Offered in the Fall Term and required of all students in the BHPC Program, this foundational course (BKS1001H — Introduction to Book History) provides an introduction to basic topics such as the semiotics of the book; orality and writing systems; book production from manuscript to the latest computer technology; the development of printing; the concept of authorship; copyright; censorship; the economics of book production and distribution; libraries and the organization of information; principles of bibliographical description; print in other formats (newspapers, magazines, advertisements, etc.); reading and readership; editorial theory and practice. We will also study artifacts and tools of the trade in situ through visits to the Fisher Rare Book Library, Massey College Press, and Coach House Press.
