond books and manuscripts? Our new pop-up exhibit, “What is this Place? An Exploration of the RBML and its Collections,” is now up and ready for visitors. Stop by and discover all the unique items RBML has to offer! 💫 072
Reposted by University of Illinois RBMLIllinois Digitization Services @illinoisdigi.bsky.social · 01/04/2026See more of the Carl Sandburg Collection from @illinoisrbml.bsky.social in the Digital Special Collections: go.library.illinois.edu/SandburgBask...go.library.illinois.eduCarl Sandburg on the Lombard basketball team in 1898Group photograph of the Lombard basketball team in 1898. Carl Sandburg is the man on the far left in the front row. 021
University of Illinois RBML @illinoisrbml.bsky.social · 01/04/2026Join us on Friday, 4/17 from 3-5 pm for a Global Book History lecture by Dr. Warren C. Brown (California Institute of Technology), titled "Textual Materiality in the Medieval World." All are welcome and refreshments will be served. 010
University of Illinois RBML @illinoisrbml.bsky.social · 25/03/2026This 1806 pocket atlas, with engravings by John Cary (1754?-1835), contains detailed maps of the counties, towns, and roads of England and Wales. Accompanying these are an index of each town and its distance to London, and possibly the cutest little pencil, which captured RBML's collective heart. 130
University of Illinois RBML @illinoisrbml.bsky.social · 17/03/2026In the spirit of March Madness, so begins RBML Madness! ✨️ Each weekday at 12 PM CDT (3/17-4/6), check out our Instagram story to vote for your favorite item from some of RBML’s most popular materials. The winners of each round will compete until only one item remains (in the contest, don't worry)! 142
University of Illinois RBML @illinoisrbml.bsky.social · 11/03/2026Join us on Thursday, March 26 from 3-5 pm for a talk by Dr. Anastassios Antonaras (Museum of Byzantine Culture, Thessaloniki). This event is sponsored by the Department of Classics and hosted at RBML. It is free and open to all audiences, and refreshments will be served. 042
University of Illinois RBML @illinoisrbml.bsky.social · 04/03/2026In honor of Women's History Month, we are highlighting materials from the Nina Baym Western Women Writers Collection, which includes Western novels (many of which feature female protagonists), memoirs, and scholarship on women in the American West. 1235
University of Illinois RBML @illinoisrbml.bsky.social · 25/02/2026Exactissima (1625), by Italian physicist and botanist Petrus Castelli, is one of RBML's oldest illustrated botanical texts. Featuring beautiful woodcuts and plate engravings of exotic plants, it is more than just a scientific textbook. 🌸 1102
University of Illinois RBML @illinoisrbml.bsky.social · 17/02/2026Happy Lunar New Year! 🌑✨ To celebrate the Year of the Horse, we are featuring four images of horses from the tomb of Tang-dynasty Chinese emperor 太宗 Taizong (r. 626-649 AD). These lithographic reproductions, however, were created in the 20th century. 2155
Reposted by University of Illinois RBMLLynne M. Thomas 🏳️🌈🚀🦄 📜 @lynnemthomas.com · 12/02/2026@illinoisrbml.bsky.social on the road! 071
University of Illinois RBML @illinoisrbml.bsky.social · 13/02/2026Happy Valentine's Day! ❤️ Love can be found in all corners of RBML's collections, from drawings of birds that mate for life to collections of love poems to rom-com press kits and more! 152
University of Illinois RBML @illinoisrbml.bsky.social · 10/02/2026Join us on Thursday, February 26 from 3-5 pm for a talk by Dr. Elias Petrou (Literatures and Languages Library), titled "The Evolution of the Greek Book: From Byzantine Manuscripts to Renaissance Incunabula." This event is free and all are welcome. Refreshments will be served. 293
University of Illinois RBML @illinoisrbml.bsky.social · 04/02/2026In honor of Black History Month, we’re highlighting some of our Broadside Press materials! Broadside Press (now Broadside Lotus Press) is a Detroit-based publisher of Black poets and writers founded in 1965 by poet-librarian Dudley Randall. 1163
University of Illinois RBML @illinoisrbml.bsky.social · 28/01/2026Curses upon ye! How does a book owner stop thieves from stealing their books? Well, in the medieval period, one popular method to discourage thievery was book curses. These curses often threatened that excommunication or anathema (a formal curse from the church) would befall the thief. 1219
University of Illinois RBML @illinoisrbml.bsky.social · 21/01/2026Join us virtually on Wednesday, January 28 from 7-8 pm for a talk by Dr. Ebony Elizabeth Thomas, titled "Into the Dark Forest: Exploring Textual Representations of Enslavement in Children's Books and Comics." 11511
University of Illinois RBML @illinoisrbml.bsky.social · 16/01/2026RBML will be closed on Monday, January 19th in observance of Martin Luther King Jr. Day. 151
University of Illinois RBML @illinoisrbml.bsky.social · 08/01/2026January is National Hobby Month! Get inspired for your personal hobby journey through hobbies represented in the RBML collection, including crochet, needlework, and photography. 1133
University of Illinois RBML @illinoisrbml.bsky.social · 23/12/2025Warm holiday wishes to you and yours! RBML will be closed for the holidays Wednesday, December 24–Friday, January 2. We look forward to welcoming you back in the new year on Monday, January 5! ❄️ 091
University of Illinois RBML @illinoisrbml.bsky.social · 16/12/2025Happy 250th birthday, Jane Austen! This post features two Austen first editions in RBML’s holdings, Sense and Sensibility (1811) and Pride and Prejudice (1813), and two scripts for Austen film adaptations that show different facets of the original stories and include some creative liberties. 1186
University of Illinois RBML @illinoisrbml.bsky.social · 03/12/2025Join us on Thursday, December 11 from 3-5 pm for some Reading Day relaxation! Celebrate the semester’s end with sweet and salty treats and some of our favorite winter-themed materials from the RBML vault. Make a button, color, puzzle, and leave with a live-printed linocut card! All are welcome. 052
University of Illinois RBML @illinoisrbml.bsky.social · 26/11/2025The Rare Book & Manuscript Library will be closed on Thursday, November 27 and Friday, November 28 in observance of the Thanksgiving holiday, and will reopen on Monday, December 1. 🍂 061
University of Illinois RBML @illinoisrbml.bsky.social · 19/11/2025Today's Collection Spotlight highlights a 1658 falconry manual by Simon Latham, an English gentleman falconer. Especially notable is the author's marginal note in this section on how to treat a hawk who is "imperfect and unclean within"... 1146
University of Illinois RBML @illinoisrbml.bsky.social · 13/11/2025Scottish writer Robert Louis Stevenson was born on this day in 1850. His best-known works include Treasure Island (1883) and The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1886), both of which introduced themes and tropes that persist in popular culture today. 1166
University of Illinois RBML @illinoisrbml.bsky.social · 07/11/2025Join us at the Spurlock Museum (600 S. Gregory St., Urbana) on Monday, November 17 from 6-8 pm for a lecture by Dr. Emily Hauser, titled "Finding the Female Voice in the Ancient World." This event is free and all are welcome to attend. 043