INFO 536 – Books and the Information Society
| Points: | 15 | Prerequisites: | None |
|---|---|---|---|
| Faculty: | Commerce & Administ | Corequisites: | None |
| School: | Information Management | Restrictions: | None |
The role of the book as written text, material object and cultural transaction in the contemporary information landscape, emphasising descriptive bibliography, rare books and special collections, artifacts in the digital domain, communication and information design, and New Zealand print culture.
This course is not currently being offered.
Course Description
INFO 536, Books and the Information Society, is coordinated by Dr Sydney Shep, who integrates the unique letterpress teaching laboratory of Wai-te-ata Press into much of her teaching.
INFO 536 examines the role of the book as written text, material object and cultural transaction in the contemporary information landscape, emphasising descriptive bibliography, rare books and special collections, artifacts in the digital domain, communication and information design, and New Zealand print culture.
This course will be of interest to prospective rare book and special materials librarians, archivists, conservators, antiquarian booksellers, those who want to research historical methods of information technology, and those who desire practical training in effective information design. COPs are welcomed.
INFO 536 is offered in both internal and open learning modes. Internal students have access to Wai-te-ata Press, VUW's letterpress printing laboratory and research facility. Open learning students experience letterpress using a range of portable teaching tools, including physical artifacts, DVDs, and old books, in an interactive electronic environment.
Learning Objectives
By the conclusion of the INFO 536 course, students should be:
- Conversant with the history of the book, and the book's relationship to other modes of communication such as oral, manuscript, and digital.
- Equipped to describe the physical nature of the book using the conventions of standard bibliographic description.
- Familiar with the tools required to investigate New Zealand print culture.
- Equipped to analyse strengths and weaknesses of communication design in both print and electronic media.
Schedule (not offered in 2012)
| Week | Topic |
| 1 | Definitions of the book |
| 2 | Principles of bibliographic description |
| 3 | Papermaking |
| 4 | Type & type design |
| 5 | Printing |
| 6 | Illustration |
| 7 | Bookbinding |
| 8 | Overview of print culture in New Zealand |
| 9 | Colonial contexts |
| 10 | Contemporary NZ publishing - a case study |
| 11 | Knowledge, power, and censorship |
| 12 | Future of the book in the digital age |
Assessment (taken from 2011)
This course will be internally assessed. Further details are available on Blackboard.
| Assignments | Date due | Value | Length |
| 1. Biography of a book: a) Seminar presentation on one book technology related to a book chosen in consultation with the lecturer; and b) Full-dress bibliographic description of selected book with technical notes on each bibliographic aspect. |
see Blackboard | 30% | 15-minute oral presentation, plus 1500 word report |
| 2. New Zealand contemporary publishing: research proposal on some aspect of publishing and case study of a particular firm |
see Blackboard | 40% | 2500 words |
| 3. Building Collaborative Spaces: a) contribution of total five items (book or book chapter, peer-reviewed journal article, website, video, blog posting, or popular media feature) to collaborative annotated bibliography on book technologies; and b) weekly BookBlog postings introducing and/or responding to a hot issue about books today. |
see Blackboard | 30% (15% each) |
1000 words each |
Required Text
In addition to any supplied readings, the required text is:
Griffith, P., Harvey, R. & Maslen, K. (1997). Book & print in New Zealand. A guide to print culture in Aotearoa. Wellington. Victoria University Press
This work is out-of-print, although copies are available from the Victoria Library on 3-day loan. The New Zealand Electronic Text Centre has created an electronic, searchable version, which is now available in Web and e-book formats.
Strongly Recommended Texts
- Finkelstein, D. & McCleery, A. (Eds). (2005). An introduction to book history and (2006) The book history reader. London & New York: Routledge
- Gaskell, P. (1995). A new introduction to bibliography. New Castle, DE: Oak Knoll Press
- Howsam, L. (2006). Old books & new histories. An orientation to studies in print and book culture. Toronto: University of Toronto Press
- Pearson, D. (2008). Books as history. The importance of books beyond their texts. London: British Library