The William and Barbara Holman Book Arts Collection

There's a new collection of books at the University of Texas-Pan American Library (UTPA) in South Texas and a new bookplate to identify this important collection.


A substantial Book Arts collection now resides in the UTPA Library, thanks to the donors of those fine books--William and Barbara Holman of Austin. The William and Barbara Holman Book Arts Collection focuses on the various aspects of the book arts, such as typography, book design, fine printing, and the influential artisans and their imprints.

The Holmans (Barbara Holman is an illustrator) also designed the bookplate above for the collection, a copy of which Mr Holman sent me and permitted me to share here.

William Holman has ties to the library, having served as head librarian, from 1951-1955, when it was known as Pan American College Library. In an interview with UTPA, he made the following statement about the university and the Holman Book Arts Collection:
UTPA is one of the major universities in South Texas and it is important we continue to build its book collection. Our Book Arts Collection is composed of titles that are unique to the library and should add to the library’s depth in the fields of book arts, history, art, graphic design and literature.
The Holman Book Arts Collection is being prepared for permanent display later this year in the Special Collections department of the UTPA Library.

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