In Autumn 2023 the Centre for Printing History & Culture will launch a Year of Printing Heritage during which a series of symposia and a conference will investigate the relationship between printing historians and the heritage sites that are custodians of the material evidence of print.

Heritage sites provide the raw material - objects, documents, and archives - and experiential environments by which historians can understand the situations and locations of printing. On the other hand, printing historians produce the necessary context - information, data, interpretation, and scholarly assessment – necessary for the heritage sites to effectively exploit their collections and interpret printing history for a wide audience. Throughout the Year of Printing Heritage historians and heritage professionals will brought together at four one-day site-specific symposia to discuss this interdependent relationship – how it works, how it could it work, the benefits, problems, and possible new models for working. Each of the symposia will focus on a particular question, such as:

• How do heritage sites effectively engage with and make their collections accessible to print historians for the purposes of research/study?

• How do heritage sites and historians effectively work together to ensure the practices of print history are appropriately conserved, curated, and accurately interpreted?

• How can historians support heritage sites in improving the narrative, interpretation, and engagement to more diverse audiences?

• How do digital innovations impact on the relevance and interpretation of printing history and culture today?

The Year will culminate with a conference which will bring together international scholars and heritage professionals to consider the role of printing heritage in the twenty-first century. It is anticipated that papers given at the conference will form the basis of an edited volume, part of CPHCs series with Peter Lang publishers.

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