A lot has changed since the days of that handmade note. Today, a fresh coat of paint and calligraphy on a wooden sign proudly identify the entrance to the "UICB Papermaking Facility." The "UICB" is a recent addition to the name, having been accepted as the acronym of choice for the interdisciplinary organization more commonly referred to by those involved as "the Center." Founded in 1985 by Kim Merker, a professor of English at the University and Director of the Windhover Press, the Center brought several distinguished book specialists together on the Iowa campus: Barrett in papermaking, Jim Snitzer in offset printing, William Anthony in bookbinding, Glen Epstein in calligraphy, Kay Amert in typography, and David Schoonover, the Curator of Rare Books at the University's Main Library. Merker's idea was to create a one-of-a-kind academic program for scholars and craftspeople interested in the study and production of the book.     "I'm convinced that the development of book arts programs will inspire more and better paper study and paper teaching opportunities," Barrett, who inherited the job of Director of the UICB from Merker in 1997, explained of his involvement in the Center. "But," he added, "this development depends on broadening the discipline to include traditional areas of scholarship, research, and teaching. We're working to advance a comprehensive view of the book, focusing on its past, present, and future evolution."   Yet what exactly does a "comprehensive view" of the book mean? These days, that question often keeps Barrett, one of the nation's premiere papermakers, away from the vat, working instead to articulate the Center's mission to the University administration and beyond. After all, "book arts" is a multi-faceted term for a discipline that can include numerous crafts, such as binding, typography, printmaking, letterpress and offset printing, calligraphy, and creative writing, in addition to papermaking. At times, the term more aptly describes fine arts than craft, particularly when used in reference to the production or presentation of artists' books. In the view of Barrett and others at the UICB, however, teaching the book means engaging both scholars and artists in discussion of the historical, cultural, and social impact of the book.   The Center's academic program reflects this dual intent. It consists of a graduate certificate in Book Studies/Book Arts and Technologies, established in the fall of 1996, which students may pursue either with Non-degree Student status or while enrolled in another graduate program. Initially, some saw this certificate as a preliminary step towards establishing a Masters of Fine Arts degree in book arts, but Barrett has a different take. He feels a variety of graduate degrees for students with book interests will naturally result as the Center helps build book-related curriculum in departments across campus.    "From the first, Kim [Merker] didn't want to create just another book arts program," Barrett explained. "And, in fact, we're not just a book arts program. We're asking something special of both groups. We're interested in artists who are intrigued by the book's contribution to culture. At the same time, we want to teach academic scholars how a book is put together so that when they look at one they can consider what information it may contain about its particular moment in history."   Students pursuing a certificate complete twenty-four semester hours of study in any of the book crafts and also choose from academic courses such as "History of the Book," "Bibliography," or "The Book in the Middle Ages." At the heart of the certificate program of study is a two-semester, required course titled "The Book in Society and Culture." Through a unique format, including research assignments in the Main Library's Special Collections and lectures from various University faculty and staff involved in book arts and academic book studies, this course is meant as a seminar on the role of the book in culture and related changes in book production technology.    This year, in an effort to improve the academic foundation of the certificate program, Barrett and Katherine Tachau, a professor of history, co-wrote a grant proposal to the National Endowment for the Humanities. The NEH funded the project, which will bring five renowned scholars of the book to the Iowa campus during 1998 and 1999 to share their expertise with a panel of select faculty. By the end of the grant period, Barrett and Tachau hope to refine the plan of study for the existing core requirement and to establish syllabi for two new courses, The History and Future of Publishing and Form, Content, and Function in the Power of the Book. Barrett also intends for the group to develop a plan for an interdisciplinary book studies curriculum across the College of Liberal Arts. At present, the University faculty and staff with strong interests in book studies total almost forty people from different departments, representing areas as diverse as Asian Languages and Literature, Comparative Literature, Computer Science, English, French, Italian, German, History, and Rhetoric. They also represent the Schools of Art and Art History, Journalism and Mass Communications, Library and Information Science, and Religion, as well as the Graduate College, the Honors Program, the Translation Laboratory, and the University Libraries.   The Center's evolving emphasis on Book Studies, the term Barrett prefers when speaking of the two fields of book arts and academic book studies, has left some of the Center's current students anxious that the study of crafts may suffer. One student expressed regret that the Center was spending time developing a stronger academic curriculum because Iowa is known for its outstanding facilities that train artists interested in improving their hands-on skills. "Academics makes book arts more visible at the University," another student confided, "but so many of us are drawn to book arts because the world no longer pays much attention to craft."    Barrett remains confident of the Center's direction, acknowledging that confusion is inevitable whenever one sets out to define new territory. "I understand the uneasiness because we're still learning to communicate our mission clearly and effectively. And yet, I'd say to artists considering Iowa that if you're not willing to study the history of the book and its impact in culture, and to consider both in the context of your artistic inclinations, then maybe this isn't the ideal program for you."   Because book studies are interdisciplinary by nature, Barrett explained, the Center recently managed to garner University administration support through the year 2000. This recognition will allow the UICB to pay for its current staff�a program assistant in its main office, a printing specialist in typography, and a shop manager at the Papermaking Facility� and help it develop additional means to pursue its mission. "The College of Liberal Arts is very excited about the potential growth of the UICB," Linda Maxson, Dean of the College of Liberal Arts, noted. "We are supporting the Center as much as we can with our constrained resources, and Tim and his colleagues are doing a great job of attracting outside grants and funding for many of its activities."   