BY TASNEEM AL-GHAMDI (COMD/IV)
Asst. Prof. Sjoerd Levelt of the Cultures, Civilizations and Ideas program has a passion for sharing old books with students. Dr. Levelt, who pursued his education in Dutch and English medieval studies in Amsterdam, Berkeley and Oxford and holds a PhD from the Warburg Institute in London, is interested in the archeology and history of the book as a material object. “I find it essential for students to be able to touch and hold old books, and to look at the materiality of the book,” said Dr. Levelt. “Now, we have some early printed books for them to explore.”
The Bilkent Library has long held some early imprints in its collections; however, they are considered rare books and therefore treated with special care and seldom handled. To establish a collection of more accessible volumes, Dr. Levelt contacted booksellers in London, one of which generously sent a selection of unsellable books.
This collection will be of interest to history, literature and CCI students and lecturers, as well as anyone who wants to get a sense of what centuries-old books look and feel like.
Examples of books printed in the period 1611-1628; these volumes are now part of the teaching collection for humanities courses.
The printing of Arabic in London developed in the mid-17th century, initially with woodcut inserts but later with metal type; this is an early example of printing in Arabic type in England, dating from 1688.