"Friend, you stand on sacred ground. This is a printing office."

These words from Beatrice Ward are displayed in Skeuomorph Press & BookLab, where the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign community can create their own prints using a variety of historical presses and physical media.

Ryan Cordell, professor of English and information sciences and director of Skeuomorph Press, believes in the value of slow media in our modern, always-on society that is habituated to quick consumption and instant gratification.

In this video produced in partnership with the College of Liberal Arts & Sciences, Cordell and English major Aaron Mukhopadhyay describe how the press acts as a welcoming space that creates opportunities for students and members of the Champaign-Urbana community to engage with the humanities in a hands-on way.

Watch the full video on YouTube