INFO 6150: History of the Book
Winter 2017
Wednesdays, 2:35pm-5:25pm
Rowe 5001
Instructor:
Office:
Telephone:
Jennifer Grek Martin
Rowe 4028
902 494 2462
email:
[email protected]
Office hours: 12:00 – 2:00pm Wednesdays, or by apt.
Note: the syllabus may be subject to minor changes before and/or throughout the term.
Course Description:
The History of the Book encompasses the study of book and print culture from Antiquity to the present,
with emphasis on the Western world. This field is anything but stodgy; book and print history is a
vibrant and fascinating discipline and this course will refract this intellectual excitement through
reading and discussion of recent relevant research. Throughout the course, students will investigate
shifts from orality to literacy, from writing to printing, and finally from analog to digital media. The
creation, production, distribution, and reception of books, serials, and ephemera will be discussed, and
aspects of humanities and scientific scholarship will be explored in relation to the development of the
history of book and print culture.
Course Pre-Requisites: none.
Learning Objectives:
~
~
~
To introduce students to the study of book and print culture and to survey the literature and
scholarship of this field.
To discuss and evaluate the theoretical models for the study of both print and digital culture.
To provide intellectual and historical context for the history of books and print culture for
information managers and professionals.
Learning Objectives:
With successful completion of this course, students should be able to…
I.
Explain the processes of book creation, production, dissemination, and reception – through
various media – through different cultural, social-economic, and political contexts over time.
II.
Describe, evaluate, and discuss theoretical models of book and print history, including the role of
memory institutions (libraries, archives, and museums) and other information services in those
models.
III.
Analyze, apply, and critique research on book and print history.
IV.
Examine the evolving nature of book and print history and implications for future resources and
research in the field.
V.
Comprehend the study of book and print culture, and survey the literature and scholarship of this
interdisciplinary field.
VI.
Assess the intellectual and historical context for the history – and future – of books and print
culture for information managers and professionals
Technology Used:
Books. And this thing called The Internet. The course Blackboard site (BbLearn/BbL/OWL) has
several functions, including discussion boards and announcement notifications, which I expect you to
monitor frequently for course updates and announcements.
Instructional Methods:
The course is designed as a graduate seminar course that will include instructor-led discussions, field
trips, guest speakers/participants, and consideration of a variety of resources related to book and print
history. Students will examine a topic of their choice through the course major paper. A BbL course site
will be maintained as resource and vehicle for announcements and notifications.
Learning Materials:
There are three required texts (below) for this class and they will be used extensively throughout the
course. You can find them at the Dalhousie University Bookstore (and elsewhere).
Finkelstein, David and Alistair McCleery. An Introduction to Book History. 2nd ed. London and New
York: Routledge, 2012.
Finkelstein, David and Alistair McCleery, eds. The Book History Reader. 2nd ed. London and New
York: Routledge, 2006.
Howsam, Leslie. Old Books and New Histories: An Orientation to Studies in Book and
Print Culture. Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 2006.
Additional readings are provided for each class in the syllabus below; you should expect to read ~3 per
class and be prepared to discuss the readings in conjunction with class topics. Additionally, you are
encouraged to investigate other sources (books, articles, blogs, listservs, Twitter feeds, etc.) - be curious!
If you find something awesome, tell me and the class about it.
The following references I have shamelessly pilfered from Dr. Bertrum MacDonald (thank you!)
These texts provide extensive coverage of a broad range of topics in book history:
Eliot, Simon, and Jonathan Rose, ed. A Companion to the History of the Book. Malden, MA: Blackwell
Publishing Ltd., 2007.
Gaskell, Philip. A New Introduction to Bibliography. New Castle, DE: Oak Knoll Press, 1995.
Glaiser, Geoffrey A. Encyclopedia of the Book. 2nd ed. New Castle, DE: Oak Knoll Press, 2001.
Suarez, Michael F., S.J. and H. R. Woudhuysen, ed. The Oxford Companion to the Book. Oxford: Oxford
University Press, 2010. 2 vol.
