32449 - History of Books and Library Science

Learning outcomes

The course aims to provide a basic knowledge of library assets from manuscript origins to digital technologies and of the historical panorama of Italian libraries, as well as of library languages and services with particular reference to cataloguing techniques. At the end of the course the student is able to recognise the characteristics of library assets, to orientate himself in the panorama of library services and to correctly set up basic bibliographical procedures.

Course contents

The course aims to offer an overview of contemporary librarianship, focusing on the organisation and functioning of libraries, with particular attention to the reality of public libraries. The first part of the course will be devoted to the definition and disciplinary scope of librarianship, to the definition of the different types of libraries and to the analysis of the figure of the librarian. The organisational and management aspects of libraries will then be addressed, from the creation and management of collections to the evaluation of services and aspects of resource preservation. The second part of the course will be devoted to the history of the printed book from its origins to the present day, with a focus on the techniques of book production in the period of movable type printing.

Readings/Bibliography

Mandatory readings:

Giorgio Montecchi – Fabio Venuda, Manuale di biblioteconomia. Milano: Editrice Bibliografica, 2022

Lorenzo Baldacchini, Il libro antico. 3. ed. Roma: Carocci, 2019

Two text of your choice from:

David Lankes, Guida alla biblioteconomia moderna. Milano: Editrice Bibliografica, 2022.

Anna Bilotta, La biblioteca pubblica contemporanea e il suo futuro. Milano: Editrice Bibliografica, 2021.

Elena Borsa, La biblioteca pubblica come hub della conoscenza. Milano: Editrice Bibliografica, 2023

Cecilia Cognigni, La biblioteca pubblica come progetto. Milano: Editrice Bibliografica, 2023

Non-attendees will add to the above bibliography:

Carlo Bianchini – Mauro Guerrini, Guida alla biblioteca per gli studenti universitari. Milano: Editrice bibliografica, 2019

The bibliography will be supplemented by readings provided during the course, available online on the Virtual Platform

Students who are affected by learning disability (DSA) and in need of special strategies to compensate it, are kindly requested to contact the Teacher, in order to be referred to the colleagues in charge and get proper advice and instructions.

Teaching methods

Lectures and classroom exercises, supervised by the professor., with illustrative and in-depth Power Point presentations.

Assessment methods

Oral exam, beginning with a subject choosen by the student.

It will be evaluated very positive the student's ability to demonstrate the acquired knowledge in a personal and critical way, using an appropriate language.

The final assessment will be based on the following indications:
- insufficient: lack of basic knowledge and inability to produce a correct interpretation of texts and/or problems

- sufficient: possession of basic knowledge; interpretation mostly correct, but conducted with imprecision and little autonomy

- good: possession of intermediate level knowledge; interpretation fully correct, but not always precise and autonomous

- excellent: possession of knowledge at a high level; interpretation of problems not only correct but conducted with autonomy and precision. Excellent oral expression skills

Teaching tools

Illustrative and in-depth Power Points.
The materials used during the lectures and in-depth studies will be available on Virtual

Office hours

See the website of Lucia Sardo