State of the Web Report: Paper, Leather, Clay & Stone

Part I

Paper, Leather, Clay & Stone: The Written Word Materialized

Maryterese Pasquale-Bowen
D. Fairchild Ruggles

http://rmc.library.cornell.edu/Paper-exhibit/Default.html

My definition of books as they relate to book studies has been modified, challenged, stretched, maybe even altered, since the beginning of this course. A big part of understanding books involves understanding the written word or text. The written word has been recorded in a variety of ways and on a variety of materials throughout history. The web site Paper, Leather, Clay, and Stone explores ways the written word has been documented and also the vehicle or material it was documented on making it possible to endure in time giving us an understanding of book history. In other words, the site explores the physical context of written text and it does so through eleven sections that discuss materials, function, significance, and the relationship written text has with its readers.

The first three sections of the site discuss various materials written words were recorded on before paper. Such surfaces include stone (5th century BC), clay (late 3ed, early 2nd century BC), coins (1st century), and wood (as early as 3ed century). The Book of the Dead (332-30 BC) in section two, presents an example of papyrus as a writing surface and its significance to ancient Egyptians illustrating the magical power of words and images in including such a text in burial practices. The third section illuminates how the shortage of papyrus lead to the discovery of parchment (2nd century BC) and eventually paper. Parchment was made from processed goat skin made smooth for writing. Paper, like papyrus, is made from plants like flax or cotton and was first developed in China, spread through Islamic lands to northern Africa and into Europe to eventually reach the Mayans in Mexico. The introduction of parchment and paper impacted the appearance as well as the quantity of texts produced because both materials can be made into codices, or book-like formats, allowing for the accommodation of illustrations and decorations. With the development of paper, the role and function of texts to cultures would never be the same. Tree bark as well as tree leaves presented other examples of surfaces texts were recorded on in the Americas and in the Himalayan regions, as well as in India and in Southeast Asia.

The next six sections deal with the function of written texts. Section four explores books of religious content and how they are elevated to a position of special cultural significance. Such books were very elaborate in their physical presentation. They were decorated with precious materials and were highly guarded alluding to their magnificence and importance to their respective cultures. Next, we are presented with The Lombard Gradual, which unlike most medieval books that were designed for private use, had a public function. It was used by choirs of monks, friars, or nuns for chant during portions of mass. Once again, like the religious books of the previous section, these books represented an act of devotion and hence were extravagant in their production. Section six suggests the revolutionizing of the written word with the introduction of printing. Printing made it possible to mass produce texts quickly and cheaply satisfying the demand for knowledge brought forth by the Renaissance, inflaming the popularity of the reformation, and ushering the age of information. Examples of the various forms of the Bible are presented here to highlight the transition from manuscript to print. Section seven, The Repository of Knowledge, deals with the collecting and organization of large bodies of knowledge. Encyclopedia Maxima and Encylopedie are presented as examples in this section. The eighth section proposes ways of communicating law and identity by achieving a certain level of authority through recording legal status and conferring identity. The examples presented here are patents of nobility and tombstones. The section titled The Book Preserves the Past discusses how books have the ability to capture a certain sentiment of their time as well as their ability to preserve it. The examples here imply a fascination with history as well as understanding a notion of the past. These two concepts are absorbed in order to preserve time and also to create a new representation of the written word.

The final two sections discuss the relationship texts have with their readers as well as the role institutions of power had in influencing the readers of such texts. Section ten discusses the attempts by religious and secular institutions to contain and suppress the written word on seditious or immoral grounds. Censorship in its various forms is explored in this section using such examples as Index Librorum Prohibitorum, which was an index of books banned by the Catholic Church. The section also discusses the physical alteration of texts in order to make them comply with the prohibitions of the Catholic Church as well as texts subjected to various levels of legal and moral scrutiny as late as in the twentieth century. The eleventh and final section deals with the physical nature of books and how it relates to the perception of its' readers. This section suggests that the design and arrangement of texts directly affects the interaction with the reader. The examples presented here include books with interactive inserts, books with commentary in the margins suggesting how the reader might interpret the text, and books with empty margins for the readers to add to the text and make their own interpretation. The introduction of computers and the Internet poses a whole new way of looking at texts.

As shown in this site, it's important to remember that texts are not fixed, rather they can take the form of various shapes, sizes, and materials. They have the ability to communicate the past and the present while preserving for the future. Books speak volumes of the cultures they were created in and for. They contain a direct relationship with their readers regardless of how they might be interpreted.

Part II

This site is very significant in understanding books and the studies of the written texts. I have always been fascinated with history and this site is the next best thing to visiting a museum with an exhibit to on the history of texts. At first glance, the site does a great job of capturing one's attention with its brilliant color background choice. The layout of the site allows for the relative ease of navigating through it. The sections of the various topics are clearly presented in a map of sorts on the first page. The introduction is concise in its mission and the sections that follow fulfill the goal the site sets out to accomplish. Furthermore, each section has its own introduction followed by sub-sections with illustrations and various examples of the topic at hand. Captions are provided for each image giving a description, a date, and their significance to what is being discussed. One may even choose to enlarge the images for a better view with a simple click of the mouse.

The information presented in this site is as reliable and objective as may be. There are two main authors for this site, however its contents are part of The Division of Rare and Manuscript Collection belonging to Cornell University and its library systems. The site is produced in a collaborated effort between Cornell University, Ithaca College, and Binghamton University for educational and research purposes. A link is provided to Cornell University's Library dealing with The Division of Rare and Manuscript Collection, or RMC. Upon entering the link one is provided with all sorts of information alluding to the authenticity of the site and the qualifications of the people involved in making the site possible. The domain of the site, edu, also suggests some validity in its educational quality. If that is not enough, one may choose to directly contact the RMC through the phone numbers or e-mail addresses provided. Visiting the collection in person is also a possibility as a physical address with a link to a map is provided as well.

The site is professionally done, current, and easily accessible. It is very informative and viable in its presentation and can definitely be used to research and learn about the study of books and texts. I would definitely recommend that all members of the class view this site as I found it very relevant to the topics we have been discussing in class. It illuminates the study of the written word by taking the observer through a journey in history discovering the various forms of texts throughout time.