The following scholarly journals publish research on book history topics:
Amphora
Book History
Devil’s Artisan
Information & Culture: A Journal of History
Information & Library History
Mémoires du livre / Studies in Book Culture
Papers of the Bibliographical Society of America
Papers of the Bibliographical Society of Canada
The Library
The Library Quarterly
Logos. Journal of the World Book Community
Printing History
Publishing History
Quadrat
Studies in Bibliography
Textual Cultures
Victorian Periodicals Review
Additional journals that feature book history research are listed at the following site:
http://www.sharpweb.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=26&Itemid=61&lang=en
For Canadian book history topics, consult the suite of databases created by the History of the Book in
Canada / Histoire du livre et de l’imprimé project available at the following site:
http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/databases/hbic/index-e.html
Websites and Digital Resources
An increasing number of History of the Book resources are being made available in digital format. The
following are some informative websites:
The Society for the History of Authorship, Reading and Publishing (SHARP), established in 1990, is the
leading international scholarly association for book history. If you wish, you may join the international
discussion list SHARP-L (details at www.sharpweb.org )
The website of The Bibliographical Society of Canada / La Société bibliographique du Canada provides
access to its journal (early volumes to 2008 in scanned format; post2008, table of contents only)
www.bsc-sbc.ca/index.html
The website of The Bibliographical Society of America (www.bibsocamer.org/) provides information
about the activities of the society, including its journal and other publications.
The website of The Bibliographical Society (www.bibsoc.org.uk/), a British society, provides digital
access to its journal, The Library, as well as other information about the society’s activities and other
scholarly news.
The website of The Bibliographical Society of the University of Virginia
(www.etext.virginia.edu/bsuva/) provides digital access to Studies in Bibliography up to
volume 55 (2002). Subsequent issues of the journal are available via Dalhousie
Method of Evaluation:
Each assignment will be graded by the instructor in accordance with posted School of Information
Grading Policy (see below, or here). All assignments due at the beginning of class (except Major Paper).
Assignment
Annotated bibliography & draft outline on the topic of the major paper (due 28 Jan)
Book review (due 25 Feb)
Evaluation of digital resources for the history of print culture (due 18 Mar)
Major paper and presentation (due 15 Apr, 5pm)
Participation (continuous: 5% leading seminar; 10% attendance & discussion)
%
10
15
20
40
15
Participation
History of the Book is predominately a seminar class; therefore students will be expected to contribute
to discussion. 5% of the Participation mark will be devoted to leading a seminar discussion one week
within the term. Other hallmarks of participation include: consistent attendance and preparation for
class, with readings completed and related to each other and to other course material (discussions,
presentations, guest speakers, etc.). Comments during discussion should be relevant and reflect
understanding of readings and other course material.
Assignment format:
- All papers must be submitted in print format, with an informative title page that includes an original
title, your name and student number, the name of the assignment, and due date.
- All body text must be double-spaced.
- 12pt, legible typeface, (either serif or sans serif,) with reasonable margins and kerning.
- The field of Book and Print Culture uses the Chicago Style for bibliographic citation, so it is good
practice to become familiar with it. Please use this style for all assignments, as outlined in Chicago
Manual of Style 16th Edition. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2010. (Failure to do so may result in
grade deduction!)
Back-up copies: It is your responsibility to keep a digital copy of every assignment you submit.
Grammar and expression: Correct spelling, punctuation, and grammar are expected. Your writing style
should befit the academic environment; keep colloquialisms and slangs to a minimum (be sure they are
warranted).
Integration of MLIS Competencies
PROGRAM COMPETENCY
1. Management of Information
Technology
2. Information Management
Leadership
3. Risk and Change Management
4. User-centred Information
Services
5. Research and Evaluation
6a. Workplace Skills &
Attributes: Collaborate and
communicate
6b. Workplace Skills &
Attributes: Organize, Plan &
Manage
6c. Workplace Skills &
Attributes: Develop Personally
& Professionally
Class Policies:
COURSE LEARNING
OUTCOME
I., IV., VI.
II., VI.
I., II., IV., V., VI.
I., II., III., IV., V., VI.
I., II., III.
I., II., III., IV., V., VI.
COURSE ASSESSMENT
Evaluation of Digital Resources;
Participation
Annotated Bib, Major Paper &
Presentation; Participation
Evaluation of Digital Resources;
Participation
Annotated Bib, Major Paper &
Presentation; Book Review; Evaluation
of Digital Resources; Participation
Major Paper & Presentation;
Participation
Annotated Bib, Major Paper &
Presentation; Book Review; Evaluation
of Digital Resources; Participation
Attendance and participation:
Class attendance is required in all MLIS courses and is included in the participation mark, therefore
attendance records will be kept by the instructor. Additionally, the evaluation of a Participation mark
includes an assessment of the demonstrated quality of engagement of the student in in-class or online
discussions or exercises, knowledge of assigned readings, and adherence to stated assignment deadlines.
