Subject Specialist Librarian
History of the Book from the Library Collection
The Oxford Companion to the Book by
The Oxford Companion to the Book is a unique work of reference, covering the book (broadly conceived) throughout the world from ancient to modern times. It includes traditional subjects such as bibliography, palaeography, the history or printing, editorial theory and practice, textualcriticism, book collecting, and libraries, but it also engages with newer disciplines such as the history of the book and the electronic book. It pays particular attention to how different societies shape books and how books shape societies.The two-volume work is organized in two parts, totalling a million words. Part I is a substantial series of introductory essays, making up about a third of the text. Nineteen of the essays provide generic histories of the subject ranging from writing systems, the ancient and the medieval book,through central aspects of book production, to theories of text, editorial theory and textual criticism, the economics of print, and the sacred book. These are complemented by 29 surveys of the history of the book around the world, including the Muslim world, Asia, Latin America, and Sub-SaharanAfrica. Part II of the Companion comprises an A-Z section of over 5,000 entries on every aspect of this exceptionally rich and diverse subject, ranging from brief definitions and biographical entries to more extensive treatments of up to 2,000 words. The two parts are linked by thoroughcross-referencing (both between and within the volumes) and the whole is also served by a general index and a classified index of entries. Both parts of the text are illustrated with reproductions, diagrams, and maps, and examples of various typographical features. The contents of the book have been planned around the following scheme which aptly illustrates the breadth and depth of this most interdisciplinary of subjects:* book genres of every kind including dictionaries, government documents, and music* all aspects of the physical book, and a generous coverage of individual bookbinders, paper-makers, typographers, type-founders, and designers * authorship, including issues of attribution, authors' societies and communities, forgeries and hoaxes* the entire reproduction process over the centuries (in both Asia and the West), not forgetting individual engravers, illuminators, and illustrators* printers and publishers around the world, plus book-trade organizations, and patronage* intellectual property issues * distribution and sales, comprising international coverage of booksellers, as well as book clubs, auction houses, and advertising * preservation, covering not only libraries and library systems but also individual collectors, librarians, and professional associations * suppression of the book, including censorship and stamp acts, and issues surrounding blasphemy and pornography * scholarship, covering bibliography, editions, and scholarly centres and organizations, as well as numerous individual scholars in all parts of the world * aspects of reading and reception, including book organizations and literary prizes* a broad range of periodicals encompassing literary, professional and trade, and scholarly and bibliophile interests * named manuscripts, scripts, and individual scribes and calligraphers * individual books as exemplars of book historyThe Companion is intended to be a highly informative and genuinely useful work of reference and the only book of this kind in the field. It is intended for an international readership and has been written by an international team of scholars. As appropriate to its subject matter, the finished bookis designed to be both exceptionally practical and aesthetically pleasing to own.
ISBN: 9780198606536Publication Date: 2010-02-08
The Cambridge History of the Book in Britain by
This is the first comprehensive survey of the history of the book in Britain from Roman through Anglo-Saxon to early Norman times. The expert contributions explore the physical form of books, including their codicology, script and decoration, examine the circulation and exchange of manuscripts and texts between England, Ireland, the Celtic realms and the Continent, discuss the production, presentation and use of different classes of texts, ranging from fine service books to functional schoolbooks, and evaluate the libraries that can be associated with particular individuals and institutions. The result is an authoritative account of the first millennium of the history of books, manuscript-making, and literary culture in Britain which, intimately linked to its cultural contexts, sheds vital light on broader patterns of political, ecclesiastical and cultural history extending from the period of the Vindolanda writing tablets through the age of Bede and Alcuin to the time of the Domesday Book.
ISBN: 9780521583459Publication Date: 2011-12-22
WSU Special Collections
Librarians
For assistance with your course assignments, you can contact:
Veronica Bielat, English Department Subject Specialist, ag6887@wayne.edu; 313-577-4217
Cindy Krolikowski, Special Collections Coordinator, ac4947@wayne.edu; 313-577-3311
Looking at a Book
Adapted from Adam G. Hooks, "Special Collections Worksheet," adamghooks.net
"Your Old Books"
- "Your Old Books"From the Rare Book and Manuscript section of the American Library Association, a series of FAQs about rare and old books.
Glossary of Terms
- GlossaryTerms and definitions created by the students of ENG 5690 (Winter 2017)
Additional Resources
- Atlas of Early PrintingFrom the University of Iowa, an interactive map showing the early history of printing (15C) in Europe