New Course: Library 170: History of the Book

Spring Semester 2021, 3 credits
Fulfills the College Writing 2 requirement
Dr. Leila Walker – Leila.Walker@qc.cuny.edu
Tuesdays & Thursdays – 10:45am – 11:55am
Prerequisite – English 110

For more information about registering for this class, contact Mary Santora, the Administrative Assistant of Instructional Services, at Mary.Santora@qc.cuny.edu

COURSE DESCRIPTION:

History of the Book- The theme of this course is the history of the book. When we examine texts through the lens of book history, we do more than simply read words: we examine the physical objects that transmit those words to an audience. The course will include reading, research, and writing. In this course, we will learn to analyze a text and its material form in order to illuminate its purpose, audience, production, reception, and social context at a moment or moments in time. We will explore how the technological changes in the production of texts, from scrolls to tweets, influenced — and were influenced by — social, political, and economic changes, and changes in who was reading and how. As we do so, we will apply this knowledge to our own writing by creating texts in a variety of forms for diverse audiences. Through our shared research, we will develop an understanding of how the technology of the book has shaped how we read, write, and communicate today.