What is a Book?

Catalog description

This 1-credit Tides course introduces you to research through a historical and experiential engagement with the myriad forms and aspects of one of the oldest and most ubiquitous communication and information technologies: the book. Rather than consume books for their content (text), in this course, our concern will be with the whole book (from cover to binding, to page design and marks left on margins) as a material object. From scroll to codex, to e-book, and from manuscript tradition to print, we will learn the books’ anatomy and how to read and interpret those physical features as evidence. In the process, students will gain a deeper appreciation for the book as an object as they explore the book form alongside its text. Each week we will explore the history of book making processes including letterpress printing, book binding, papermaking, and various 20th c printing and duplicating technologies. We will learn about appreciating books as objects through lectures, discussions, and hands on experiments with bookmaking. The class will culminate with each student creating their own book object. In addition, we will enjoy visits with local printers and book makers and virtual visits from book artists and book historians. The course is ideal for students considering majors in art history, art, English, history, archeology, media studies, science, or any subject that requires reading or using books.