Debora Maria DI PIETRO
Tutor: Simona INSERRA
Debora Di Pietro graduated with her Master's degree in the History of Art and Cultural Heritage from the University of Catania with a dissertation in Library Science and History of Books (M-STO/08, The Ephemera of the Library of the Società di Storia Patria per la Sicilia Orientale, 1720-1830: History, Description, Conservation, supervisor Prof. Inserra Simona, 110/110 cum laude).
Her research activity focuses on Provenance Studies, Collecting History, and Library Science. Since 2018, she has cataloged 15th-century printed book collections (incunabula) and studied rare and special collections in Italy and the United States. Since 2019, collaborating with CERL (Consortium of European Research Libraries) as editor of MEI (Material Evidence in Incunabula), she worked on one of the incunabula collections at the University of Michigan (William Clements Library, Ann Arbor) and those preserved in two Ohio libraries (Cleveland Public Library, J. White Special Collection Department and Allen Memorial Medical Library - Case Western Reserve University).
Ph.D. Research Project
The Archives of Sicilian Owners: a provenance database
This research project aims to create the first database on the provenances of former Sicilian owners of old books, based on collecting all historical traces of ownership present within the rare and special book collections preserved in Sicilian libraries.
Through an archive of images related to the provenances preserved in the books, it will be possible to thoroughly investigate the Sicilian book heritage, which is still only partially studied. The research would also offer a fundamental tool for scholars and cultural institutions working in the area to reconstruct the history of libraries and book collections that are now dispersed and restore a picture of the historical and cultural context in which the books circulated and were used. Through a user-friendly interface, the database will be a tool to assist in cataloging and analyzing Sicilian rare book collections while also becoming a relevant repository for the study of ancient books.
Other activities during the PhD
For the 2023/2024 She is a lecturer in the seminar series Digital Archives and Libraries: case studies and good management practice
Since 2019 she has taught seminars at the University of Catania for courses in Digital Libraries, Book Archaeology, and Conservation of Archival and Book Heritage, covering the following topics: the history of 15th-century printed books, digital tools for book history and provenance studies, online repositories for the study of ancient books, and the promotion and preservation of book heritage
Since 2021 she has been teaching the seminar series on the history of ancient books, The Ancient Book: History, Manufacture, and Preservation (with Dr. Aiello Francesca and Dr. Tripodi Silvia)
Participation in other research projects
Since March 2022, she has been a member of the research group Incunaboli a Montecassino, which is responsible for cataloging the collection of incunabula housed at the Abbey of Montecassino - PRIN MeMo 2020, referee prof. Simona Inserra)
In April 2022, she collaborated on the Dante 1491 project - CERL and Giorgio Cini Foundation - for the illustrated census of surviving copies of the Divina Commedia printed in Venice by Bernardino Benali and Matteo Capcasa in 1491 (first illustrated Venetian edition)
Since 2021 she has been a member of the working group Incunabula in Catania III, deals with the cataloging of incunabula collections in the province of Catania (previously a member of the working group Incunabula in Catania II, Biblioteca Regionale Universitaria di Catania, 2019-2021)
Since 2021 she has been MEI editor (Material Evidence in Incunabula) for the incunabula collections of Cleveland Public Library, John White Special Collection Department, and Allen Memorial Library, Case Western Reserve University (Cleveland, Ohio); Boston Public Library, Rare Books and Manuscripts Department (Boston, Massachusetts)
Since 2019 she has been a reviewer for Siculorum Gymnasium, Bibliothecae.it, and PBSA (Paper of Bibliographical Society of America)
Member of the following Cultural Societies and Associations
BSA (Bibliographical Society of America)
AIUCD (Italian Association for Digital Humanities)
EADH (European Association for Digital Humanities)
EBS (Early Book Society)