UICB Brownell Lecture on the History of the Book

UICB Brownell Lecture on the History of the Book
April 16, 8pm
Tippie Auditorium, W151 Pappajohn

Paul F. Gehl, Custodian of the John M. Wing Foundation on the History of Printing at the Newberry Library, Chicago

“Writing the History of the Book On Line”
Book history has become a hot topic in many academic departments, just as we are witnessing the triumph of digital scholarship in all the same fields. Maybe it is time to retire the category of "books about books" in favor of something digital. In this talk, Paul F. Gehl, Custodian of the John M. Wing Foundation on the History of Printing at the Newberry Library, Chicago, will describe his efforts to put his own most recent original research -- about Renaissance schoolbooks -- on line. During his lecture he will ask the audience to help him evaluate the project, for which he has great ambitions. First, can a scholarly monograph too specialized for print publication find any audience on line? And then, can the research behind the monograph be made useful for non-specialists through digital publication?
A reception in the Anderson Galleria will follow the lecture.

Paul Gehl will also attend the Book Studies Workshop to discuss the role of libraries in book history and book arts.
April 16, 1pm – 3pm
29 North Hall