Kathryn James

Kathryn James is a Lecturer in Legal Research at Yale Law School and Rare Book Librarian at the Lillian Goldman Law Library since 2021. She previously served as Curator of Early Modern British & European Collections at the Beinecke Library (2005–2021). Her expertise spans rare books, manuscripts, and early modern European history. James holds a D.Phil. and M.Sc. from the University of Oxford (2000), an M.L.I.S. from the University of Pittsburgh (2005), and a B.A. from Wellesley College (1993).

Her research interests include paleography, manuscript culture, and the intersection of archival history with science and literature. She authored *English Paleography and Manuscript Culture, 1500-1800* (2020) and has explored topics such as intoxicants in early modern globalization and the role of notebooks in scientific practices. Her work bridges book history, material culture, and the historical context of knowledge preservation.

James has contributed to exhibitions like *Reading English* (2014) and *The Power of Pictures* (2013). Her articles analyze early modern travel narratives, forgery, and publishing innovations. She is a Fellow of Darwin College, Cambridge, and held the Munby Fellowship in Bibliography there. Her career emphasizes collaborative projects between libraries, academia, and cultural institutions.