Blogpost 6

Last little details

What an intriguing and amazing invention! It’s difficult to imagine what the world would be like if inventors like Bi Sheng, Johanna Gutenberg, Ira Rubel, Ottomar Mergenthaler, Laurens Coster, Procopius Waldfoghel and so many more hadn’t achieved what they have. I certainly wouldn’t be sitting here typing this or have been able to read so many fascinating books and online articles on any topic if it wasn’t for the invention of printing in some form. We all have so much to thank these people for, and yet many didn’t get recognition during their life-time.

Through the use of several different devices using printing, I have managed to research the invention of printing quite well and have been surprised by many of the facts that I found. I was also shocked at how many resources are out there making clear statements about things that no one knows for sure happened due to the lack of records at the time. The mere fact that there is no known portrait of Gutenberg as he was never considered to be of any great importance whilst alive and he never had any spare money of his own to pay for one (Fisher 1993, p. 2). Yet many resources show pictures stating it is of Gutenberg, not just a mere likeness of what he probably looked like. This sort of false information could be quite confusing and it’s no wonder that there is no clear cut answer to some of the questions regarding this period. However, I have been careful to back up my findings and verify them in several resources or otherwise state that it’s someone’s interpretation.

Discovery

 Most importantly I have discovered enough information for my report and learnt that although many say that printing is a dying art, we rely on it way too much, in ways most people don’t even consider, for it to die out any time soon, just like libraries. I was also excited to learn that we could soon be printing ourselves a spoon with a 3D printer. (‘3D printing’ 2012)

 

3D Printing

“The selective laser sintering (SLS) process, showing (top) the rolling of a thin layer of powder over the work area, (middle) the sintering of powder by a laser beam to build up the workpiece, and (bottom) the rolling of fresh powder over the workpiece to begin a new layer.” (Encyclopaedia Britannica 2012 (a)) -  http://library.eb.com.au/all/eb/article-9571533?query=3d%20printing&ct=null .

This week I have focused on reading the last of the resources I borrowed, making lists of my discoveries and then trying to verify these using databases, reference material and websites. I have accessed resources from another council library service as I am currently on placement at Malvern library. I have found lots of contradictions as well as loads of interesting facts. The hardest part now is going to be not getting carried away with my report. I also look forward to reading everyone else reports and see how all the topics fit in and interconnect. 

During this process I have really been able to develop my research skills, using more accurate and defining search terms, experiencing good and bad reference interviews, using a variety of different databases, trying the “Ask a librarian” function and receiving both good and bad responses and improving my fact confirmation skills. I’ve learnt a great deal and have a new found respect for printing and blogging.

Cite

‘3D printing’ 2012, Encyclopaedia Britannica, Encyclopaedia Britannica online library edition, viewed 20 October 2012.

Encyclopaedia Britannica Online 2012 (a), ‘3D printing’ [image], Encyclopaedia Britannica online library edition, viewed 20 October 2012 .

Encyclopaedia Britannica Online 2012 (b), 'Diamond Sutra : handscroll, 868' [image], Encyclopaedia Britannica Online, viewed 20 October 2012, http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/161498/Diamond-Sutra .

Encyclopaedia Britannica Online 2012 (c), 'Gutenberg Bible' [image], Encyclopaedia Britannica Online, viewed 20 October 2012, http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/249893/Gutenberg-Bible .

Encyclopaedia Britannica Online 2012 (e), 'Platen press' [image], Encyclopaedia Britannica Online, viewed 20 October 2012, http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/477017/printing/36841/Koenigs-mechanical-press-early-19th-century#ref417296 .

Encyclopaedia Britannica Online 2012 (f), 'Printing press : Newspaper printing press' [image], Encyclopaedia Britannica Online, viewed 20 October 2012, http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/477067/printing-press  .

Fisher, L. E. 1993, Gutenberg, Maxwell MacMillian International, US.

‘Fust, Johann’ 2012, Encyclopaedia Britannica, Encyclopaedia Britannica online library edition, viewed 20 October 2012.

‘Gutenberg bible’ 2012, Encyclopaedia Britannica, Encyclopaedia Britannica online library edition, viewed 20 October 2012.

‘Gutenberg, Johannes’ 2012 (a), Britannica junior Encyclopaedia, Encyclopaedia Britannica online library edition, viewed 20 October 2012.

‘Gutenberg, Johannes’ 2012 (b), Britannica student Encyclopaedia, Encyclopaedia Britannica online library edition, viewed 20 October 2012.

Griffiths, A 1996, Prints and print making : an introduction to the history and techniques, British museum press, London.

Lamparter, B 2012, ‘What will it take for digital printing to succeed’, Seybold report : Analyzing publishing technologies, vol. 12, no. 15, pp. 2-6, MasterFILE premier, EBSCOhost, viewed20 October 2012.

Lowes, G 2012, How in-house printing drives efficiencies for SMEs, BusinessWings.co.uk, viewed 20 October 2012, http://www.businesswings.co.uk/articles/In-house-printing-more-cost-effective  .

‘Modern printing practices’ 2012 (b), Britannica student Encyclopaedia, Encyclopaedia Britannica online library edition, viewed 20 October 2012. 

Morrison, B 2000, The justification of Johann Gutenberg : a novel, Morrow, New York.

Pettegree, A 2010, The book in the renaissance, Yale university press, US.

‘Printing’ 2012 (a), Britannica junior Encyclopaedia, Encyclopaedia Britannica online library edition, viewed 20 October 2012.

‘Printing’ 2012 (b), Britannica student Encyclopaedia, Encyclopaedia Britannica online library edition, viewed 20 October 2012. 

‘Printing’ 2012 (c), Encyclopaedia Britannica, Encyclopaedia Britannica online library edition, viewed 20 October 2012. 

‘Printing press’ 2012 (a), Encyclopaedia Britannica, Encyclopaedia Britannica online library edition, viewed 20 October 2012. 

‘Project Gutenberg’ 2012, Encyclopaedia Britannica, Encyclopaedia Britannica online library edition, viewed 20 October 2012.

Wong, A. K. 2001, Resolution enhancement techniques in optical lithography, Spie press, EBook.