Faculty

Ronald Patkus is a native of Connecticut. He received a BA from Boston College (1986), an MA and Certificate in Archival Management from the University of Connecticut (1987), an MS in Library Science from Simmons College (1993), and a PhD in History from Boston College (1997). He serves as Associate Director of the Libraries for Special Collections and is a member of the History Department.  He holds the Frederick Weyerhaeuser Endowed Chair in Biblical Literature and Bibliography.  He sits on the Media Studies Steering Committee.  He is also the Library Liaison to the departments of German Studies and Italian.  His teaching and research interests focus on the history of books and printing. He has produced and edited a number of books and articles, including bibliographies of the Thornwillow Press and Shirley Jones and the Red Hen Press. Most recently Oak Knoll Press published his book The Privately Printed Bible: Private and Fine Press Editions of Biblical Texts in the British Isles and North America, 1892-2000 (2017). He is currently expanding this study by focusing on Europe. Mr. Patkus has received grants for study from the British Council, the Rotary Foundation, the National Endowment for the Humanities, and the Bridwell Library at Southern Methodist University. He presently offers courses on The Printed Bible and The Book in America (both in Media Studies) and co-teaches The History of the Book (Media Studies), Detectives in the Archives: Reading Medieval and Renaissance Texts (Medieval and Renaissance Studies), and Homer's Odyssey: From Oral Composition to Digital Editions (Greek and Roman Studies). Previously he co-taught The Reformation Era and The Bible as Book (Media Studies).  In addition, he offers classes on primary sources in the library to students in a variety of courses.