B5045 - History of the Book (1)

Learning outcomes

At the end of the course, students have a general understanding of the history of the book, from its production to its distribution, and the practices related to its trade, reading, and its various uses in modern and contemporary times. They demonstrate a strong ability to gather, select, process, and synthesize complex documentary information, leading to the independent formulation of conclusions and opinions. They logically organize information and present it in an orderly manner with methodological rigor, precision, and accuracy.

Course contents

The Coming of Printed Book

The coming of the printing, around 1450, spelt cultural and technical innovations. Furthermore early printed books were committed to meet the expectation of their readers, who had always been accustomed to the form of the manuscript.
In the 15th century, the book in cuna, i.e. "in the cradle", the so-called incunable, gained gradually its own forms and structures, so that in the early 16th century it became almost the same object nowadays known and used by readers.
The incunable, mostly without title page, page numbers, was often decorated and illuminated, as well as rarely printed on parchment rather than paper, a definitely more common support.
Since 15th century illustrations appeared in printed books; moreover a more complex page design, as well as many paratextual elements (first of all, the title page), were experimented in them.

Readings/Bibliography

1. C. REATTI - P. TINTI, Il metallo e la lettera. Francesco Griffo incisore di caratteri e editore nell'Italia del Rinascimento, Bologna, Clueb, 2025.

2. L. FEBVRE - H.-J. MARTIN, La nascita del libro, Roma-Bari, Laterza, 1977 oppure F. FORMIGA, L'invenzione perfetta : storia del libro, Bari-Roma, Laterza, 2021.

ALL THE STUDENTS will retrieve, explain and comment one record, dealing with an European Fifteenth century edition, taken from the following online catalogue: ISTC, Incunabula Short Title Catalogue [https://data.cerl.org/istc].

Only remotely, in the virtual classroom of the History of Book and Library Science course, from February to July 2025, a practical training in the use of ISTC will be organized. The training aims to provide students with a good knowledge of the ISTC, with practical exercises.

ONLY NON ATTENDING STUDENTS will also study one of these titles:

1. C. REATTI, Tra aula e torchio. Libri e scuola a Bologna da Napoleone all'età della Restaurazione, Bologna, CLUEB, 2020;

2. M. G. TAVONI, Storie di libri e tecnologie: dall'avvento della stampa al digitale, Roma, Carocci, 2021;

Erasmus students could read an essay in English or Spanish or French, according to Professor's suggestion.

Teaching methods

Frontal lessons, with the aid of multimedia tools.

Lessons will take place in libraries of Bologna and Emilia-Romagna, in sight of some Fifteenth and Sixteenth century editions, both Italian and European.

Assessment methods

Students who attend at least 75% of the lessons are considered to be attending.

The final exam will be an oral one, with questions aimed to verify the student's knowledge of the themes discussing during frontal lectures (only for attending students) as well as those treated in the program's texts.

Non-attending students will have to take an oral final exam about the themes treated in the program's texts.

The assessment will concentrate particularly on the skill displayed by the student in handling the sources and material in the exam bibliography and his ability to find and use information and examples to illustrate and correlate the various themes and problems addressed in the course.

The assessment will thus examine the student's:

- factual knowledge of the subject;
- ability to summarise and analyse themes and concepts;
- familiarity with the terminology associated with the subject and his ability to use it effectively.

Top marks will be awarded to a student displaying an overall understanding of the topics discussed during the lectures, combined with a critical approach to the material and a confident and effective use of the appropriate terminology.
Average marks will be awarded to a student who has memorized the main points of the material and is able to summarise them satisfactorily and provide an effective critical commentary, while failing to display a complete command of the appropriate terminology.
A student will be deemed to have failed the exam if he displays significant errors in his understanding and failure to grasp the overall outlines of the subject, together with a poor command of the appropriate terminology.

Final exams are scheduled at least 7 times an academic year, usually following that date:

‐ 2 in September-November
‐ 2 in January-March
‐ 3 in May-July

Teaching tools

n order to get preliminary knowledge to improve classwork, students who have never taken the History of the Book or the Library and Information Science will be able to read profitably one or more of the following titles.  

1. E. BARBIERI, Guida al libro antico: conoscere e descrivere il libro tipografico, Firenze, Le Monnier, 2006;

2. F. BARBIER, Storia del libro. Dall'antichità al XX secolo, Bari, Dedalo, 2005;

Students with learning disorders and/or temporary or permanent disabilities: please, contact the office responsible (https://site.unibo.it/studenti-con-disabilita-e-dsa/en/for-students) as soon as possible so that they can propose acceptable adjustments. The request for adaptation must be submitted in advance (15 days before the exam date) to the lecturer, who will assess the appropriateness of the adjustments, taking into account the teaching objectives.

Office hours

See the website of Paolo Tinti