Everyone knows what a book is. But what do gutters, fore-edges, diapers, running heads, and pilcrows have to do with books? In this course, the students learned interesting and amusing stories behind useful, though specialized terms in the history of communication from medieval manuscripts to digital publishing. Along the way, students learned a bit about the history of books and printing from pamphlet wars to the e-book revolution and from the anatomy of the book to the aesthetics of book making. In addition, the Buchanan Library Fellows became “exhibitionists,” learning the fine art of curation and seeking out examples from the Library special collections to produce their own exhibition in the Library Gallery.
Online Exhibit: The Once and Future Book