WPL is Celebrating the Art of Handwriting and Handmade Books

During the month of January, the WPL is celebrating the art of handwriting and handmade books. Over the centuries handwriting has come in the form of hieroglyphics by ancient civilizations, to Caroligian and Gothic miniscule script done by medieval scribes, to a variety of styles such as the Zaner-Bloser printing method and the Palmer cursive method still taught in schools today. There is research that shows the many benefits of handwriting including improved memory, enriched creativity, enhanced cognitive development and motor skills, as well as stress relief. So, although we live in a world where typing is dominantly used in our communications, it is important that we retain and use our handwriting skills.

One of the programs we are starting is a Community Calligraphy Club that will meet regularly on Tuesdays at 2 pm. Calligraphy is an artistic form of handwriting using pens and ink to create various line thickness and special flourishes. This club will be mostly self-directed however, the library will be showing some tutorial videos and will provide paper and pens for use in-house. If you are 12 and up and interested in working side-by-side with other beginners and experienced calligraphers, you can register on our January events calendar or call the library at 319-653-2726.

The library will also be hosting the workshop Clever Little Books taught by Mary Patterson on Saturday, January 25 at 10 am. In this class, we’ll look at a variety of small handmade books and you’ll create two of your own. No stitching is needed to assemble these fun and simple books. Adults can register on our January events calendar or call the library. If you would like to see an example of some of these delightful handmade books, we have an exhibit of Mary’s creations in the 2 nd level cabinet display.

We are also showing off some of the library’s collection of books to further your knowledge on handwriting. The 1st floor book display focuses on calligraphy and letters and the 2nd floor book display focuses on journals and diaries. They are all available for checkout.

Finally, our foyer cabinet will be holding an exhibit that salutes letter writing. Several patrons have contributed old, handwritten letters and paraphernalia. We hope that these free opportunities at your WPL will perhaps inspire you to pick up pen and paper in the 2025 and rediscover the joy in the handwritten word.