What i learned from the history of books

What I Learned from the History of

Books

Jacob LongshoreLI 819XI: Information Retrieval and

CustomizationDr. Brenda Hough

Emporia State University

Some one said: “The dead writers are remote from us because we know so much more than they did.” Precisely, and they are that which we know.” – T.S. Eliot (1975) 40

It’s no surprise (anymore) that technological changes are accelerating.

More elements

discovered in the last

three centuries than all

of previous recorded

history!

VA-VA-VA-VOOOOOOOOM!!!

But can we learn something more than “Just deal with it”?

I’ll give it a shot.

Librarians are usually viewed as dealing in books.

(Admit it, it’s why you went into library school: you wanted to be around books.)

So let’s look at the history of books and see what we can learn besides “Deal with the change.”

In the beginning…

…people didn’t write, they simply made pictures.

And counted.

When they did start writing, they scrawled on wood,

When they did start writing, they scrawled on wood, stone,

When they did start writing, they scrawled on wood, stone, bone –

When they did start writing, they scrawled on wood, stone, bone – pretty much anything that was available.

They wanted to remember thoughts; writing made it possible. They could also build on thoughts in a way that

was impossible.

Writing started out as pictograms.

Writing started out as pictograms. The Rebus Principle revolutionized the practice: draw the sound of the word, not the thing, so you could record more than concrete objects.

Writing started out as pictograms. The Rebus Principle revolutionized the practice: draw the sound of the word, not the thing, so you could record more than concrete objects.

Sumerian “Sag” = English “head”

Writing started out as pictograms. The Rebus Principle revolutionized the practice: draw the sound of the word, not the thing, so you could record more than concrete objects.

More abstract, turned 90 degrees.

Writing started out as pictograms. The Rebus Principle revolutionized the practice: draw the sound of the word, not the thing, so you could record more than concrete objects.

We have now either the word for “head” or the sound “sag”, and we can combine these

with other words.

As the number of documents grew, people asked, “What the *%#! do we do with all these things?”

And that’s how libraries were born.

As the number of documents grew, people asked, “What the *%#! do we do with all these things?”

Preserving information was a simple affair: make durable copies or

lots of copies.

Preserving information was a simple affair: make durable copies or

lots of copies.

Good!

Preserving information was a simple affair: make durable copies or

lots of copies.

Good!

Bad!

Preserving information was a simple affair: make durable copies or

lots of copies.

Good!

Bad!

Preserving information was a simple affair: make durable copies or

lots of copies.

Good!

Bad!

Tablets and scrolls were the most common media for the written word, depending on the need.

Tablets and scrolls were the most common media for the written word, depending on the need.

Great where clay or papyrus

are handy & cheap

Handling the documents themselves, however, was another matter.

Would you want to carry a

backpack full of these?

Handling the documents themselves, however, was another matter.

How many times can you

open this before it breaks?

Handling the documents themselves, however, was another matter.

Tablets made of wood were cheaper, and could be bound together. Grout (1997‒2012).

A shortage of papyrus may have spurred the development of parchment, which eventually became the material of choice. Sheets could be bound together, like the tablets; unlike tablets, they could be folded.Grout (1997‒2012).

A shortage of papyrus may have spurred the development of parchment, which eventually became the material of choice. Sheets could be bound together, like the tablets; unlike tablets, they could be folded.Grout (1997‒2012).

Behold the codex

Christians preferred codices for their durability; they wanted to preserve their sacred texts in a way that pagan scholars did not.Meggs (2012).

Paper was invented in China in the 1st Century AD; it was adopted by Muslims in the 8th or 9th Century. Fuller (2002).

Paper reached Europe in the 12th Century, but it took a while to be accepted.Hunter (1970).

Paper reached Europe in the 12th Century, but it took a while to be accepted.Hunter (1970).I don’t

like it – too expensive.

Paper reached Europe in the 12th Century, but it took a while to be accepted.Hunter (1970).I don’t

like it – too expensive.

Who uses it? Moors! Jews!!

OMG!!!

Movable type made publishing more convenient by simplifying the forms of letters and typography. Meggs (2012).

Some ecclesiastic scholars set up printing presses of their own, with Church patronage.Slater (1978) 9‒10.

First book printed in Italy – and there are other firsts to

this book

Technology isn’t the only factor here.Interest in learning grew more widespread, creating a wider demand for texts.Slater (1921), 34.

“Printing did not make the Renaissance; the Renaissance made printing.”

But it wasn’t until the 19th Century that papermaking became truly economical.Meggs (2012).

But it wasn’t until the 19th Century that papermaking became truly economical.Meggs (2012).

Bloody marvelous! I wish I could smoke like that.

