Saturday, October 29, 2022

Archives and Special Collections Takeaways

 


I really enjoyed my visit to archives and special collections! It was pretty eye-opening to learn about all the different types of binding, formats, and materials that were out there. And even better than simply learning about the various components of book history was the opportunity to physically interact with them. Getting to touch the cuneiform tablet, parchment scroll, and even digital screen helped me better appreciate the way knowledge has been shared throughout history.

Not only did the field trip teach me more about the physical objects that formed books, but also the text within the books themselves. One of the most interesting moments for me was learning about the long "s" that would be put into Enlightenment-era books and beyond to save space. I also enjoyed observing the hand-stamped letters on paper, noting the different intensities with which the ink was applied. The lack of uniformity that came with historic printing presses is something I hadn't really thought about before.

Art is one of my primary interests, and I was intrigued by the way some people saw physical books as a source of art and inspiration. When we toured the vault, my group saw part of a huge collection of mini-books that the original owner adored. And when I was doing the "gallery walk" in the reading room, I saw a book design that was made to be experienced like a work of art, complete with curve pages, laser cut-outs, and magnetic bookends.

That book was created by a book artist, which is one of the elements of book history that I would like to learn more about. I'm interested in learning when book artists first rose in popularity, what they actually do during a typical day of work, and what are some of the most popular book art designs. Another area of book history that I would like to know more about is situations where people use old records for personal reasons. For instance, I learned that some Santa Clara residents used old Jesuit marriage records from the Mission to help them trace lineage. 

Getting to visit the Archives and Special Collections at the library was a great experience for me, and I would definitely recommend to future C&I classes.


3 comments:

  1. Hi Heather, the art inside the books was truly beautiful. It was interesting to see how different cultures created art that represented their culture. It was also cool to see the different ways they created their art.

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  2. Hey Heather! This is a really insightful post on our field trip we took! I didn't explore the hand-stamped letter pressing beyond what Kelci told us, so it was cool to hear that that was such a big point of interest for you. I agree, definitely an awesome visit that I would recommend to other classes!

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  3. I agree that actually getting to interact with these old texts makes all the difference. It really feels like you're in that era for a bit. Also, I didn't hear about how the long "s" in Enlightenment era was made to save space, which is a cool fun fact!

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