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This module aims to provide an understanding of printing using moveable type from the mid-15th century to the 1930s, of the printed book as object, and of the principles of bibliographic description.

The intended learning outcomes are that, by the end of the module, students will be able to:

•ÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌý identify the basic technologies used to produce a book printed with moveable type and the main materials that make it up;

•ÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌý interpret material evidence of provenance, use and a printed book’s biography from creation to curation;

•ÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌý use knowledge of the history of the book and the major techniques for bibliographic research to evaluate the physical characteristics of a printed book within its social, ethical and political context;

•ÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌý generate bibliographic description of a rare printed, published item using professional guidelines and techniques.

Topics will be approached from three perspectives: initial production technologies (print processes, paper-making, format, illustrations); the social, ethical and political context of production (censorship; book trade; geographical, religious and linguistic impact of the printing press); and the biography of a book after production (readership; annotations; provenance; sale and collecting history; hidden and marginalised voices; binding, cutting up and adding to books).

Classes are a mix of lectures, seminars, and practical hands-on sessions, some of which take place - when COVID restrictions allow – with library or museum collections. Current practitioners (many of them alumni of the module) sometimes share their expertise as workshop hosts and / or guest lecturers. The assessment for the module is an exercise in bibliographic description and an essay.