The History of Books, Documents, and Records in Print and Electronic Environments
[17:610:586]
Description: The course will examine the production and circulation of knowledge in light of
changing technologies, institutions and textual forms. An overview and comparison
of textual transmission in oral, manuscript, print and electronic communication
environments will include regulatory frameworks and the history of “intellectual
property” (from attribution, authorship, to participatory ownership of creation). It will
examine the current scholarship relevant for understanding books, documents and
record manifestations comparatively. The focus on the book trades, web spheres,
and socio-technical systems such as digital libraries will prompt questions about the
nature of texts (print, non-print, and digital), their reception, associated literacy
practices, communities and institutional contexts. The course will present a critique
of the technological revolution perspective. Synopsis: Course Objectives: Understanding how information is created, preserved and communicated in different historical periods Comparison and contrasting of textual transmission processes in print and electronic environments and communication shifts Understanding the structure of texts and protocols for their reception in a historical framework Examination of theoretical issues and selected in-depth study of significant case studies in the current multidisciplinary scholarship of electronic and print culture Examination of methods and sources for the study of print and electronic texts and application of these methods for in-depth study of such texts, their production, circulation or use
Organization of the Course Module I - Technology & Chronology - Innovation
- Transformation: Technologies & Documentary Practices
Module II – Genre, Discourse, Representations, Structured Spaces - Structure of the Text (Typography, Punctuation, Paratext, Hypertext
- Transformation: From Codex to Electronic Publishing
- The Order of Texts (Digital Libraries, Web spheres, Blogospheres)
Module III – Contexts of Distribution, Regulatory Frameworks - Use, Appropriation
- Networks, Communities
- Metacultures, Institutionalization, Standardization
- Authors, Publishers and the Public
- Regulation and Legitimacy
- Circulation of Value (Canon, Bestsellers)
Major Assignments REQUIRED TEXT: Finkelstein, David, and Alistair McCleery. 2005. An Introduction to Book History.(Routledge) Methods of Assessment - Methods Paper - 20% of final grade
- Critical Assessment of Readings - 20% of final grade
- Term Paper - 40 % of final grade
- Class participation and discussion - 20% of final grade
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