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
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
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