University of Pittsburgh - School of Information Sciences LIS HISTORY OF BOOKS, PRINTING AND PUBLISHING. Spring 2005 W 6-8:50 pm SIS 501

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1 University of Pittsburgh - School of Information Sciences LIS HISTORY OF BOOKS, PRINTING AND PUBLISHING Spring 2005 W 6-8:50 pm SIS 501 Instructors: Bernadette Callery Office: Carnegie Museum of Natural History Library Office Hour: By appointment only calleryb@carnegiemnh.org Rhonda Clark Office: TBA Office Hour: W 5:15-5:45 and by appointment rlclark@pitt.edu Course Web: We recommend that you check the courseweb site for any class updates or announcements during the week prior to class. Course Rationale and Goals: This course examines the evolution of the book's many forms, with special attention to the context of societal and technological change since the advent of printing. The course considers such topics as the printing press and its impact on society, the book trade, illustrations, facsimiles versus forgeries, the rise of periodical publishing, literacy, modern library origins and the impact of twentieth-century technological changes on book form. Topics will be studied with an awareness of trends in modern historiography of the book, as well as from the points-of-view of various actors in book history, such as writers, illustrators, readers, publishers and distributors. In addition, the course will ask how the process of printing and reproduction has affected the transmission of knowledge, in particular, how it has influenced the evolution of particular genres. Course Organization: The topics that fall under the purview of book history are vast and go well beyond the scope of any one course, therefore this course has been organized into weekly themes that provide a selection of key issues and pivotal readings in the field. Weeks 1-8 follow a fairly chronological review of printing history to the contemporary era. Weeks 9-16 will examine topics related to book history. Students will be expected to read one major work or a group of articles for each class meeting. The class periods will consist of a topical lecture, a discussion of the assigned readings, and a period of hands-on application of the evening's topic or an in-depth lecture demonstration. Learning Objectives: By the end of the course, students should demonstrate knowledge of major issues in the history and historiography of the book, as demonstrated by meaningful participation in class discussion, through accurate and insightfully written précis, and through the completion of a term paper. the ability to describe varying genres of the book using accurate technical language, as demonstrated by a short description paper. the ability to conduct graduate-level research in history of the book, as demonstrated by a term paper of pages.

2 Course Requirements and Grading: In-class Participation [20%] Students should make every attempt to attend every class session. If for some reason a student must miss a class, he or she should contact one of the instructors as soon as possible, but preferably in advance of the class meeting. Students should participate in discussions with relevant comments on the readings major arguments and importance. Students who do not participate in class discussions should expect to get no higher than a B+ in the course. Precis [20%] Students should come prepared for the week s discussion by preparing a written précis based on the week s assigned readings. The précis will be turned in to be examined by the instructors. A written précis will be limited to one typed page (single or double-spaced, no smaller than 10 point font, standard one-inch margins around). The précis should point out major or controversial arguments and should assess the success or failure of these arguments. Such an assessment might examine sources, clarity of arguments, supporting evidence, competing theories, documentation, organization and writing style. Students should turn in at least three précis for every five class meetings for a total of 9 for the term (three from meetings 1-5, three from meetings 6-10, and three from meetings 11-15). In the event that a student exceeds the number of précis required in a given set of meetings, the lowest marked précis will be replaced by the extra grade. All précis are expected to be at the B level, hence a check mark indicates at least a B grade. Précis that are especially strong may receive a check plus or a plus that would indicate stronger than B level work. A check minus, minus, or No credit would indicate work that is lower than expected. Students who receive such marks should see one of the instructors to discuss the next writing. Précis will be accepted up to or during the class period that they are used in discussion via attachment, Courseweb dropbox or in hard copy. No précis will be accepted after the class period for which they are assigned. Description Paper, [20%] Using the terminology found in J. Carter s ABC for Book Collectors, students should select and locate a book in any of the local special library collections such as Hillman Library, the Hunt Institute at CMU, the CMU Libraries Rare Book Collection, the Carnegie Public Library, etc. and describe the physical attributes of the book and its general significance. While one does not need to prepare a formal bibliographic collation statement, the paper should begin with a complete citation of the work, including place of publication publisher and date, include statements on the pagination and inclusion of plates, type of printing of text and plates, binding materials and style and any special evidence of previous ownership of the item. A model description will be provided. Please note that while many of the titles in these collections are included in the public online catalog, students may need to call or and make advance arrangements for use of these items. Students will be provided with a list of libraries and books recommended for this assignment by their librarians. Papers are due at the beginning of class on the date stipulated in the syllabus. Any papers turned in late are subject to late penalties. Term Paper [40%] The research paper should relate to an in-depth treatment of some aspect of the history of the book, printing, or publishing. This paper is intended to enable the student to do in-depth reading 2

