The course is designed to acquaint students with the history of the culture of print in the Western World from ancient times through the nineteenth century in Europe, and with the history of the culture of print in the United States from colonial times to the present.
Emphasis is on examination of the influence of print on social, cultural and intellectual life.
The student will demonstrate a basic knowledge of the role of printed products in the development of the Western World, and especially in the United States. The student will demonstrate an ability to think critically about the subject in both written and oral work. The student will demonstrate acquaintance with the literature which explores that role. The student will demonstrate an ability to assess fairly a portion of that literature by writing two book critiques. Because the history of books and printing comprises such a vast area both temporally and spatially, your course instructor is forced to pare and focus the subject for this class in order to make it manageable.