Note: I do not (generally) prohibit laptop use for note-taking, but please be mindful that you may be
inhibiting other students if you are “multi-tasking.” I do ask that all phones and texting devices be
turned off during class.
SIM Grading Policy
Absence from class (one class)
Students are required to inform the instructor ahead of time of any absence from class. This absence
may affect participation marks or class activities.
Extended absence from class (two or more classes)
- Emergencies: Contact the MLIS Program Coordinator (currently, JoAnn Watson) and provide a list of
the courses you are taking and your instructors’ names.
- Illness:
- Contact you instructor(s) as soon as possible prior to class in inform him or her of your illness
- All absences due to illness must be supported by a physician’s note to be submitted to the MLIS
Program Coordinator (currently, JoAnn Watson) with a list of the courses you are taking and
your instructors’ names.
Late penalties for assignments
A penalty for late assignments will be assessed, unless prior permission has been given by the instructor
to submit an assignment late, which normally will be for extended illness, medical, or family emergencies
only (see above).
Late submissions will be assessed a penalty of five percent (5%) per day, including weekends.
Assignments will not normally be accepted seven (7) days or more after the due date; in such cases the
student will receive a grade of zero (0%) for the assignment.
A+
90100
Represents very high achievement. Signifies original work of distinction, well organized
and presented.
A
85-89
Superior performance indicating high level of command of the subject matter and an
ability for critical analysis.
A-
80-84
Very good. Has firm command of course principles and techniques.
B+
77-79
Above average performance.
B
73-76
Satisfactory. Acceptable performance for a Master's program.
B-
70-72
Marginal performance.
F
<70
Failure. Unacceptable for credit towards a Master's degree.
Other:
ACCOMMODATION POLICY FOR STUDENTS
Students may request accommodation as a result of barriers experienced related to disability, religious obligation, or
any characteristic protected under Canadian human rights legislation.
Students who require academic accommodation for either classroom participation or the writing of tests and exams
should make their request to the Advising and Access Services Center (AASC) prior to or at the outset of the
regular academic year. Please visit www.dal.ca/access for more information and to obtain the Request for
Accommodation form.
A note taker may be required as part of a student’s accommodation. There is an honorarium of $75/course/term
(with some exceptions). If you are interested, please contact AASC at 494-2836 for more information or send an
email to [email protected]
Please note that your classroom may contain specialized accessible furniture and equipment. It is important that
these items remain in the classroom, untouched, so that students who require their usage will be able to fully
participate in the class.
ACADEMIC INTEGRITY
In general:
The commitment of the Faculty of Management is to graduate future leaders of business, government and civil
society who manage with integrity and get things done. This is non-negotiable in our community and it starts with
your first class at Dalhousie University. So when you submit any work for evaluation in this course or any other,
please ensure that you are familiar with your obligations under the Faculty of Management’s Academic Integrity
Policies and that you understand where to go for help and advice in living up to our standards. You should be familiar
with the Faculty of Management Professor and Student Contract on Academic Integrity, and it is your responsibility
to ask questions if there is anything you do not understand.
Dalhousie offers many ways to learn about academic writing and presentations so that all members of the University
community may acknowledge the intellectual property of others. Knowing how to find, evaluate, select, synthesize
and cite information for use in assignments is called being “information literate.” Information literacy is taught by
Dalhousie University Librarians in classes and through Dalhousie Libraries’ online Citing & Writing tutorials.
Do not plagiarize any materials for this course. For further guidance on what constitutes plagiarism, how to avoid it,
and proper methods for attributing sources, please consult the University Secretariat’s Academic Integrity page.
Please note that Dalhousie now subscribes to SafeAssign.com, a computer based service that checks for originality in
submitted papers. Any paper submitted by a student at Dalhousie University may be checked for originality to
confirm that the student has not plagiarized from other sources. Plagiarism is considered a very serious academic
offence that may lead to loss of credit, suspension or expulsion from the University, or even the revocation of a
degree. It is essential that there be correct attribution of authorities from which facts and opinions have been
derived. At Dalhousie, there are University Regulations which deal with plagiarism and, prior to submitting any paper
in a course; students should read the Policy on Intellectual Honesty contained in the Calendar.
