Starting to get somewhere
With the holiday break, replies from the “Ask a librarian” e-mails, having a more successful reference interview, searching the public library databases and having all my reserves picked up I have been able to make a great deal of progress. I’m a bit disappointed that the reference interviews and e-mails didn’t really reveal anything new (although I suppose this means I’m researching well) but I did receive the required codes to use the full databases. After reading through/watching my resources I used the information to research, on the net, more deeply or in other areas which has been lots of fun. In fact I feel confident in my research skills and am starting to feel like I know this topic rather well and feel quite sorry for some of the people involved. I am pleased I chose printing as it is so fascinating and touches on other topics at the same time.
I think I’ve actually come to a conclusion regarding the Bi
Sheng vs. Johanna Gutenberg debate. I’ve found out quite a bit about these men,
the eras, how ideas travelled etc and found that they aren’t the only two men
claimed to be the first to ‘write artificially’. (Pollard 1992, p. 13-14) But I’ll
wait until I’ve completed my research to make sure and leave all the details for
the report. The main point is that my research and persistence have paid off
and lead me towards an answer.
Gutenberg's press
Spread of printing
My research into the speed at which the knowledge of
printing spread once it was successful has been intriguing. Life was so
different in these times and things took so much longer to do than today.
However, considering what an advance printing was, it took over rather quickly
for that day and age going “from 0 books to 20,000,000 in just 50 years”. (Stephen
Fry & the Gutenberg press 2011) I’ve also been quite surprised to find how
little the techniques of printing have changed since its invention, especially
considering how important a discovery it is. (Tames 2006, p.5) The more modern
aspects and changes of printing have been a lot easier to get accurate
information on, as better records have been kept since the development of
printing, and more modern information is more freely available on the net. As
for the “Where would we be now without the invention of printing” question, it
is all speculation. However I have found some interesting thoughts.
What is Offset Printing?
A
look at some large, modern computerised printing equipment in use with a
description of how the printing process works. “An explanation of the Offset
Printing process including footage from one of the nations largest Offset
Printing companies.” (Offsetprintinga2 2011) –
What's next?
This now covers all my search areas except for the question
of “Does the art of printing have a future in the modern world” which I
actually have read a little about but plan to research more in week 6 along
with more detailed information on the areas I have already researched. I am
feeling quite confident though that I have the information required to deliver
my final report on printing and how it’s changed the way we live.
Cite
‘Block printing’ 2012, World
book, World book online info finder, viewed 4 October 2012.
‘Book’ 2012, World
book, World book online info finder, viewed 4 October 2012.
Childress, D 2012, ‘The movement spreads’, Calliope, May/June 2012, vol. 22, no. 8,
pp. 15-19, MasterFILE premier, EBSCOhost, viewed 10 October 2012.
Dunnington, T 2012, ‘Gutenberg’s press’ [image], World book online info finder, viewed 4
October 2012.
‘Gutenberg, Johannes’
2012 (c), World book, World book
online info finder, viewed 4 October 2012.
Heller, S 2008, Illustration
: a visual history, Harry N. Abrams, USA.
Johl, M. G. 2008, ‘Yesterday in the stamp specialist : the
development of rotary press printing’, Mekeel’s
and stamps magazine, September 26 2008, pp.23-27, viewed 10 October 2012.
‘Linotype’ 2012, World
book, World book online info finder, viewed 4 October 2012.
‘Lithography’ 2012, World
book, World book online info finder, viewed 4 October 2012.
‘Offset’ 2012, World
book, World book online info finder, viewed 4 October 2012.
Offsetprintinga2 2011, What
is Offset Printing?, viewed 4 October 2012, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mDfUtk81aP8
.
Pollard, M 1992, Johann
Gutenberg: the story of the invention of moveable type and how printing led to
a knowledge explosion, Exley Publications, UK.
Pollard, M 2001, Johann
Gutenberg : master of modern printing, Blackbirch press, US.
‘Printing’ 2012 (d), World
book, World book online info finder, viewed 4 October 2012.
‘Printing press’ 2012 (b), World book, World book online info finder, viewed 4 October 2012.
Stephen Fry & the
Gutenberg press 2011 [DVD], BBC, UK. Distributed in Australia by Madman
entertainment.
‘Stereotyping’ 2012, World
book, World book online info finder, viewed 4 October 2012.
Tames, R 2006, The
printing press : a breakthrough in communication, Heinemann Library,
Oxford.
The University of Texas at Austin 2012, The Gutenberg bible at the Ransom center, Harry Ransom center,
viewed 12 October 2012 http://www.hrc.utexas.edu/exhibitions/permanent/gutenberg/
.
‘Type’ 2012, World
book, World book online info finder, viewed 4 October 2012.
University of Iowa libraries 2009, The atlas of early printing, University of Iowa libraries, viewed 12
October 2012, http://atlas.lib.uiowa.edu/
.
Walker, G. A. 2005, The
woodcut’s artist handbook : techniques and tools for relief printmaking,
Firefly books, US.
Young, S 2007, The
book is dead : long live the book, University of New South Wales press,
Sydney.
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