Later this month, it will be seven years since I started working at Colorado College. So it was just a little less than seven years ago that I went to talk to Jessy Randall about an idea I had. Jessy was then, as now, the curator of special collections and college archivist, and is now my friend and frequent commenter on this blog.

I asked her if she’d be interested in team-teaching a course at the College during the January half-block two-week term on the history and future of the book. Together, Jessy and I decided to pitch something that would encompass a quick immersion in the history of the book, along with investigation of the current state of books and reading and speculation about where trends would take us in the future. We wanted to emphasize getting students’ hands on books in special collections and having them, if possible, set type themselves.

Over the past seven years, we found some sympathetic ears in our Director and a professor or two. The Press at Colorado College has come roaring back to life. The College has a new thematic minor in “The Book.” And tomorrow, Jessy and I begin teaching our two week class. Here’s a slightly redacted version of the syllabus.

I’m tremendously excited and not a little bit nervous. We had more than 20 students signed up, but have been told to expect that number to fall as students realize they’d rather not take a January course. I’m sure our plans aren’t perfect, and the topic is so big that I keep thinking of things that we are neglecting to cover. But I’m happy with where we are starting from, and I’m very curious to see where the students take it.

As the class progresses, I hope to be able to share on this blog some of what I’m learning as I teach. At the same time, expect that I won’t be around a whole lot on IM or FriendFeed or the like.

Here’s to trying new things in 2010.