These activities include fostering interest in book studies in the university community and serving book specialists and professionals in eastern Iowa and nationwide. Each year, the Center sponsors two lectures, the Brownell Lecture on the History of the Book and the Mitchell Lecture on the Arts of the Book. These lectures have brought numerous notable scholars and book arts practitioners to the University campus, including Johanna Drucker, Walter Hamady, Christopher de Hamel, and Claire Van Vliet. Thanks to the resourcefulness of Brooks Landon, a Center faculty member, last year the Center and the Department of English co-sponsored the first "Electronic Text Seminar" to investigate the future of the book. The Center's program assistant, Suzanne Micheau, often coordinates events in conjunction with the UI Book Arts Club, a student organization open to community members that serves as a forum for the discussion of issues in book arts. Micheau also provides the administrative backbone for Paper and Book Intensive, a yearly retreat-type conference for specialists in the book arts. In addition, the Center oversees production of a quarterly journal entitled Counter. With the Center's Midwestern setting, it is hard to avoid comparing this vortex of activity to a kind of bibliomanic funnel cloud that sweeps up all it finds related to the book as it charts its path across disciplines, ideas, innovations, and eras.   Since the inception of the certificate program the Center has graduated four students and fourteen others are currently completing the program requirements. Almost unanimously, students enrolled in the certificate program cite the diversity of both faculty and student interests as the highlight of the Center's program. Karri Harrison, a current certificate student, is completing her MFA through the Iowa Writers' Workshop. After taking Barrett's papermaking class in the fall of 1997, she made the decision to stay a little longer in Iowa, even though she feels there may not be much market value for a certificate. "It wasn't exactly a career move," she said, "but I decided it was essential to my creative life and desire to learn. As an undergraduate I had to choose between majoring in either literature or art. The book is the perfect place where language and the visual intersect."    J. Quinn, another current Center student, came to Iowa to study printmaking. "But artists' books are an integral part of what's going on in art these days," he explained. "The Center gives me an opportunity to fine-tune my knowledge of the history and production of these books."   The papermaking facility at Oakdale is one of three professional production facilities at Iowa that contribute to this fine-tuning. The Center also incorporates The Offset Press in the School of Art and Art History and The Windhover and UICB Presses, located in the English Philosophy Building. These facilities not only provide volunteer opportunities and paid positions for students but also generate funds for the Center through the sales of books and handmade paper.   Center facilities also include a specialized classroom in papermaking in the Art Building and a typography studio in North Hall, a picturesque brick building located beside the Iowa River at the heart of campus. With facilities in binding, offset, papermaking, and typography spread across the University's two campuses, students used to fondly joke, "There is no center to the Center." This fall, though, the Center will inaugurate a new binding and book arts studio, fully outfitted thanks to the contribution of tools and equipment that belonged to the late Bob Kolarik, a professional binder from Cedar Rapids. The studio will provide students with more space than the Main Library's Conservation Lab, where binding courses have been held in the past, and will allow students day-long access to their projects. More importantly, the opening of this space gives students a much-needed common meeting ground for collaboration and interaction, since it is located just down the hall from the Center's "Type Kitchen." This former elementary school cafeteria, now set up as a typography studio, is equipped with two Vandercook presses, an assortment of metal and wood types, and a polymer plate exposure unit. David Wall, the UICB's printing specialist, supervises the studio and teaches a course he inherited from Marker, "The Handprinted Book: Design and Production".    Unfortunately, the Center suffered a significant setback this year when Pamela Spitzmueller, the Library Conservator, decided to take a position at Harvard as Chief Conservator for Special Collections. Since 1989, Spitzmueller had directed the Main Library's Conservation Lab, taught advanced binding classes, and fostered the apprenticeship training program in binding begun by Anthony. Though happy for Spitzmueller in her new position, Barrett expressed regret at losing her unique combination of skills. "Pam's technical and historical expertise, combined with her innovative work in artists' books, made her an invaluable resource for our program," he admitted. This year the Center will draw on the network of local professional book specialists to teach binding classes as Barrett assists in the search for a new book conservation and binding specialist who will start at the University by the summer of 1999.   Meanwhile, changes and improvements continue at the UICB Papermaking Facility. The paper towel sign from years ago has been misplaced, much to the chagrin of Barrett, who was hoping to have it framed for its composer, former apprentice Bridget O'Malley. Because of Barrett's increased involvement in the direction of the Center, the apprenticeship position at the Papermaking Facility, held by O'Malley and then Jana Pullman, was changed in 1997 to shop manager, a job now occupied by Lynn Amlie. Amlie is working hard to ensure the facility stays self-supporting through increased paper sales to institutions and individuals world-wide while continuing to involve students in various aspects of ongoing production.    The UICB Papermaking Facility's current focus is on processing washed, textile-quality cotton and hemp fibers to produce strong, light-colored papers without the use of bleach. The preparation of these fibers is made possible through the use of a floc cutter and drum washers installed by Barrett. These projects augment the ongoing production of a variety of western flax papers as well as traditional Japanese-style mending tissues. With further help from students, Barrett continues work on various research projects such as the effects of gelatin size on paper permanence. Amlie also teaches courses and workshops in papermaking, particularly Japanese and Korean methods, which complement the beginning and advanced courses taught by Barrett. Robert Glasgow, an associate professor at the School of Art and Art History who teaches students interested in paperworks, rounds out the trio of specialists routinely engaged in teaching various approaches to papermaking at Iowa.   While the last four years have seen UICB formalize its name and mission, I confess I have advanced little beyond my fledgling efforts at Japanese papermaking since the semester I took Barrett's class. Even so, the most lasting contribution to my imaginative growth continues to come from the group of people I have met working in book arts. Of course, since its inception the Center has always offered its students more than just PAPER, yet I remember fondly the blunt message that once hung on the Oakdale door. Ever since I crossed that threshold, I had to reevaluate exactly what paper meant. Now Barrett hopes that students at the University of Iowa will be challenged by a similar query into the book.