Ruth R. Rogers

As Curator of Special Collections in the Clapp Library at Wellesley College, Ruth R. Rogers administers a collection of over 40,000 items, including rare books, medieval and Renaissance manuscripts, modern fine press books, and contemporary artists' books. Specializing in the evolution of the book as material culture, visual communication, and artistic form, she is responsible for strategic collection development through purchases and gifts. She also prepares lectures for visiting classes in consultation with faculty across the curriculum.

As Visiting Lecturer in the Art Department, Rogers teaches a hands-on intensive seminar titled History of the Book from Manuscript to Print. She is a co-founder and collaborator in the area of Book Studies at the College, a cross-disciplinary approach to exploring past and future forms of textual communication.

Among the exhibitions she has curated are Beyond Words (Sewanee University), Seductive Alchemy (Texas Woman’s University), and Reading with the Senses (Lesley University). In her public speaking and writing, her focus is on the critical reading of international contemporary artists’ books as a resource in academic libraries.

In August 2022, she convened Collecting Artists’ Books in Academic Libraries: Perspectives for the 21st Century, a hands-on seminar for librarians to develop approaches for acquisition and teaching within a liberal arts curriculum. Rogers is a frequent juror for exhibitions and awards in book arts and was an invited essayist for Materialia Lumina: Contemporary Artists’ Books from the Codex International Book Fair catalog, sponsored by the Codex Foundation.