Genevieve Nordmark’s journey to discover her interest in hand papermaking was a slow one.

It first started through an independent study in the Book Arts with her undergraduate adviser, poet Patrick Lawler. She then enrolled in a graduate level Book Arts course taught by one of her mentors, Holly Greenberg, where she met Peter Verheyen, creator of the Book Arts Web.

Nordmark said she believes that these mentors further encouraged her to pursue her study. She enrolled in a hand papermaking course — also taught by Holly Greenberg — in the Syracuse University Printmaking Department.

“Hand papermaking was my niche and I knew from the first sheet I made that I wanted a career in paper,” Nordmark said.

Nordmark is a graduate student in the Department of Paper and Bioprocess Engineering at the State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry. She was initially attracted to the PBE Department for the coursework, faculty and the opportunity to learn about the paper industry in an environmentally focused school. Nordmark recently was awarded a scholarship to the Rare Book School based at the University of Virginia.

The school offers around 30 courses per year, each of which runs for about 30 hours over a five-day period. Taught by leading experts from around the world, they cover a wide range of topics such as the history of bookbinding and papermaking, digital approaches to bibliography, the history of the book in China and early modern English handwriting.

Jeremy Dibbell, the director of communications and outreach for the Rare Book School, said that what unites the students is their interest in books as a physical artifact that can be learned from.

“We have more than 80,000 items in our teaching collections that our instructors can use in their courses,” Dibbell said. “The goal being that you’re not just sitting in a room listening to lectures, but that you have books in your hands, or are printing on a printing press, or are actually making paper.”

Students come from around the world and from diverse backgrounds to take courses at the school. There is a blend of conservators, scholars, librarians, archivists and booksellers of all ages, Dibbell said. He added that the school strives to allow for good “cross-pollination” and the formation of community, so that each student is learning from both the instructor but also from the different perspectives and interests that other students bring to the session.

Nordmark learned about the scholarship through one of her mentors, Peter Verheyen, and accepted it as the funds provided allowed her to attend the courses. She said she believes that institutions such as the Rare Book School are necessary as they provide an opportunity for practitioners to deepen and/or broaden their skills, learn from leading experts in their fields and commune with professionals with similar interests and shared pursuits. In her free time, Nordmark likes to write for her blog, travel with her fiancé, see live music and read.

Nordmark’s long-term goal is to be employed in a team environment in the paper industry where she can “continue learning about paper production and continue communicating the advances the paper industry has made in commitment to sustainable manufacturing.” She plans to continually develop her craft as a hand papermaker through workshops, apprenticeships and practice.

Published on March 16, 2015 at 12:01 am

Contact Anjali: acalwis@syr.edu