Furthermore, the University’s Senate has affirmed the right of any instructor to require that student assignments be
submitted in both written and computer readable format, e.g.: a text file or as an email attachment, and to submit
any paper to a check such as that performed by the SafeAssign anti-plagiarism software. As a student in this class,
you are to keep an electronic copy of any paper you submit, and the course instructor may require you to submit
that electronic copy on demand. Use of third-party originality checking software does not preclude instructor use
of alternate means to identify lapses in originality and attribution. The result of such assessment may be used as
evidence in any disciplinary action taken by the Senate.
Finally:
If you suspect cheating by colleagues or lapses in standards by a professor, you may use the confidential email:
[email protected] which is read only by the Assistant Academic Integrity Officer.
Faculty of Management clarification on plagiarism versus collaboration:
There are many forms of plagiarism, for instance, copying on exams and assignments. There is a clear
line between group work on assignments when explicitly authorised by the professor and copying
solutions from others. It is permissible to work on assignments with your friends but only when the
professor gives you permission in the specific context of the assignment. University rules clearly
stipulate that all assignments should be undertaken individually unless specifically authorised.
Specific examples of plagiarism include, but are not limited to, the following:
- Copying a computer file from another student, and using it as a template for your own
solution
- Copying text written by another student
- Submitting the work of someone else, including that of a tutor as your own
An example of acceptable collaboration includes the following:
When authorised by the professor, discussing the issues and underlying factors of a case with fellow
students, and then each of the students writing up their submissions individually, from start to finish.
Statement on the use of scented products:
Dalhousie University and the organizations which represent students, faculty and other employees support the
efforts of the Dalhousie University Environmental Health and Safety Committee to create a scent-free University. In
consideration of the difficulties that exposure to these products cause sensitive individuals, the University encourages
faculty, staff, students and visitors to avoid the use of scented personal care products.
Course Schedule – Note! Readings and/or Topics Subject to Change
Week 1 - Introduction to the Course (11 January)
Introduction to the course, discussion of the course syllabus, and the general subject of book history as
an international research subject.
Readings:
* Finkelstein, David and Alistair McCleery. “Theorizing the History of the Book.” In David Finkelstein
and Alistair McCleery. An Introduction to Book History, 7-27. New York & London: Routledge,
2005.
Week 2 - Book and Print History Models (18 January)
Book and print history models, origins of writing and books; Field trip to the Archives (rm 2616, Killam
Library, 4pm)
Readings:
* Adams, Thomas R. and Nicolas Barker. “A New Model for the Study of the Book.” in The Book
History Reader, ed. by David Finkelstein and Alistair McCleery, 2nd. ed., 47-65. London and New
York: Routledge, 2006.
Boorstin, Daniel J. “Part XIII: Widening the Communities of Knowledge,” in The Discoverers. 479-556.
New York: Random House, 1983.
* Darnton, Robert. “What is the History of Books?” in The Book History Reader, ed. By David
Finkelstein and Alistair McCleery, 2nd ed. , 9-26. London and New York: Routledge, 2006.
* Howsam, Leslie. Old Books and New Histories: An Orientation to Studies in Book and Print Culture.
Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 2006.
Week 3 - Book Culture in the Ancient World (25 January)
Book and print culture in Antiquity, literacy, and the early manuscript period
Readings:
“Books and Readers in the Greek World.” in The Cambridge History of Classical Literature. I. Greek
Literature, ed. By P.E. Easterling and B.M.W. Knox. 1-41.Cambridge: Cambridge University
Press, 1985.
“Books in the Ancient World.” in The Cambridge History of the Bible. Volume 1. From the Beginnings to
Jerome, ed. by P.R. Ackroyd and C.F. Evans, 30-66. Cambridge: At the University Press, 1970.
Section by D.J. Wiseman, “Books in the Ancient Near East and in the Old Testament” and
section by C.H. Roberts, “Books in the Graeco-Roman World and in the New Testament.”
Harris, William V. Ancient Literacy. Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 1989. Chapters 1 & 2 dealing
with “Levels of Greek and Roman Literacy” and “The Functions of Literacy in the GraecoRoman World,” p. 3-42.