3 and study on some aspect related to the nature of the book and its role in society. These papers should provide critical definitions as needed; review the literature reflecting the nature of the scholarship on the book, printing, and publishing; and evaluate the literature's strengths and weaknesses, including any conclusions about needs in the profession. Students will need to scan the professional and scholarly literature on the topic of their choice. Students may examine historical aspects of the book and its production, the evolution of particular genres of the book, the contributions of key figures in the history of the book (both those playing critical roles in the book s development or who have made substantial contributions to the understanding of the book in modern society), or a other related topics. Students should plan on meeting with the instructor to discuss their paper in order to evaluate their progress; this meeting can be in-person or via e- mail. This paper is due on Week 15, April 20. All masters level students are required to hand in a one to two page statement of the intended topic of their paper at Week 5, February 2, 2005 for the instructors review and approval. Students should adhere to the latest edition of the Chicago Manual of Style in the preparation of their term papers. Students should acquire, if they do not have a copy already, the most recent edition of Kate L. Turabian, A Manual for Writers of Term Papers, Theses, and Dissertations published by the University of Chicago Press. This is a short hand version of the Chicago Manual of Style. Papers should use the citation formats that employ either footnotes or endnotes, but not parenthetical. In addition, the use of Ibid. should be avoided; instead use shortened title citations. Any paper submitted not meeting the standards of this style manual loses one letter grade for this assignment. In addition, any papers that are lacking in adequate citation of ideas are subject to a grade of zero for plagiarism. Any Ph.D. students should see the instructors by the third week of classes for modifications of written assignments. Papers are due at the beginning of class on the date stipulated in the syllabus. Any papers turned in late are subject to late penalties Concerning Students with Disabilities: If you have a disability for which you are or may be requesting an accommodation, you need to contact your instructor and the Disability Resources and Services Office, (814) , by the second week of the term. You may be asked to provide documentation of your disability to determine the appropriateness of accommodations. The Disability Resources and Services Office will verify your disability and determine reasonable accommodations for this course. You may contact Disability Resources and Services by calling (Voice or TDD) to schedule an appointment. The office is located in 216 William Pitt Union. Academic Integrity: Students in this class will be expected to comply with the University of Pittsburgh s Policy on Academic Integrity. Any student suspected of violating this obligation for any reason during the semester will be required to participate in the procedural process, initiated at the instructor level, as outlined in the University Guidelines on Academic Integrity. 3

4 Course Schedule: Weekly class pattern: 6:00-7:10 Lecture Ten minute break 7:20 8:00 Discussion of assigned readings Five minute break 8:05 8:50 Application session Week and Theme 1 Jan 5 Introduction to Course 2 Jan 12 Early History of the Book Lecture Topic Readings for Discussion Application Hour 1: Intro to course, explain syllabus and requirements Hour 2: Temporal Overview of Western publishing and book production Rc- Politics, Religion and Early Manuscripts Bgc-Origins of writing through incunabula Darnton, Robert. What is the History of the Book? in Books and Society in History, edited by Kenneth Carpenter, New York and London, Compare the following two readings for your précis: Kilgour, Frederick G. The Evolution of the Book. New York: Oxford University Press, (pp. 3-80) Schmandt-Besserat, Denise. How writing came about. Austin: University of Texas Press, Introduction to descriptive book terminology Islamic Calligraphy Purchase for reference: Carter, John, and Nicholas Barker. ABC for Book Collectors, 6 th ed. revised. London, Granada, 1980 (and subsequent editions). 3 Jan 19 Early Printing History 4 Jan 26 Printing in the 17 th and 18 th Centuries Technology and content of printed books of the 15 th -16 th century; Social context of the Enlightenment; Censorship Description assignment due Eisenstein, Elizabeth. The Printing Revolution in Early-Modern Europe. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, Do precis on one or both (please be prepared to discuss both) Darnton, Robert. The Business of Enlightenment: a publishing history of the Encyclopédie Cambridge: Harvard University Press, Bridson, Gavin D. R. and Donald E. Wendel. Printmaking in the Service of Botany Pittsburgh: Hunt Institute, Case study: Rise of family publishing firms in historical context (19 th century and before) Technologies of illustration Recommended for Reference: Bamber Gascoigne, How to Identify Prints (New York: Thames and Hudson, 2004) 5 Feb 2 Introduction to Book Intro to methodology and bib carding Paper topics due Zboray, Ronald J. and Mary S. Zboray. A Handbook for the Study of Book History in the United States. Center for the Book, Library of Congress, Recommended for Reference: Library lab 4

