LIS 425/ILS 518

LIS 425: History of the Book (taken at Simmons College in place of ILS 518 at Southern Connecticut State University)

Instructor: Martin Antonetti 

Catalog entry: The course will cover a wide variety of topics concerned with the history and development of the book, both as a physical object and as the bearer of intellectual content. We will look at such things as papyrus, paper, parchment, and other surfaces for written communication; bookbinding; the development of printing types; printing presses; ink; quills; and the other physical objects that went into the development and production of the book. We will also consider the intellectual use to which books have been put: their distribution, collection, and storage; editing texts for publication; the bibliographical description of books; their impact on literacy and industrialization; and the use, misuse, and appreciation of books throughout history. A third area that the course will address picks up the miscellaneous but important issues of the world of libraries (books from selection to use; preservation and conservation; access to information; the present and future of libraries; use and storage of online resources; etc.); the antiquarian and out-of-print book trade; the world of commercial and non-commercial publishing; remainders; handling, storing, caring for, repairing, and conserving books; legal considerations of book/text ownership and use; and other areas of book history. The students will be introduced to the extensive vocabulary of the book world.

Sample coursework:

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