Week 4 - Books in the Medieval Period: Part 1 (1 February) Annotated Bibliography and Outline Due!!
Books and their uses in the Medieval period, illuminated manuscripts. Field trip to Saint Mary’s
University to view The Book of Kells. Patrick Power Library, First floor classroom, 4pm-sh (there may
be an author reading there before us.)
Readings:
The following websites:
Trinity College Dublin: www.tcd.ie/about/trinity/bookofkells
St. Mary’s University: http://www.smu.ca/academics/departments/irish%20studies-research-the-bookof-kells.html
Fisher, Ian. “The Monastery of Iona in the Eighth Century.” In The Book of Kells. Proceedings of a
Conference at Trinity College Dublin, 6-9 September 1992, ed. by Felicity O’Mahony. 33-47.
Aldershot, England: Published for Trinity College Library Dublin by Scolar Press, 1994.
Ó Corráin, Donnchadh. “The Historical and Cultural Background of the Book of Kells.” In The Book of
Kells. Proceedings of a Conference at Trinity College Dublin, 6-9 September 1992, ed. by Felicity
O’Mahony. 1-32. Aldershot, England: Published for Trinity College Library Dublin by Scolar
Press, 1994.
* Ong, Walter. “Orality and Literacy: Writing Restructures Consciousness,” in The Book History Reader,
ed. by David Finkelstein and Alistair McCleery, 2nd ed. 134-146. London and New York:
Routledge, 2006.
Swan, D.L. “Kells and Its Book.” In The Book of Kells. Proceedings of a Conference at Trinity College Dublin,
6-9 September 1992, ed. by Felicity O’Mahony. 48-59. Aldershot, England: Published for Trinity
College Library Dublin by Scolar Press, 1994.
Week 5 - Books in the Medieval Period: Part 2 (Literacy); Gutenberg and the Beginning of Printing in
Europe: Part 1 (8 February)
Literacy in the Medieval period; Gutenberg and books in the hand-press period (Europe)
Readings:
The British Library website: “Treasures in Full. Gutenberg Bible.”
www.bl.uk/treasures/gutenberg/homepage.html
Briggs, Charles F. “Literacy, Reading, and Writing in the Medieval West.” Journal of Medieval History
26, no. 4 (2000): 397-420.
* Finkelstein, David and Alistair McCleery. “From Orality to Literacy,” in David Finkelstein and
Alistair McCleery. An Introduction to Book History, 28-43. New York & London: Routledge, 2005.
Gaskell, Philip. A New Introduction to Bibliography. 1-185. Winchester, UK & New Castle, DE: St. Paul’s
Bibliographies and Oak Knoll Press, 1995. The section on “Book Production: The Hand-Press
Period, 1500-1800.”
Neville, Cynthia J. “The Development of ‘Trust in Writing’: Written Documents and Seals in
Scotland, 1100-1300.” in Land, Law, and People in Medieval Scotland. Edinburgh: Edinburgh
University Press, 2010.
Week 6 – Class Cancelled in support of the Information Without Borders (IWB) conference (15
February) – see you there!
~ Study Break 20-24 February ~
Week 7 - Gutenberg and the Beginning of Printing: Part 2 (1 March) Book Review Due!!
The mechanics of printing, continued. Public Lecture by Stijn van Rossem and Andrew Steeves
(4:30pm, Dalhousie Art Gallery)
Readings:
Chamberlain, Daven Christopher. “Paper.” In The Oxford Companion to the Book, edited by Michael F.
Suarez, S.J. and H. R. Woudhuysen. 79-87. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2010.
* Chartier, Roger. “The Practical Impact of Writing.” in The Book History Reader, ed. by David
Finkelstein and Alistair McCleery, 2nd ed., 157-181. London and New York: Routledge, 2006.
* Müller, Jan-Dirk. “The Body of the Book: The Media Transition from Manuscript to Print,” in The
Book History Reader, ed. by David Finkelstein and Alistair McCleery, 2nd ed. 182-189. London and
New York: Routledge, 2006.
Week 8 - Early Modern Print Culture (8 March)
Creation and circulation of print in Britain and Europe in the early modern period
Readings:
* Finkelstein, David and Alistair McCleery. “The Coming of Print,” in David Finkelstein and Alistair
McCleery. An Introduction to Book History, 44-65. New York & London: Routledge, 2005.
