Claudia Covert

As head of Special Collections in RISD’s Fleet Library, Claudia Covert helps members of the RISD community connect to objects for inspiration, discovery and learning. Claudia is happy to help individuals and classes explore the Fleet Library’s unique collections. She is in charge of collection development, everything from rare books and artist’s books to donor relations, reference, instruction and library exhibitions. She holds an MLIS from the University of Pittsburgh and has continued her study of books and their preservation at the Rare Book School and North Bennet Street School. Prior to coming to RISD, Claudia was library director for the Corcoran College and Museum of Art in Washington, DC.  

Claudia’s research in RISD’s dazzle camouflage collection has been cited in a number of publications, and she has served as an expert on dazzle for museum exhibitions and press articles. Other research interests include pop-up and movable books, artist’s books and miniature books. She is the founder and leader of both the Baker & Whitehill Student Artist’s Book Contest and RISD’s Unbound art book fair.