“The Business of Books: A Literary Economy”

Sept. 19-Dec. 5, 2025
Level 4 of the Marriott Library
Exhibit created by the Rare Books Department

Books have always been more than just vessels of knowledge; they are objects of commerce shaped by the interplay of market forces, entrepreneurial ambition and shifting patterns of consumer demand. At the core of this history is the book as both artifact and investment. The qualities that render a book rare today often reflect its unique position within this commercial and technological landscape. Rarity may arise from a small print run, superior materials such as fine paper or decorative bindings, notable provenance or distinctive attributes including printer’s errors, illustrations or marginalia.

“The Business of Books: A Literary Economy,” curated by the Rare Books Department at the Marriott Library, offers a comprehensive exploration of the production and trade of books from the Renaissance through the Industrial Revolution. Through a selection of books, trade catalogs, advertisements, specimens and ephemera, this exhibition examines the intricate economic networks that underpinned the book industry, and foregrounds the physical labor involved in papermaking, printing, binding and design.

In addition to revealing how innovations such as movable type, mechanized presses and industrial papermaking reshaped the scale, speed and accessibility of book production, “The Business of Books” also reflects on the financial and legal challenges that defined the trade, considering piracy, forgeries, censorship and fierce competition. By illuminating the roles of artisans, merchants, and consumers, “The Business of Books” provides insight into the dynamic forces that have historically shaped the book trade—forces that continue to inform the practices of publishing, collecting and readership today.