Then read one of the following chapters from The Cambridge History of the Book in
Britain. Volume IV, 1557-1695. John Barnard and D.F. McKenzie, ed. Cambridge:
Cambridge University Press, 2002.
Graham Perry. “Patronage and the Printing of Learned works for the Author,” p. 174-188.
Elizabeth Leedham-Green and David McKitterick. “Ownership: Private and Public Libraries,” p. 323-338.
Maureen Bell. “Women Writing and Women Written,” p. 431-451.
R.C. Simmons. “ABCs, Almanacs, Ballads, Chapbooks, Popular Piety, and Textbooks,” p. 504-513.
Lynette Hunter. “Books for Daily Life: Household, Husbandry, Behaviour,” p. 514-532.
Carolyn Nelson and Matthew Seccombe. “The Creation of the Periodical Press 1620-1695,” p. 533-550.
James Raven. “The Economic Context,” p. 568-582.
Week 9 - The Printing Press as an Agent of Change (11 March)
The printing press as an agent of change; print culture in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries
Readings:
* Eisenstein, Elisabeth. “Defining the Initial Shift: Some Features of Print Culture,” in The Book History
Reader, ed. by David Finkelstein and Alistair McCleery, 2nd ed., 232-254. London and New York:
Routledge, 2006.
Alcorn Baron, Sabrina, Eric N. Lindquist, and Eleanor F. Shevlin, ed. “A Conversation with Elizabeth
L. Eisenstein,”in Agent of Change. Print Culture Studies after Elizabeth L. Eisenstein, 409-419.
Amherst, MA: University of Massachusetts Press in association with the Center for the Book,
Library of Congress, 2007.
Then read one the sections listed below from A History of the Book in America. Volume One …
Amory, Hugh and David D. Hall, ed. A History of the Book in America. Volume One. The Colonial Book in
the Atlantic World. New York: Cambridge University Press, 2000.
David D. Hall. “Readers and Writers in Early New England,” p. 117-151.
Ross W. Beales and E. Jennifer Monaghan. “Literacy and Schoolbooks,” p. 380-387.
Elizabeth Carroll Reilly and David D. Hall. “Customers and the Market for Books,” p. 387-399.
…and one from the History of the Book in Canada. Volume One.
Fleming, Patricia Lockhard, Gilles Gallichan, and Yvan Lamonde, ed. History of the Book in Canada.
Volume 1. Beginnings to 1840. Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 2004.
François Melançon. “The Book in New France,” p. 45-55.
Fiona A. Black. “Importation and Book Availability,” p. 115-124.
Michel Verrette. “The Spread of Literacy,” p. 165-172.
Heather Murray. “Readers and Society,” p. 172-182.
George L. Parker. “Courting Local and International Markets,” p. 339-354.
Gwendolyn Davies. “Literary Cultures in the Maritime Provinces,” p. 368-383.
Michael Peterman. “Literary Cultures and Popular Reading in Upper Canada,” p. 395-408.
Week 10 - New Printing Technologies (15 March) Evaluation of Digital Resources Due!!
The beginning of the machine press period, circulation of information in Europe and North America,
and the rise of the author
Readings:
de Glas, Frank. “Business History and the Study of Publishing Houses,” in New Perspectives in Book
History: Contributions from the Low Countries, ed. By Marieke van Delft, Frank de Glas, and Jeroen
Salman, 83-99. Zutphen, The Netherlands: Walburg Pers, 2006.
* Finkelstein David and Alistair McCleery. “Authors, Authorship, and Authority,” in David Finkelstein
and Alistair McCleery. An Introduction to Book History, 66-84. New York & London: Routledge,
2005.
* Finkelstein, David and Alistair McCleery. “Printers, Booksellers, Publishers, Agents,” in David
Finkelstein and Alistair McCleery. An Introduction to Book History, 85-99. New York & London:
Routledge, 2005.
* Foucault, Michel. “What is an Author?” in The Book History Reader, ed. by David Finkelstein and
Alistair McCleery, 2nd ed., 281-291. London and New York: Routledge, 2006.
* Rose, Mark. “Literary Property Determined.” in The Book History Reader, ed. by David Finkelstein and
Alistair McCleery, 2nd ed., 308-317. London and New York: Routledge, 2006.
Week 11 - Readers and Reception in the Victorian Period (22 March)
Field trip to The Kipling Collection, with discussion regarding book appraisal by Karen Smith,
Dalhousie Special Collections (2:30pm-4pm).
