Curator of Rare Books & Manuscripts, Greta Browning, had the opportunity to attend the Tenth Biennial International CODEX Book Art Fair & Symposium, February 7-9, 2026, in Oakland, California. She also was accepted to the Pre-Symposium Seminar led by Wellesley College curator and librarian Ruth Rogers at The Bancroft Library on the University of California Berkeley campus on February 6. Greta was grateful for the support of the University Libraries to attend.
Greta shares a few highlights of her experience:
Pre-CODEX Seminar
The seminar for librarians, “Collecting with Integrity and Intention: A Seminar for Library Professionals,” was held at the University of California Berkeley's Bancroft Library, which is the special collections library for their campus. During the seminar, we viewed, analyzed, and discussed many artists' books from the Bancroft’s collections and the University of California Berkley’s Environmental Design Library. It was a day-long deep dive into artists’ books with many experienced librarians, collectors, and book artists. I enjoyed meeting and learning from other librarians, collectors, and artists who specialize in artists’ books.
While at the Bancroft, we had the opportunity to see the library’s Press Room, where librarians and faculty from multiple departments collaborate to teach students about letterpress and intaglio printing used in historical books. Curator of Rare Books and Literary Manuscripts David Faulds (second from left) led the tour.
At the library, we also saw an exhibit from the Bancroft Library's collections, “Shape of Thought: The Book as Art,” with even more fabulous artists' books!
America at 250 Exhibit
After the seminar, a few seminar friends and I attended the San Francisco Center for the Book’s opening exhibit reception for CODEX attendees. The exhibit was entitled, “America at 250: Artists' Books on the State of Democracy.”
Symposium
The two-day symposium focused on U.S. and French artists. Several artists spoke about their work, including Ana Paula Cordeiro, Anne Covell, Carole Texier, Claire Illouz, IBé Bulinda Crawley, Jocmarys Viruet Feliciano, and Tyler Starr. Curator of Prints and Drawings at the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco Natalia Lauricella also spoke about the history of French artists’ books and other books from her collection.
Book Fair
The fair consisted of over 200 book artists exhibiting limited-edition fine press books and artists’ books. I met numerous artists and learned about their work. I also met many artists for the first time whose books we already have in our artists’ book collection: Alice Austin, Denise Bookwalter, Anne Covell, Ellen Knudson, Clifton Meador, and Sarah Nicholls.
Since one of App State’s Art faculty, Jessica Greenfield, was exhibiting her work during the fair, I had the chance to mind her table one day for a couple of hours to allow her to look at other artists’ work. While at the table, I learned how excited everyone was about Jessica’s needle-felted rocks that are part of her Sixteen Stones artist’s book.
Overall, it was an intense, immersive, and memorable experience. I look forward to working with artists to add their works to our burgeoning artists’ book collection over the next few years.
Despite the unseasonably warm weather in the Bay area while I was there (a scene from UC Berkeley's campus below), I spent most of my time inside, looking at and learning about books!
For more information about this event, or to see more photos of books exhibited, check out the CODEX Foundation’s website and social media accounts.
–Contributed by Greta Browning, Curator of Rare Books & Manuscripts
La Gatomaquia artists' book by Anais Abreu D'Argence and Emiliano Alvarez
La Gatomaquia artists' book by Anais Abreu D'Argence and Emiliano Alvarez