History of the Book
8-weeks | Registration closed 9/10/2025
This course will explore the development of the written word and books, from prehistory to today. We will cover the material history and technological innovations of the book, as well as its historical, social, and cultural contexts including the impact of literacy, printing, and the book trade. Students will have the opportunity to visit and see original material on a class visit to the Vassar College Library Archives and Special Collections Department. The course will cover the following topics: Before the Written Word (cave paintings, symbols, oral tradition); The Written Word Begins (cuneiform, and hieroglyphics); The Power of the Word; The Greeks and the Romans; God’s Glory in the Middle Ages; Meeting the Demand (movable type, illustration and the making of many); The Machine Age and Mass Production; The Computer (yesterday, today and tomorrow); and Treasures Visit.
Nora Quinlan
Nora Quinlan holds a B.A. in history from Queens College, CUNY, an M.S. in Library Service and an M.A. in art history from Columbia University. She was the head of special collections at the University of Colorado at Boulder, worked as a rare book cataloger at the University of Miami, and was an assistant special collections librarian at the University of Kansas. She has extensive training and experience working with art, rare books, manuscripts, early photographs, and ephemera. In addition, Nora was the head of Reference and Instructional Services at Nova Southeastern University’s Alvin Sherman Library and oversaw their gallery.