Readers and reception in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, and popular culture and print
culture - including cheap printing and periodicals
Readings:
Duggan, Lawrence J. and Bertrum H. MacDonald, “Reading Science: Evidence from the Career of
Edwin Gilpin, Mining Engineer,” in Shafquat Towheed and W. R. Owens. The History of
Reading, Volume 1. International Perspectives, c. 1500-1990, 117-132. London: Palgrave Macmillan, 2011.
* Finkelstein, David and Alistair McCleery, “Readers and Reading,” in David Finkelstein and Alistair
McCleery. An Introduction to Book History,100-117. New York & London: Routledge, 2005.
* Flint, Kate, “Reading Practices,” in David Finkelstein & Alistair McCleery, ed. The Book History
Reader, 2nd ed., 416-423. London and New York, 2006.
Murray, Heather. “Literary Societies,” in History of the Book in Canada. Volume II. 1840-1918, Yvan
Lamonde, Patricia Lockhart Fleming, and Fiona A. Black, ed. 473-478. Toronto: University of
Toronto Press, 2005.
* Rose, Jonathan, “Rereading the English Common Reader: A Preface to a History of Audiences,” in
David Finkelstein & Alistair McCleery, ed. The Book History Reader, 2nd ed., 424-439. London and
New York, 2006.
* Radway, Janice, “A Feeling for Books: The Book-of-the-Month Club, Literary Taste and Middle-Class
Desire,” in David Finkelstein & Alistair McCleery, ed. The Book History Reader, 2nd ed., 467-481.
London and New York, 2006.
Week 12 - Methods of Research in Book History (29 March)
Conducting research in book history, and national book history projects, e.g., the History of the Book in
Canada - Histoire du livre et de l’imprimé au Canada project.
Student Presentations (maximum eight students to be confirmed by sign-up)
Readings:
Black, Fiona A., Bertrum H. MacDonald, and J. Malcolm W. Black, “Geographic Information Systems:
A New Research Method for Book History,” Book History 1 (1998): 11-31.
Cooper, David and Ian N. Gregory. “Mapping the English Lake District: A Literary GIS,” Transactions
of the Institute of British Geographers, n.s. 36: 89-108.
MacDonald, Bertrum, H. and Fiona A. Black. “Using GIS for Spatial and Temporal Analyses in Print
Culture Studies: Some Opportunities and Challenges.” Social Science History 24, no. 3 (2000): 505536.
Weedon, Alexis. “The Uses of Quantification.” in Simon Eliot and Jonathan Rose, eds. A Companion to
the History of the Book, 33-49. Oxford: Blackwell Publishing, 2007.
Week 13 - Library History and Print Culture in the Digital Age (5 April)
Library History within the context of Book History; print culture in the twentieth century and the
launch of the digital age; course wrap up
Final Student Presentations
Readings:
Black, Alistair. “Skeleton in the Cupboard: Social Class and the Public Library in Britain Through 150
Years,” Library History 16 (May 2000): 3-12. Bruce, Lorne. “The Aims of the Public Library
Movement in Late Victorian Ontario,” In Readings in Canadian Library History 2, ed. Peter F.
McNally. 93-117. Ottawa: Canadian Library Association, 1996.
* Duguid, Paul. “Material Matters: The Past and Futurology of the Book.” in David Finkelstein &
Alistair McCleery, ed. The Book History Reader, 2nd ed., 494-508. London and New York, 2006.
* Finkelstein, David and Alistair McCleery, “The Future of the Book,” in David Finkelstein and Alistair
McCleery. An Introduction to Book History, 118-132. New York & London: Routledge, 2005.
Gardiner, Eileen, and Ronald G. Musto. “The Electronic Book,” In The Oxford Companion to the Book,
edited by Michael F. Suarez, S.J. and H. R. Woudhuysen. 164-171. Oxford: Oxford University
Press, 2010.
Stevenson, Siobhan. “The Political Economy of Andrew Carnegie’s Library Philanthropy, with a
Reflection on Its Relevance to the Philanthropic Work of Bill Gates.” Library & Information
History 26, no. 4 (December 2010): 237-257.
Major Papers Due 10 April 2017, 5pm
Syllabus created in MS Word: Hightower Text, French Script, Gill Sans