Jacqueline Reid-Walsh

Suzanne Karr Schmidt, George Amos Poole III Curator of Rare Books and Manuscripts at The Newberry Library, recently tweeted about a new open-access journal: the Journal of Interactive Books (her announcement also included a stunning, short video of Robert Sabuda’s reinterpretation of Mathew Paris’s volvelle in his Chronica Majora Calendar [c. 1250] held by the Newberry Library).

The journal is international in scope, being an initiative of the International Centre on Interactive Books in the Fondazione Tancredi di Barolo. The first issue appeared this week and the articles are published in Italian and English. The journal has a broad scope and a focus on collaboration within and beyond Italy to promote “studies, research, and conservative activities to safeguard and increase the appreciation of the cultural heritage of animated books of historical, artistic, scientific and didactic value with attention to the most recent and significant experiences in multimedia and art books.”

The first issue is the proceedings of a virtual international conference held a little over a year ago (February 16-19, 2021) from the Centre’s home in Turin and featuring speakers worldwide. The journal itself is scholarly, beautifully designed and the articles engaging to read. Looking forward to more researchers of movable books to read, to submit, and to spread the word.