Simona INSERRA
Associate Professor of Archival Science, Bibliography and Librarianship. In the current academic year she teachs Book History and Conservation, Digital Archival Science, Book and Archival Material Conservation, Digital Library.
Scientific director of the research unit of the University of Catania of the project MeMo: Memory of Montecassino. Activity: description, digitization, preservation and promotion of the incunabula collection of the Montecassino Abbey library (project: Incunaboli a Montecassino).
Since 2019, he has been a member of the Scientific Committee of the scientific journal AIB Studi and since 2025 of the scientific journal Biblioteche Oggi Trends; he is a member of the Scientific Committee of the Studi e ricerche series published by the Società di storia patria per la Sicilia orientale.
She is member of the staff of the PhD Sciences for Heritage and Cultural Production (formerly Studies on Cultural Heritage) and of the National PhD in Heritage Science coordinated by Sapienza, University of Rome (curriculum "Archives and Libraries").
P.I. of the project Incunaboli a Catania and partner of the projects Incunaboli ad Agrigento and Incunaboli a Monreale, whose works are published by Viella publishing house.
She collaborates with CERL on the project MEI, Material Evidence in Incunabula, with RICI and L&L.Lives and Libraries.
Associate Professor of Archival Science, Bibliography and Librarianship, since 2021/09/1.
Previously lecturer and researcheer since 2010.
My research focuses primarily on the following topics:
- Production and circulation of early books (15th-18th centuries), particularly incunabula in Sicilian libraries and provenance studies (circulation and distribution, provenance analysis, paratext, illustrations, bindings)
- Inventory, description, provenance study, analysis of restorations and bindings, and promotion of the incunabula of the MontecassinoLibrary
- History of libraries and librarians
- Private and personal libraries (history, analysis, cataloging, and conservation of collections belonging to prominent figures)
- Conservation of book materials: study of books from the Middle Ages to the modern era, manuscripts and printed books, with a focus on the history of bookbinding and practices of book preservation and conservation
- Social librarianship, fundraising, and crowdfunding in the library field.
- Member of the Scientific Committee, representing the Humanities, of the University Library System, since 2025
- Director's Delegate for the Library of the Department of Humanities since 2020 and member of the Library Commission of the University of Catania until 2025
- Member of the Board of Directors and head of the library of the Società di Storia Patria per la Sicilia Orientale, Catania
- Regional President of AIB Sicilia, 2020-2023
- Conducts teaching activities for the professional development of librarians on behalf of the Italian Library Association, in various regional offices -
- Coordinates conservation projects of archival and book materials for public libraries, regional offices, foundations, and private archives
- Coordinates projects for the cataloging, digitization, and valorization of archival and book collections