Historians estimate that there are on the order of twenty-thousand commercial uses of paper in the world today. The average American handles, on average, about thirty different objects every day that have been made with paper. Which begs the question—is the paperless society we hear so much about today as imminent as some people suggest?

Who better to tackle this question, and everything else in the storied and surprising history of paper, than Nicholas Basbanes who has written eight acclaimed books on every conceivable aspect of books and book culture. Basbanes will discuss ideas from his new book, ON PAPER, which documents his travels from southwest China where paper was first invented, to a pulping mill at the National Security Agency, to a Kimberly-Clark mill where a million boxes of Kleenex are made every day and into the fascinating ways paper has shaped our culture, politics, economy, and history.

Basbanes will be visiting The Center for Book & Paper Arts on Monday, March 31, and the following events are planned:

Spring Planting
Papermaker’s Garden (Wabash Ave at 8th St)
4:30PM

Reception
Columbia College Chicago Library (624 S Michigan Ave,
3rd Floor, North Reading Room)*
5-6PM

Lecture
Ferguson Hall (600 S Michigan Ave)
6-7PM

Social Paper Exhibition Viewing
Center for Book and Paper Arts (1104 S Wabash Ave, 2nd Fl)
7-8PM
Remarks by the curators

*Guests may also view My Florence, an exhibition of photographs by Art Shay on the Library’s second floor. Florence Shay was a Caxtonian and owner of Titles, Inc.
R.S.V.P
by Thursday, March 27, 2014
Opal Anderson, oanderson@colum.edu

Sponsored by the Caxton Club