HISTORY OF PRINTING AND PUBLISHING
cod. 1004591

Academic year 2014/15
1° year of course - Second semester
Professor
Academic discipline
Archivistica, bibliografia e biblioteconomia (M-STO/08)
Field
Attività formative affini o integrative
Type of training activity
Related/supplementary
30 hours
of face-to-face activities
6 credits
hub:
course unit
in - - -

Learning objectives

Educational aspects of teaching according to Dublin Descriptors

The aim of the course is to inform students about the salient
features of the history of publishing, its connections with the rest of the
editorial industry (printing, paper mills, bookstores, libraries), its specific
problems (editing, distribution, Press Office, Marketing) and especially about
its complex transitional dynamics posed by the introduction of digital and the
liquid contents (eBooks broadly defined).

Knowledge and understanding

Teaching the Creative History of Publishing will endow students with a detailed
critical understanding of the world that generates business around the
book at the time of the biggest transformation concerning
publishing industry after Gutenberg.

Applying knowledge and understanding

Studying methodologies, new techniques of project-design,
planning, scheduling designing and distribution of the new editorial content in the Internet and the new international "players" era. The immensity of "genetic mutation" that has been accomplished in the microscopic time span of a few years, seems to become the "ordinary" and fierce competition for the control upon the neo-global digital markets in all its forms, hard and soft, in order to maximize profits starting from bis-trillion euro into new REALITIES not easily qualified as "corporate", which employees do not necessitate of "offices", but entire cities, which hosting-servers require a dedicated power-station to work – as in the sublime euphemism – “on the cloud”.

Making judgments
At the end of the course the students, relying on the theoretical knowledge
plus the practical web-training, should have acquired the ability to
collect data, to formulate independent judgements and to critically interpret the publishing phenomena as well as their socio cultural context.

Communication skills
At the end of the course, students should have achieved the ability to
communicate and write in a comprehensive manner, as well as to apply their skills, such as a demonstration of proper dealing with possible contents of editorial design.

Learning skills
The commitment to the theoretical grounds should give students
the necessary skills, hopefully useful for the access to their
future professions related to both printed and digital publishing.

Prerequisites

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Course unit content

From the contradictions concerning the old way of producing and distributing printed books to the problems posed by the production and distribution of
digital content.

Full programme

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Bibliography

Books required:
- Mario Guaraldi, Radici di carta frutti digitali, Guaraldi Editore, 2012.
- Gino Roncaglia, La quarta rivoluzione. Sei lezioni sul futuro del libro, Laterza, 2010.
- Gian Carlo Ferretti, Storia dell’editoria letteraria in Italia. 1945-2003, Einaudi, 2004.
Optional books:
- Umberto Eco, Come si fa una tesi di laurea, Bompiani, 2008.
- Romano Montroni, Vendere l’anima. Il mestiere del libraio, Laterza, 2006.
- Valerio Eletti, Manuale di editoria multimediali, Laterza, 2003
- Giuseppe Vitiello, Alessandrie d’Europa. Storie e visioni di biblioteche nazionali, Edizioni Sylvestre Bonnard,
2002.
- André Schiffrin, Editoria senza editori, Bollati Boringhieri, 2000.
- Alessandro Lucchini, Scrivere. Una fatica nera. Consigli pratici per la comunicazione scritta nel lavoro, Deus
editore, 1996.
-Herbert R. Lottman, Dieci domande sui libri, Sellerio, 1993.
- AA.VV. L’editore che non c’è, Edizioni Sonda, 1988.
- Giampaolo Proni, Il caso del computer Asia, Bollati Boringhieri, 1989.
- Albert Kapr, Johannes Gutenberg. Personlichkeit und Leistung, Urania – Verlag, 1988 (o testo alternativo
su Gutenberg).
- Libero Bigiaretti, Il dito puntato. Lettera all’Editore con una risposta del medesimo, Bompiani, 1967.
- Luisa Figini, Florisa Cordova, Come nasce uno stampato. Nozioni di arti grafiche, Edizioni Sfera, 1965

Teaching methods

Frontal lessons and laboratory

Assessment methods and criteria

Oral and written test: the examination consists of a written essay
concerning at least one of the topics exposed during the course, which will be
evaluated and discussed during the oral examination. In the essay will be
assessed: good quality of writing skills, synthesis, logical cohesion,
adherence to the object of discourse and communication skills. In the oral
interview will be assessed: ability to respond promptly to questions,
synthesis and communication skills.

Other information

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