Universal Short Title Catalogue (USTC) 📖🔍

🚨Call for Papers: The 18th St Andrews/USTC Book History Conference on 'Print and Education' will take place 18–20 June 2026. 👉 Further details here: ustc.ac.uk/conference 📅 Application deadline: 12 December 2025 #CfP #bookhistory #twitterstorians

Check out our latest blog by Catherine Statchen, an undergraduate research intern for the COMLAWEU, in which she explores how broadsheet ordinances in Lyon helped managed the city! Read it here: ustc.ac.uk/news/managing-…

Read all about the latest and greatest the USTC has been up to in our Library Quarterly! Read it here: ustc.ac.uk/news/ustc-libr… If you'd like to receive it directly reach out to Jacob Baxter, our Deputy Director.

Our newest blog, by Ph.D. candidate Sukwoo Choi, surveys the presence of early modern books in Southern Korean libraries. Truly a wonderful addition to the USTC! Read more here: ustc.ac.uk/news/early-mod…

On the twelfth day of Christmas, my true love gave to me, twelve drummers drumming! The final book in our twelve days of Christmas series, selected by Research Assistant Chloe Akers-Brewer, is ‘The Famous Woman-Drummer’ (USTC 3069632) ustc.ac.uk/editions/30890… #12DaysofChristmas

This ballad features an account of the ‘pipers’ that played at this ‘famous wedding’. ustc.ac.uk/editions/30890… #Pipers #Music #12DaysofChristmas (2/2)

On the eleventh day of Christmas, my true love gave to me, eleven pipers piping! Our penultimate book from our twelve days of Christmas series, chosen by PhD Student Adyan Sharda, is ‘Dicks loyalty to his true love Nancy: or, a famous wedding’ (USTC 3089075). (1/2)

ustc.ac.uk/editions/30213… (2/2) #Lords #12DaysofChristmas #RareBooks

On the tenth day of Christmas, my true love gave to me, ten lords a-leaping! Up next on our 12 days of Christmas, is ‘A catalogue of the dukes, marquesses, earles, viscounts, bishops, barons, that sit in this Parliament’ (USTC 3021312), chosen by @ernestjeb (1/2)

This is a Florentine pamphlet commemorating a ball danced for an elite wedding, where there were probably more than nine ladies dancing! ustc.ac.uk/editions/40216… #12DaysofChristmas #Dancing #BookHistory (2/2)

On the ninth day of Christmas, my true love gave to me, nine ladies dancing. Courtesy of Research Assistant and PhD Student Chloe Akers-Brewer, our next book in the USTC 12 Days of Christmas is ‘Mascherata di ninfe di Senna’ (USTC 4021655). (1/2)

On the eighth day of Christmas, my true love gave to me, eight maids a-milking. The next book in our 12 Days of Christmas series is ‘The milke-maids life’ (USTC 3017206), chosen by PhD student Mhairi Winfield: ustc.ac.uk/editions/30172… EBBA 30170, British Library – Roxburghe.

On the seventh day of Christmas, my true love gave to me, seven swans a-swimming. Up next in the USTC’s 12 Days of Christmas is ‘The orders lawes and ancient customes of swanns’ (USTC 3015937), chosen by our Deputy Director, @ernestjeb: ustc.ac.uk/editions/30159… #Swans

On the sixth day of Christmas my true love gave to me six geese-a-layin. Our sixth book is from Zachary Brookman, PhD candidate and research assistant, entitled 'Von der zwiefältigen Gans und den sechsfüssigen Ferkeln zu Gugenheim' (USTC 743685). #twelvedaysofchristmas

On the fifth day of Christmas my true love gave to me FIVE GOLDEN RINGS! Our fifth books comes from Arthur der Weduwen, co-director of the USTC, and is ''sWerelts begin, midden, eynde beslooten in den trou-ring' (USTC 1827719). #twelvedaysofchristmas ustc.ac.uk/editions/18277…

Seventeenth-Century Catalogs and their insights into the Dutch Republic's social state of religion is what Aurora de Thomasson, undergraduate history student, explores in our latest blog. You can read it here: ustc.ac.uk/news/bibliothe…

On the fourth day of Christmas my true love gave to me four calling birds. Our fourth book from Arthur der Weduwen, co-director of the USTC, is 'In dit boexken leertmen hoemen sal vogelen ende visschen vanghen metten handen' (USTC 422217). #twelvedaysofchristmas

On the third day of Christmas my true love gave to me three French hens. Our third book coming from Philippa Woodcock, a postdoctoral researcher, is 'Augure prodigieux tiré d'une poule' (USTC 12743). #twelvedaysofchristmas ustc.ac.uk/editions/12743

On the second day of Christmas my true love gave to me two turtle doves. Our second book from Mhairi Winfield, a PhD candidate, is 'The turtle-dove, under the absence & presence of her only choise' (USTC 3082784). #twelvedaysofchristmas ustc.ac.uk/editions/30827…

Welcome to the USTC 12 days of Christmas! On the first day of Christmas my true love gave to me a partridge in a pear tree. Our first book selected by Philippa Woodcock, a postdoctoral researcher @standrewshistory, is La manière de cultiver les arbres fruitiers (USTC 3142604).

The Times They Are a-Changin' In 1582, Pope Gregory XIII moved the calendar. Rebecca Hirt, in our blog, explores the impact that this shift had on almanacs. You can read it here: ustc.ac.uk/news/when-ten-… #almanacs #earlymodern