Books are vessels of meaning and culture

Books, books, books!

I had found the secret of a garret-room

Piled high with cases in my father’s name;

Piled high, packed large,—where, creeping in and out

Among the giant fossils of my past,

Like some small nimble mouse between the ribs

Of a mastodon, I nibbled here and there

At this or that box, pulling through the gap,

In heats of terror, haste, victorious joy,

The first book first. And how I felt it beat

Under my pillow, in the morning’s dark,

An hour before the sun would let me read!

My books!

Elizabeth Barrett Browning

     Students and professionals alike rely on books for reference, guidance and motivation. Book designers, printers, and typographers literally bank on books for their livelihood. Books can create and reflect worlds and new ideas. They are essential elements in the shaping the development of our society and its values.

     This resource, found in academic libraries, provides historical background for the user, and traces book printing practices, terminology, and technology in the early centuries of the craft. The various links lead to additional resources that will lead to yet others. Some of the same primary sources will be found along different paths.

     The book arts are alive and well, as attested to by the museums, professional organizations, and workshops found among the last few entries below.