Examines the book as a physical artifact, as the material embodiment of text. Topics include the transitions between hand production and mechanical production, methods of bookmaking, printers and publishers, the alphabetic code, paratext, letterforms and typography, paper, page formats and layouts, illustrations, bindings, and other semiotic systems and bibliographic signifiers, as well as the purpose of the book with special emphasis on the relationships between meaning and physical form and the complex conventions of the book. LS 651 History of Libraries. Covers the history of the institutions that preserve and disseminate the records of intellectual progress. LS 653 Descriptive Bibliography.
Emphasis is on the examination and historical analysis of books as physical objects.
Primarily for students interested in the history of books, special collections, rare book cataloging, and humanities reference work. Print Culture and Society. Topics include orality and literacy, reading, authorship, copyright, markets and distribution, and the future of books in a digital age. LS 655 Special Topics in the History of the Book. Studies in specialized topics.