The next major advance was, yes, digital.

In 1949 Fr. Roberto Busa collaborated with IBM in order to index the works of St. Thomas Aquinas.Priego (2011).

In 1971, Michael Hart began tap-tap-tapping the Declaration of Independence on the keyboard of a Xerox Sigma V – thus producing the first proper ebook.Lebert (2009) 5.

In 1971, Michael Hart began tap-tap-tapping the Declaration of Independence on the keyboard of a Xerox Sigma V – thus producing the first proper ebook.Lebert (2009) 5.

Available to anyone who wants it.

In 1971, Michael Hart began tap-tap-tapping the Declaration of Independence on the keyboard of a Xerox Sigma V – thus producing the first proper ebook.Lebert (2009) 5.

The “plain vanilla” text isn’t as readable as a well-designed page.

Available to anyone who wants it.

In 1994 the National Academy Press began publishing works – for free – with the authors’ consent. Did sales drop? Nope, they soared.Lebert (2009) 20.

Amazon.com is the first main online bookstore in 1995.Lebert (2009)

Amazon.com is the first main online bookstore in 1995.Lebert (2009)

Kindle, anyone?

Easy to access lots

o’ stuff

Stuck to vendor’s

terms (and titles)

Easy to access lots

o’ stuff

what can we take away from all this?So,

Here are a few things, feel free to add more…

Take-away #1

At any given time, the technology we have is (usually) the best we can do.

Take-away #2

There’s always something better (however we understand the word).

Take-away #2

Corollary: We’re always experimenting, looking for different ways to communicate.

Take-away #3

There’s always some compromise between media.

Take-away #3

Corollary: Repackaging can come at a price.

“The book was better.”

Take-away #4

A medium is the product of needs that hadn’t existed before.

“Every force evolves a form.” – Davenport (1987)

Take-away #5

Librarians! – to do a job worthy of your name, learn as many modes of communication as you can, so you have options and the wisdom to choose.

Take-away #6

We needn’t fear the technology; we need to harness it.

And we can.

BibliographyDavenport, Guy (1987). Every Force Evolves a Form. San Francisco: North Point Press.Eliot, T.S (1980). “Choruses from ‘The Rock.’” The Complete Poems and Plays (1909‒1950). New York: Harcourt Brace & Company. - - - (1975). “Tradition and the Individual Talent.” Selected Prose of T.S. Eliot. Harcourt Brace & Company, 37‒44. http://books.google.com/books?id=sS7dxjpZh6cC&printsec=frontcover&dq=eliot+tradition+and+the+individual+talent+pdf&hl=en&sa=X&ei=FPy-UIWUOorWiwLw84GICA&ved=0CDAQ6AEwAQ#v=onepage&q&f=false. Accessed December 4, 2012.Fuller, Neathery Batsel (2002). A Brief History of Paper. http://users.stlcc.edu/nfuller/paper/. Accessed December 4, 2012.Fuller, R. Buckminster (1973). Earth, Inc. New York: Anchor Books.Grout, James (1997‒2012). “Scroll and Codex.” http://penelope.uchicago.edu/~grout/encyclopaedia_romana/scroll/scrollcodex.html. Accessed December 4, 2012.Hunter, Dard (1970). Papermaking: The History and Technique of an Ancient Craft. New York: Dover Publications. http://books.google.com/books?id=i6Cijf2BOZYC&printsec=frontcover&dq=hunter+Hunter,+Dard+Papermaking+The+History+and+Technique+of+and+Ancient+Craft&hl=en&sa=X&ei=mT2_UPv4OcfLigL5yYGADw&ved=0CC0Q6AEwAA. Accessed December 4, 2012.

Lebert, Marie (2009). A Short History of eBooks. Toronto: Net des études françaises, University of Toronto. http://www.etudes-francaises.net/dossiers/ebookEN.pdf. Accessed December 4, 2012.Meggs, Philip B. (2012). Meggs’ History of Graphic Design. 5th Ed. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons, Inc. http://books.google.com/books?id=qZUxRcMP3XcC&printsec=frontcover&dq=meggs+history+graphic+design&hl=en&sa=X&ei=cOG-UM22O83OigK9rIGgCA&ved=0CC4Q6wEwAA. Accessed December 4, 2012.Priego, Ernesto (Aug. 12 2011). “Father Roberto Busa: one academic's impact on HE and my career.” The Guardian. http://www.guardian.co.uk/higher-education-network/blog/2011/aug/12/father-roberto-busa-academic-impact. Accessed December 4, 2012.Slater, John Rothwell (1921). Printing and the Renaissance. New York: W.E. Rudge. http://archive.org/details/printingrenaissa00slatrich

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