MIT Libraries’ Distinctive Collections seeks not only to help hold history for all, but also to inspire the new. In Mens et Manus: Making the Book at MIT we showcase some of the ways in which MIT students have explored and engaged with book arts in our collections, creating new works with inspiration from the past and present. From the scriptoriums of medieval Paris, to the contemporary waterways of Vietnam, to the classrooms here at MIT, here we take a small look at the making, meaning, and endurance of books.