5 History Research Turabian, Kate. A Manual for Writers of Term Papers, Theses, and Dissertations. University of Chicago Press. Mann, Thomas. A Guide to Library Research Methods. Oxford University Press, Library Research Models: A Guide to Classification, Cataloging and Computer. Oxford University Press, Feb 9 Printing History of the 19 th Century 7 Feb th -Century Publishing 8 Feb 23 Business of 19 th century printing, increased productivity; government types & their influence on publishing Political background; Media and distribution of news and information; photo journalism; rise of advertising Electronic publishing; Books on the Web Gaskell, Philip. Book Production: the Machine- Press Period , in A New Introduction to Bibliography, Rep. ed. Oak Knoll Press, Winchester, Simon. The Meaning of Everything: the Story of the Oxford English Dictionary. New York: Oxford University Press, Schiffrin, Andre. The Business of Books: How International Conglomerates Took Over Publishing and Changed the Way We Read. New York: Verso Books, Kilgour, Evolution of the Book: Climax of Books Printed from Cast Type, , pp ; Computer-Driven Book Production, pp Manguel, Alberto. A History of Reading. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, Technologies of mass production Early uses of film for propaganda; advertising Web project in lab Changing Shape of the Book in the Contempora ry Era 9 March 2 Paper Topics Due Literacy Choose one of the following two works for your précis and class discussion: Textbooks The Expansion of the Book: Literacy and Education for the Masses Altick, Richard D. The English common reader : a social history of the mass reading public, Columbus, OH: Ohio State University Press, Brooks, Jeffrey. When Russia Learned to Read: Literacy and Popular Literature, Princeton University Press, M ar Mar 16 Serials and Sponsored Publications SPRING BREAK Growth of Periodical publications in the nineteenth century Leonard, Thomas C. News for All: America s Coming-of-Age with the Press. New York: Oxford University Press, Johns, Adrian. Piracy and Usurpation: Natural Philosophy in the Restoration, or Scientific societies and their illustrated publications 5

6 11 Mar 23 Collecting and Maintaining the Book I: Early Library History Library Organization, patronage, and collecting Histories of the Heavens: John Flamsteed, Isaac Newton and the Historia Coelestis Britannica, in The Nature of the Book: Print and Knowledge in the Making. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, Petroski, Henry. The Book on the Bookshelf. New York: A.A. Knopf, Basbanes, Nicholas. The Blumberg Collection, in A Gentle Madness: Bibliophiles, Bibliomanes and the Eternal Passion for Books, New York: H. Holt & Co., Chapters from A Splendor of Letters: the Permanence of Books in an Impermanent World (New York: HarperCollins, 2003) Connections between physical structure and library organization 12 Mar 30 Collecting Maintaining the Book II: Modern Library 13 Apr 6 The Book as Artifact 14 Apr 13 The Role of Librarians in Shaping Book History 15 Apr 20 The Integrity of the Book 16 Apr 27 Wrapup Library History 2 Modern Libraries and the emergence of the Public Library Books as Artifacts Professionalism in libraries Facsimiles and forgeries Term Paper Due Van Slyck, Abigail A. Free to All: Carnegie Libraries and American Culture, Chicago: University of Chicago Press, Chappell, Warren. A short history of the printed word. Point Roberts, WA: Haartley and Marks, Cox, Richard J. Professionalism and Archivists in the United States, American Archivist 49 (Summer 1986): Baker, Nicholson. Double Fold: Libraries and the Assault on Paper. New York: Random House, Cox, Richard J. The Great Newspaper Caper: Backlash in the Digital Age. First Monday (November 2000). Tey, Josephine. The Daughter of Time. Rep. ed. Touchstone, Rosenblum, Joseph. Thomas James Wise: The Adventures of the Unscrupulous Bibliographer, in Practice to Deceive: the Amazing stories of literary forgery s most notorious practitioners, New Castle, DE: Oak Knoll Press, AHR Forum. How Revolutionary was the print revolution? which comprises An unacknowledged Revolution Revisited by Elizabeth Eisenstein (pp ) and How to Acknowledge a Revolution by Adrian Johns (pp ) in The American Historical Review 107(1), February 2002 Carnegie libraries Advertisements in periodical publishing Collection development and cataloging under the Soviet regime intellectual property, faked history Soviet and other examples 6