B1878 - COLLEZIONISMO LIBRARIO: STORIA E PRATICHE

Learning outcomes

The course will investigate some book collections from antiquity to the contemporary world as an example of transmission of knowledge. During the course will be examinated also some Collecting practices and some methods of acquiring and transmitting books. Moreover, it will be discussed how the meaning of collecting has been mutated over time. Thanks to the learning of different book collecting ways, the students will be able to recognize the different narratives of memory and they will understand how the book collections could be public cultural tools ath the servive of the citizens

Course contents

The focus of the course will be on the nature of book collections from antiquity to the contemporary world and it will be highlighten how, over the centuries, the libraries have switched their nature from private to public instrument. Thanks to specific examples, it will be shown how the purpose of book collecting has been changed over the time and, consequently the memory narration has been changed too.

• The ancient libraries: Alexandria, Athens and Rome.
• Medieval libraries: the Cassiodorus'Vivarium, the Colombano monastery in Bobbio. The capitular library in Verona.
• The libraries rebirth: Humanism, Petrarca and the Antiquarianism.
• The great book collections in XV and XVI centuries: the Mattia Corvinus library, the Medici library, the Vatican library of Sixtus V.
• The first public libraries: the Ambrosiana library and the Angelica library.
• The first textbooks: The Syntagma de bibliothecis by Justus Lipsius and the Advis pour Dresser une Bibliothèque by Gabriel Naudé.
• A particular case: the De bibliothecis atque archivis by Joachim Johann Mader
• The great book collections in XVIII century: The Casanatense library, the Palatina library, the Braidense library and the Naples'library.
• A particular case between XIX and XX centuries: John Cotton Dana and the public libraries in Denver, Springfield and Newark

Readings/Bibliography

A. Serrai, Breve storia delle biblioteche in Italia, Milano, Bonnard, 2006, pp. 27-42; 55-57; 63-68; 71-73; 95-100

De bibliothecis syntagma di Justus Lipsius: l’apice di una tradizione, l’inizio di una disciplina, (a cura di D. Baldi), 2. edizione, Roma, CNR edizioni, 2023, pp. 1-246; 351-362.

Baldi, D. (2020), Il De scriptis et bibliothecis antediluvianis di Joachim Johann Mader in «Bibliothecae.it» 9 (2020) 1, p. 118-253

Baldi, D. (2014). La Biblioteca Vaticana nel De bibliothecis antiquis di Andrea Fulvio: un nuovo modello di realtà bibliotecaria. Bibliothecae.It, 3 (2), 2014, 15–53

D. Baldi, A Brief Outline of the History of Libraries: John Cotton Dana e il Syntagma de bibliothecis di Justus Lipsius, Roma, CNR Edizioni, 2023, pp- 1-114

For students who will not attend the lessons it will be mandatory to study also these other essays:

Il praeceptor e le antiche biblioteche: il De bibliothecis deperditis ac noviter instructis di Michael Neander, (a cura di D. Baldi), Roma, CNR edizioni, 2020, pp. 1-117.

Baldi, D. (2011). La Bibliotheca Corviniana di Buda e la praefatio ad Salvianum (ovvero l’Epistola de Bibliothecis) di Johannes Alexander Brassicanus. il Bibliotecario 1-2, 2014, 125-156.

Baldi, D. (2011). Il De Bibliothecis di un archiatra : la epistola medicinalis 2.3 di Johann Lange (1485-1565) e il De Bibliothecis deperditis di Michael Neander (1525-1595). il Bibliotecario 3, 2011, 27-62.

 

 

Teaching methods

Class Lectures will be supplemented with slides and handouts

Assessment methods

The oral test will aim to verify the knowledge of both general and specific part. In particular, the logical-critical ability to understand the historical and theoretical issues investigated during the lectures will be assessed. Expository ability and the capacity in constructing a coherent argumentative discourse will also be assessed.

The students will have to write 3/5 slides. In these slides the students will show their own personal conclusions on the contents of the course, that will be discussed during the exam.

The final grade will be divided into four levels:

- Insufficient grade: lack of preparation on basic knowledge, poor expository ability, poor ability in constructing a coherent argumentative discourse.

- Sufficient grade : adequate preparation on basic notions; correct understanding and interpretation of the main historical and theoretical issues, exposed with a little autonomy and a little critical interpretation.

- Good grade : achievement of intermediate knowledge level ; fully understanding and interpretation of the main historical and theoretical issues, with marginal uncertainties and inaccuracies. Good exposition , not fully accurate and original.

- Excellent grade: achievement of high-level knowledge; fully correct personal interpretation of the issues addressed, elaborated with originality of ideas. Fully satisfactory oral exposition.

Warning:

- For attenders: active participation in the lectures with discussions and questions pertaining to the topics covered will be positively evaluated. It will be possible to agree on the writing of a paper to be presented in the exam.

- For non-attenders: knowledge of the history of book collecting and related libraries includes a proper understanding of the evolutionary dynamics of this phenomenon and how these dynamics have been changed over time. They are also required to emphasize the essential issues addressed in the texts yo study.

Students who are affected by learning disability (DSA) and in need of special strategies to compensate it, are kindly requested to contact the Teacher, in order to be referred to the colleagues in charge and get proper advice and instructions.

Teaching tools

• Slides
• Handouts

Office hours

See the website of Diego Baldi