L-30. Rare Book Cataloging - Advance Reading List

• Advance Advices

  Please read the following and bring a copy with you to class:

  Descriptive Cataloging of Rare Materials (Books). Washington, D.C.: Library of Congress Cataloging Distribution Service, 3rd printing with corrections, 2011 (ISBN:970-0-8444-1162-0). DCRM(B) is out of print, and is freely available as a PDF. Note that the front cover is available as a separate PDF file. An electronic copy is also available through Cataloger’s Desktop (subscription service through the Library of Congress). Before coming to class, familiarize yourself with this manual, paying special attention to the preface and introductory sections, area 4, and Appendix G. Make sure you have this title and not Descriptive Cataloging of Rare Books, or the 1st or 2nd printings of DCRM(B). Please be sure to bring either a print or electronic version of DCRM(B) to class.

  Special note: Although Descriptive Cataloging of Rare Books (RDA Edition), or DCRMR, has been released as a minimum viable product, in this instructor’s opinion it is not quite ready for use; for the time being, this course will continue to use DCRM(B) as the standard with reference to differences coming down the pike.

  Belanger, Terry. “Descriptive Bibliography.” In Book Collecting: A Modern Guide, edited by Jean Peters, 97–115. New York & London: R.R. Bowker, 1977. Note: Students admitted to this course will receive further instructions for accessing this reading.

  Please also bring with you to class:

  • Wifi-enabled laptop or tablet
    • RBS will provide information on accessing UVA’s wifi network
    • Most cataloging in class and during after-hours sessions will be performed in a shared Google drive
    • Past students have reported more satisfaction with laptops over tablets because of larger screens
  • Downloads and credentials for other subscription resources you like to use, such as:
    • Cataloger’s Desktop
    • RDA toolkit
    • Connexion

• Read Before Coming to Class

  Required

  Gaskell, Philip. A New Introduction to Bibliography. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1972, revised 1974, &c. 1995 paperback version currently in print (Winchester: St Paul’s Bibliographies & New Castle, DE: Oak Knoll Books). Familiarize yourself with the scope and contents of Gaskell before coming to class, read pages 313–320 (“Identification”), pages 328–335 (“Formula”), and as much else as you have time for. It will not be necessary to bring to class.

  Werner, Sarah. Studying Early Printed Books, 1450-1800: A Practical Guide. Hoboken, NJ: Wiley Blackwell, 2019, parts 1–3. It will not be necessary to bring to class.

  Optional

  The following posts from the Folger blog The Collation relating to cataloging are informative, in bite-size pieces.

  • Cataloging at the Folger: a primer
  • Physical description in book cataloging
  • Deciphering signature marks
  • Signature statements in book cataloging
  • Uncut, unopened, untrimmed, uh-oh
  • Decoding library catalog citations
  • V, u/v and library transcription rules
  • Untangling Lady Day dating and the Julian calendar
  • A briefing on brevigraphs, those strange shapes in early printed texts
  • Time writing
  • Woodcut, engraving, or what?

• Watch Before Coming to Class

  General

  • The Art of Making a Book (hand press): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T17aCX2iBBY
  • Making books (1947) (machine press): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hBztGX-2i1M
  • The Anatomy of a Book: Format in the Hand-Press Period: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Efxddk09p0g&. Don’t worry if this seems difficult or overwhelming—we will have plenty of time to explore and practice recognizing format in class.
  • The Making of a Renaissance Book (optional): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZHprwjOJIn8

  Papermaking

  • Chancery Papermaking: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e-PmfdV_cZU
  • Papermaking by Hand at Hayley Mill, England in 1976: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xs3PfwOItt
  • Handmade papermaking and handcasting type: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7MTb7Nt9jNY

  Hand Printing and Printmaking

  • Het drukproces in Museum Plantin-Moretus. A series of ten unnarrated videos put out by the Musea Stad Antwerpen. Watch in this order:

  • Cutting the punch: https://youtu.be/ACShxt0n8uI?list=PL1DD2DC2ECAE66A19
  • Creating the matrix: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ACShxt0n8uI&list=PL1DD2DC2ECAE66A19&index=3
  • Casting type: https://youtu.be/q981Whe3xF4?list=PL1DD2DC2ECAE66A19
  • Setting type: https://youtu.be/EWp_Rxaaq4M?list=PL1DD2DC2ECAE66A19
  • Tying up the galley: https://youtu.be/F7JYaeTYyfM?list=PL1DD2DC2ECAE66A19
  • Imposing: https://youtu.be/yfRr01NvDZY?list=PL1DD2DC2ECAE66A19
  • Letterpress printing: https://youtu.be/IO6l74AWJSs?list=PL1DD2DC2ECAE66A19
  • Engraving: https://youtu.be/JooTfqw3UIY?list=PL1DD2DC2ECAE66A19
  • Etching: https://youtu.be/KYvLBBC4I-U?list=PL1DD2DC2ECAE66A19
  • Rolling press printing: https://youtu.be/ebNfdjDkEnE?list=PL1DD2DC2ECAE66A19

  • Woodcut Printing. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mgCYovlFRNY

  Binding

  • Bookbinding 101. https://www.youtube.com/user/BookbindersChronicle/videos. A series of nine videos on hand bookbinding. Watch the videos in reverse order as they appear on the page, starting with “Sewing with cloth tapes.”

• Warm-up Exercises

  Students will be given two warm-up cataloging exercises to be completed prior to the start of class—so you’ll be ready to hit the ground running!