HISTORY AND PRESERVATION OF BOOKS

The course aims to provide students with the basic notions relating to the production, circulation and conservation of printed books from the 15th to the first half of the 19th century, with attention to the transition from manuscript to typographic production between the 15th and 16th centuries. It also aims to provide a historical framework of reference relating, in particular, to two areas: the history of Sicilian printing press between the 15th and 18th centuries, in the context of the broader Italian printing press and the conservation of book heritage.

According to the Dublin descriptors, at the end of the course, the student will be able to understand the issues relating to the production, circulation and conservation of ancient books; he/she will also be able to move between library collections, and he/she will also have acquired skills relating to bibliographic research. 

The student will be able to evaluate the management methods of a collection of ancient books in a library, its conservation and the actions implemented for its valorization; he/she will also be able to communicate with an audience of professionals and non-professionals about the themes of historical library collections.

Traditional lectures and lectures in historical libraries.

Attendance is not compulsory.

A 

Libraries and rare books. Book material from manuscript to printed book: incunabula, 15^th century books, ancient books up to 1830. Bibliographic description standards, catalogues and repertoires of ancient books, national and international online projects for the census and valorization of the book heritage (ISTC, MEI, EDIT16, OpacSBN, USTC, MarTE, etc.). Editions and copies: writing on books.

B

Conservation principles. The theft of books: from anathemas to modern security systems. The case of the Biblioteca dei Girolamini (Naples). The role of the Comando Carabinieri Tutela del Patrimonio.

C

Incunabula study and description. The 15cBOOKTRADE.

Study cases:

1)    1) The incunabula collection at Montecassino Abbey
2) The dawn of printing in Sicily (Palermo and Messina): census of editions and survived copies.

Modulo A

-       Lorenzo Baldacchini, Il libro antico. Storia, diffusione e descrizione. Terza edizione, Roma, Carocci, 2019 (250 p.)

-       Giancarlo Petrella, Scrivere sui libri. Breve guida al libro a stampa postillato, Roma, Salerno ed., 2022 (150 p.)

 

Modulo B

-       Simona Inserra, Conservazione, Roma, AIB, 2018, p. 70.

-       Sergio Luzzatto, Max Fox o Le relazioni pericolose, Torino, Einaudi, 2019, pp. 130.

-       Marc Drogin, Anatema! I copisti medievali e la storia delle maledizioni nei libri, a cura di S. Inserra, Milano, Ledizioni, 2022, pp. 100.

 

Modulo C

-       Piero Scapecchi, Incunabolo, nuova ed. aggiornata, Roma. AIB, 2019, pp. 70.

-       Printing Revolution 1450-1550. Fifty Years that Changed Europe / I cinquant’anni che hanno cambiato l’Europa, Venezia, Marsilio Editori 2018, pp. 130

 

The material relating to the case studies will be available during the lectures and uploaded to the platform Studium.

 

Please remember that in compliance with art 171 L22.04.1941, n. 633 and its amendments, it is illegal to copy entire books or journals, only 15% of their content can be copied.

For further information on sanctions and regulations concerning photocopying please refer to the regulations on copyright (Linee Guida sulla Gestione dei Diritti d’Autore) provided by AIDRO - Associazione Italiana per i Diritti di Riproduzione delle opere dell’ingegno (the Italian Association on Copyright).

All the books listed in the programs can be consulted in the Library.