About
Katherine Ruffin serves as Senior Lecturer in Art and Director of the Book Studies Program at Wellesley College, where she has taught in the Book Arts Lab since 2000 and oversees the Annis Press imprint. Her role bridges library-based initiatives and art education, fostering interdisciplinary connections through book arts.
Her educational background includes:
- AB in Philosophy from Bryn Mawr College
- MFA in the Book Arts from the University of Alabama
- PhD in Library & Information Science from Simmons University
Ruffin's research centers on book arts pedagogy and the history of the book, with specialized focus on typography and printing techniques. She explores how historical book production methods inform contemporary artistic practice and liberal arts education, emphasizing hands-on learning through letterpress printing, bookbinding, and papermaking.
Her notable honors include:
- 2024 Outstanding Book Arts Alumnae Award (University of Alabama)
- 2024 Graduate Centennial Scholar (University of Alabama Graduate School)
- 2022 Elected Member of the American Antiquarian Society
- 2017 Hofer Lecture at Harvard University's Houghton Library
Ruffin co-teaches typography courses at Rare Book School and has served as Vice President for Publications for the American Printing History Association (2016-2020). She leads Wellesley's Book Studies initiative and the Book Arts Lab in Clapp Library, which houses active studios for letterpress, bookbinding, and papermaking alongside the Shinola Press (founded 1994) and Annis Press imprints.
