The Rare Books and Special Collections department of the Thomas Fisher Rare Library is please to announce this year's summer seminar on the theme of independent publishing.

This seminar offers a dynamic space for inquiry into the diverse forms of independent publishing. Participants will share knowledge and engage with practical tools that foster the emergence of new and diverse editorial actors, while also addressing the challenges involved in launching and sustaining small-scale, self-managed publishing projects over time, and supporting their visibility, continuity, and development within the broader field of editorial and publishing practices today.

The seminar will take place on 17–18 September 2026 and will be facilitated by Eric Schierloh, an author, editor, and printer based in Argentina. He produces books and publications through Barba de Abejas, a handcrafted press he founded in 2010. Since 2016, he has regularly taught the self-publishing and artisanal editing workshop Publicar con los cuerpos / Print or Die!. He is a member of the teaching team for the Diploma in Publishing Processes as Artistic Practice at the Escuela de Arte y Patrimonio, Universidad Nacional de San Martín, and collaborates with the Diploma in Book Arts at the Universidad Nacional de las Artes.

We welcome all applicants, with preference given to artists, printmakers, editors, educators, librarians, archivists, curators, scholars, and graduate students whose work and/or research will benefit from attending the seminar. Registration costs will be covered for accepted applicants and include the registration fee, course materials, and lunch on both days. Successful applicants are expected to cover their own transportation and accommodation costs.

Applicants are asked to submit their forms for one of the two days by Friday, 31 July 2026. Day one will be in English and day two in Spanish. For further information and to register, please visit:

Summer Seminar on Independent Publishing - Day One (English) - 17 September

Summer Seminar on Independent Publishing - Day Two (Spanish) - 18 September

For additional information, please contact David Fernández.

The Fisher Library summer seminar series began in 2017 and is an annual educational program in the fields of archives, librarianship, book history and bibliography. The seminar has welcomed expert instructors and hundreds of participants from multiple educational and professional backgrounds to learn about a range of topics and approaches by making use of the extensive collections of the Thomas Fisher Rare Book Library.

Summer Seminar on Independent Publishing

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