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History of Books and Printing
The New York Public Library has a world renowned collection of physical artifacts documenting the historical development of written forms of communication. While the General Research Division has a long standing tradition of collecting supporting material in the book arts that traces the evolution of the book and its production, the Division also concerns itself with the material that describes the intellectual, economic, and cultural impact of this evolution on the surrounding society. At present, the format and transmission of text is in the greatest period of flux since the invention of movable type and printing. At the same time, the study of the history of books is achieving legitimacy as a multi-disciplinary scholarly pursuit. The following guide will attempt to provide direction to the appropriate source material within the Division. If you need further assistance, visit our reference desk, or e-mail us at grdref@nypl.org |