Why love the History of the Book
Because it is a young, multifaceted, and vibrant discipline
It’s a history of all histories coming together
It surveys the history of human thinking and how it has been applied
It recaps the social and cultural history of communication in print
Its scholars are still alive, and their work is (relatively) recent
Great knowledge is available at our electronic fingertips and there is much yet to be done
Since we are revisiting, revising and reappraising our own history, everything is up for questioning
It is multidisciplinary, and therefore holistic and collaborative rather than carved out across disciplinary lines
The book is a threatened entity – libraries are being closed or disbanded – so it needs advocates for its survival
It perceives our own time as a privileged moment in history (technological revolution)
The many publications looking at the history of the book provide us with opportunities for publication
The U of Toronto offers a Master’s and PHD program in the discipline