Established in 1992, SHARP is a global scholarly society dedicated to the appreciation, development, and challenges of the social roles of print and other forms of communication throughout history and into the future. Members’ interests range from manuscripts to ephemera to digital texts, probing how print can promote and exclude, how digital trends both expand and limit the voices that find their way into public awareness, and the role of manuscripts in textual transmission.
As a scholarly society dedicated to the history of books, SHARP values its own publications as important contributions to and artifacts of this history. Book History is the preeminent journal in this field and constantly seeks to define and refine the discipline’s sense of identity. Published twice yearly, it is available to all members and through many institutional subscriptions to Project Muse. SHARP News is a more frequently published online newsletter that shares book reviews, bibliographies, informal features related to book history, and pedagogical tools for the field.
And of course as a scholarly society, SHARP also values the connections we forge between researchers. Our annual conference strives to be geographically and economically accessible by rotating locations across the world and online, and we work with other groups to sponsor additional opportunities for scholars to gather in person or online.
No matter what media you encounter SHARP in, we hope that you will consider joining us in our work and fun.
Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, and Decolonization Statement
SHARP strives to be a community that welcomes and supports people of all backgrounds and identities. This includes, but is not limited to, members of any race, ethnicity, culture, national origin, color, immigration status, social and economic class, educational level, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, age, size, family status, political belief, religion, and mental and physical ability. As a global organization, SHARP acknowledges the ongoing effects of colonization on Indigenous peoples worldwide. We are committed to supporting the deconstruction of ideologies that privilege Western thought and approaches to book history above all others.