CHAPTERone Background

Chapter 1 Background

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2 | P u b l i c a t i o n s a n d P r o d u c t i o n o f I n f o r m a t i o n M a t e r i a l s

After completing this lesson, the student will be able to

Understand the historical background of book publishing

Define books and publications

Identify the structures, types and characteristics of books

Describe the role of books and publications in an information society

Background

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1.1 Introduction

In general, publishing is the process of production and dissemination of

literature or information – activity of making information available to the

society.

Publishing is an industry which combines the elements of arts and sciences.

Hamedi (1997) pointed that both elements need to be balanced for an

established publishing industry.

The elements of arts are related to the ability and creativity of the authors,

editors, designers, publishers and book sellers. The elements of sciences are

related to the technical aspect of publishing.

Traditionally, publishing is the process of selection, preparation and

distribution of printed matters including books, newspapers, journals,

magazines and pamphlets.

The scope of publication has expanded to include electronic or digital

resources such as electronic books and journals, micropublishing, websites,

blogs, video games, etc.

Chapter 1 Background

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1.2 Historical Background: From Papyrus to Guttenberg

Development of printing from ancient times began in 3000 B.C. in the areas of

Tigris and Euphrates (where the modern Iraq is now)

The existence of 3 early civilizations of Sumerians, Babylonians and

Assyrians who wrote on clay tablets (tablets made from water-cleaned clay).

Clay tablets, incised when wet, then baked until hard are the earliest form of

books.

Although this writing bricks varied in shape and dimension, a common form

was a thin quadrilateral tile about five inches long. While the clay was still wet,

the writer used a stylus to inscribe it with cuneiform characters.

By writing on every surface in small character, he could copy a substantial

text on a single tablet.

For longer texts, he used several tablets linking them together by numbers

and catchwords as is done in modern books.

The Egyptian further developed books by changing their materials

From papyrus they made paper, which they inscribed with reeds pen and ink.

The ancient world adopted the Egyptian innovations, and portable rolls of

sheets joined together to form scrolls were at one time the most common

form of books.

Animal skins were also used and eventually led to a new form. Sheets of

animal skin were much stronger than papyrus, they could be sewn together

and folded to form rectangular pages

Pressed tightly between wooden boards to make up a book or codex, these

were prototypes of modern books

The Chinese discovered the art of making paper in the 2nd century.

Paper reached Europe in the 12th century and by the 15th century it had

almost entirely replaced all kinds of parchment in the making of books.

Then around 1436 or 1437, Johann Guttenberg perfected the movable type

and produced the first mechanically printed books.

Background

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1.3 Books and Publications in an Information Society

Books can be referred to as works of literature, or a major division of such

work.

In library and information science, a book is called monograph, to distinguish

it from serial periodicals such as journals, magazines and newspapers.

Definition of books:

It is difficult to find a definition that would cover every conceivable format, but

the United Nations Educational, Social, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)

defines a book as “a non-periodical printed publication of at least 49 pages

excluding covers.” That definition will serve as well as any, despite the fact

that some publications (e.g., the World Almanac) are issued periodically and

are still considered books.

Other definitions: ‘a written work that is published as printed pages fastened

together inside a cover, or in electronic form’ (Oxford Dictionary, 2007: 73).

‘a set of written, printed or blank sheets bound together into a volume’

(Webster Dictionary, 2000)

1.3.1 Characteristics of book

According to UNESCO, a book has 5 features as follows:

Printed papers

Bound - the printed papers are bound in a volume

Cover – the printed and bound should have cover that is thicker

than the texts.

More than 49 pages

Time – the printing should not be done according to specific

time.

Chapter 1 Background

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1.3.2 Structure of Books

Depending on book’s purpose or type (i.e encyclopedia, dictionary,

monograph, textbooks) structure could vary, but some common (traditional)

structural parts of the books usually are:

a) Book cover (hard or soft, fancy-looking, with illustration or icon)

b) Metrics page

c) Dedication page

d) Table of contents

e) