The University of Notre Dame Press is currently hosting its annual “Book Festival and Dirty Book Sale” in the Hesburgh Library’s main concourse. The event, which began Tuesday and continues Wednesday, is taking place concurrently with a celebration of the 75th anniversary of Notre Dame Press.
Notre Dame Press is the largest Catholic university press in the world and publishes in a range of academic fields considered to be among the University’s strengths, including theology, philosophy, political science, American history, medieval studies and Latin American studies.
Founded in 1949 during the presidency of Fr. John Cavanaugh, C.S.C., the press initially focused on publishing Catholic textbooks. It has grown since then to a full-time staff of thirteen, along with over a dozen student interns each year. In 2023-2024, the press published 45 books and sold 63,085 copies. Its offices are located in Flanner Hall.
Michelle Sybert is the assistant director of the press and outlined the major ambitions of the press for the next 75 years.
“We want to be the preeminent university press for our three biggest areas of strength: religion, philosophy and political science,” Sybert stated. “If you're publishing in those areas, and you have an incredible book that’s going to be shaping the field, we should be the first place you think of.”
The book festival is a recurring fundraiser for the press. According to Sybert, the event has been dubbed “the dirty book sale” for decades.
“When I started here, I had initially thought, ‘This is too wild. We have to change the name,’” Sybert said. Now though, she’s changed her mind, mentioning the attachment students have to the event and their anticipation for it each fall.
Sybert said the name came from the fact that, originally, the books on sale came from the basement of the press and would often be dusty or somewhat damaged. Now, while not particularly dusty, the books on sale may come with slight defects.
“They might literally be the proof that came off the printer, and maybe we found there’s a typo or the ink didn’t print it quite right on that first run,” Sybert explained.
The event is particularly popular among those looking for Christmas gifts.
Caroline Arnall, a second-year chemistry PhD student was at the festival on Tuesday morning.
“I was going to look for books for Christmas presents, particularly for my brother-in-law, maybe my dad, although I have to limit myself,” she said jokingly.
She mentioned that she doesn’t patronize Hesburgh Library, where the sale is located, as often as she would like to.
“This is my compromise now. I don’t have to worry about turning books back in,” she said.
Neil Chase, a preventive conservation specialist for Hesburgh Libraries, was also looking for gifts.
“My kids go to a Catholic school in town, and I’m looking for books that relate to art and Catholicism,” he said. He picked up a copy of “The Vatican Observatory and the Arts.”
“I think it’s great that [Notre Dame Press] does this every year, it just reminds me of how broad the Notre Dame publishing offerings are," Chase continued.
Shoppers are invited to fill a tote bag with books for $55, or purchase books individually at prices between $7 and $10. Sybert said the sale is also popular among students looking to build their personal collections.
Leo Grabowski, a theology PhD student, is one such example.
“It’s helpful to have a library of reference works,” he said. “I’m interested in patristic, historical theology and I found a couple of interesting collections.”
Last year was a record-setting year for the book festival, though press staff declined to share the total amount of funding raised.
“It's a great way to increase access to our books,” Sybert said. “We’re raising money for the press, but we’re also providing a service to the community as well.”
