What is 3Dhotbed?

An acronym for “3D Printed History of the Book Education,” 3Dhotbed is a collaboration providing affordable access to the tools used in book history instruction. 3Dhotbed seeks to extend bibliographical pedagogy through allied 3D technologies and related multi-media resources.

 In 2017 the group successfully created and disseminated the data necessary to reproduce replica teaching models of the tools used to cast movable type during the hand-press era. The data files necessary to 3D print these tools have been uploaded to the UNT Digital Library where they can be freely downloaded and shared. The data is supplemented by a multi-media learning module of helpful instructions, videos, and other book history related resources to help utilize the teaching tools during instruction.

Who Are We?

The 3Dhotbed project is a collaborative effort between Kevin O'Sullivan (Curator of Rare Books and Manuscripts at the Cushing Memorial Library & Archives), Marcia McIntosh (Digital Projects Librarian at the University of North Texas Libraries), and Courtney Jacobs (Head of Public Services, Outreach, and Community Engagement for UCLA Library Special Collections). The project harnesses the collective strengths of each institution to further book history pedagogy. The project provides data to 3D print replica models of tools purpose-built for the Book History Workshop at Texas A&M University. These tools were digitized and the data made available through the University of North Texas Digital Library. The team is actively partnering with other institutions and scholars to expand available resources in the 3Dhotbed repository. 

Future Goals

The goal of the 3Dhotbed Project is to offer affordable and accessible teaching tools to enhance instruction in the history of the book (broadly conceived). We are currently partnering with additional institutions engaged in the 3D scanning of collections materials. If you are interested in learning more, please reach out!