Guide to first two centuries of printing in England.
Please note that the Institute of Medieval and Early Modern Studies is closed for Christmas between 22 December 2025 and 5 January 2026. If you purchase access to one of our 1-week online courses during this period, our administrative staff will process your access to the course in the week commencing 5 January 2026.
A fully online course
This one-week online course, supported by two Q&A sessions with your tutor, offers a general introduction and guide to the first two centuries of English printing, from the establishment of Caxton’s press in Westminster in 1476 to the end of the seventeenth century.
Practical and skills-based
The course is designed for anyone working with early printed books, including librarians (particularly those working with special collections or cataloguing early printed material) and graduate students (particularly those with little or no prior experience of early printed books). What can you learn from handling the material book, or looking at the printed page? What do you need to know – whether as researcher or cataloguer – in order to use early printed books effectively?
Entirely at your own pace
The course consists of five sessions, which you can take at any time during your 8 weeks of access to the platform. Each session has downloadable transcripts and lists of resources.
Please contact us (study.imems@durham.ac.uk) for further information.
Course outline
Learning outcomes
By the end of this course, students will:
- Gain confidence in handling, interpreting and describing early printed books
- Have an awareness of early printed books as physical objects and the principles of material bibliography
- Be able to collate early printed books and understand collational formulas
- Understand the process by which books of the handpress period were printed, bound and sold
- Know how to locate early printed books in catalogues and bibliographies
- Have a basic historical understanding of the development and spread of printing in England from 1476 to 1700
Course specifications
Format
This course is delivered online. All content is asynchronous, supported by two optional Q&A live sessions where there will be a chance to ask questions and give feedback.
Q&A sessions are hosted on Microsoft Teams. You will receive the links to the next scheduled sessions with your confirmation e-mail upon booking.
Time investment
The course will be delivered asynchronously, via ten pre-recorded lectures of 20-30 minutes each. You can follow the course at their own pace, but it is recommended that you watch 1-2 lectures per day in order to complete the course in 1-2 weeks.
You will have access to the course for 8 weeks from the start date.
Pricing
The full price for this course is £200.
Payment will be taken via Events@Durham by following the ‘Book now’ link above and below. We will be in touch with further details within 3 days of your booking.
Bursaries
No bursaries are offered for this course.
How to enrol
Book
Follow the link below or above to book via Event Durham.
You will receive a confirmation e-mail with links to the Q&A sessions within 3 days of booking.
Start
Start any time within 8 weeks of your confirmation e-mail.
You will have access to the platform for 8 weeks from the date your confirmation e-mail is sent.