Dr. Cathleen Baker (MFA ’00, PhD ’04) named Book Arts Outstanding Alumna for 2021
- June 17th, 2021
- in Book Arts News, SLIS News
Dr. Cathleen Baker is the 2021 recipient of the School of Library and Information Studies Book Arts Alumnus of the Year. Dr. Baker graduated in 2000 with a Master of Fine Arts in Book Arts. In 2016 she retired from University of Michigan Library, Conservation Department, where she was a designated Conservation Librarian Emerita. Currently, she is the proprietor of The Legacy Press (1997–present) where she serves as editor/copy editor, designer, and overall supervisor of activities related to The Legacy Press. “I cannot say the pandemic has affected my publishing, though it did change how I shipped orders for much of April through June 2020 when sales also dropped precipitously,” Dr. Baker explained. If allowed to come back to UA and take any class, Dr. Baker said she would retake letterpress printing on the handpress to acquire more experience and though understanding of the processes. Her words of advice for current and prospective students are “Set your expectations high, beyond what you think you can learn and do.”
Dr. Baker was celebrated on campus during Honors Week and was a featured speaker at the SLIS Honors Day virtual recognition on April 9. Thank you, Dr. Baker, for your contributions to the field of book arts!
