Department of English

The Folger Shakespeare Library is excited to announce a new opportunity for Georgetown students.  Starting this spring, the Library will be offering a multi-disciplinary, advanced research seminar for undergraduate students on "Books and Early Modern Culture."  By focusing on the subject of book history, this seminar will expand upon students' knowledge of the early modern period and will train them in the basic archival skills needed to conduct independent research in early modern studies.  All students admitted to the seminar will be registered as Folger Readers, with full access to the Library's collections of modern and rare materials and the opportunity to pursue individual research at the Library.

Eligibility:

• Students are eligible to take the course during the spring of their junior or senior year.
• Admission to the course is by application only.  An application consists of a research statement, a transcript, and one letter of recommendation; the initial application deadline is October 24, 2008.
• Students should have some prior experience in early modern studies or book history; that experience can come from courses focused on those topics, or from survey courses including a segment devoted to the early modern period.
• Students are welcome from a range of disciplines, including English, History, Philosophy, Medieval Studies, Art History, Classics, Theology, French, German, Italian, and Spanish and Portuguese.

Course Organization:

• The class will meet weekly, on Friday mornings, at the Folger Shakespeare Library; the class schedule will follow the Spring 2009 Georgetown College academic calendar.
• The seminar will be taught by Dr. Sarah Werner, Folger Undergraduate Program Director and early modern scholar; guest faculty will be drawn from Folger curatorial staff and other book history experts.
• All students enrolled in the course will be registered as Readers and granted full access to the Library's rare and modern collections during the seminar.
• Seminar students who are juniors and who wish to return to the Library during their senior year to conduct independent research will be granted Readers cards during that academic year.
• Students will be able to participate in a monthly colloquium series and an end-of-year one-day student research conference.

Georgetown students who will be in their junior or senior year in Spring 2009 are eligible to apply for admission to the seminar. The application deadline is October 24, 2008. Please see Christine So regarding what requirements this course might fill for your major.

For more information about the course, please visit www.folger.edu/undergraduates, or contact the Program Director, Dr Sarah Werner, at swerner@folger.edu or (202) 608-1703. To explore some of the books and topics of the seminar, check out wynkendeworde.blogspot.com.