Rare book dealer and author Rebecca Romney to deliver Schlueter Lecture

Rebecca Romney | Photo by Donnamaria R. Jones

Rebecca Romney, a rare book dealer and author, will present the 2026 Paul and June Schlueter Lecture on the Art and History of the Book, Oct. 15 at 4:30 p.m. in the Gendebien Room of Skillman Library. 

In her talk, “How History is Made,” Romney will explore how history is made by the narratives we tell about the past. The lecture will focus on how the stories we are able to tell depend upon the material evidence that is saved for later generations to interpret, and will reveal why a diverse range of perspectives is critical to the preservation of our shared cultural memory.

Romney is the author of three books, including Jane Austen’s Bookshelf: A Rare Book Collector’s Quest to Find the Women Writers Who Shaped a Legend. Since 2011, Romney has appeared on the History Channel’s television show Pawn Stars as the rare book specialist. Her work has been featured in The New York Times, The Atlantic, Forbes, Variety, The Paris Review, and more. 

“As a bookseller and book collector in a male-dominated field, Rebecca Romney brings an important perspective to the study of the history of the book: Collecting can serve as a way to both preserve and erase historical narratives,” says Ana Ramirez Luhrs, co-director of Special Collections and College Archives.

The Schlueter Lecture series, held annually in fall, is sponsored by Lafayette College Libraries. June Schlueter, former professor of English, provost, and dean of the faculty, has sponsored the lecture series with her husband, the late Paul Schlueter, since 2007, providing opportunities to study books as objects and artifacts. 

The lecture is free and open to the public. A Q&A, book signing, and reception will follow the lecture.