In recent decades, book historians have become more aware of the social contexts in which books were made and used, and social and cultural historians have furthered the study of the lives and achievements of women during the Renaissance. This book aims to examine the interface between these two fields of study. It makes use of Robert Darnton’s communications circuit, envisaged for print culture, and develops it by applying the concept of the circulation of texts also to manuscript culture. These circuits provide the framework for the three chapters.