'Introduction to Contemporary Print Culture examines the role of the book in the modern world. It considers the book’s deeply intertwined relationships with other media through ownership structures, copyright and adaptation, the constantly shifting roles of authors, publishers and readers in the digital ecosystem, and the merging of print and digital technologies in contemporary understandings of the book object.
Divided into three parts, the book first introduces students to various theories and methods for understanding print culture, demonstrating how the study of the book has grown out of longstanding academic disciplines. The second part surveys key sectors of the contemporary book world -- from independent and alternative publishers, to editors, booksellers, readers and libraries – focusing on topical debates. In the final part, digital technologies take centre stage as eBook regimes and mass-digitisation projects are examined for what they reveal about information power and access in the twenty-first century.
This book provides a fascinating and informative introduction for students of all levels in publishing studies, book history, literature and English, media, communication and cultural studies, cultural sociology, librarianship and archival studies, and digital humanities.'
Introduction: What is ‘Print Culture’?
Part One: Theories and Methodologies for Understanding Print
Chapter 1: Medium Theory
Chapter 2: Book History
Chapter 3: Political Economy
Chapter 4: Cultural Policy
Part Two: Socio-cultural Dimensions of Books
Chapter 5: Independent and Alternative Publishing
Chapter 6: Editing
Chapter 7: Adaptation: Books Beyond their Covers
Chapter 8: Book Retailing
Chapter 9: Cultures of Reading
Chapter 10: Libraries and Archives
Chapter 11: Digital Books
Chapter 12: The Dream of a Universal Library: Digitising Knowledge
Index
SIMONE MURRAY FAHA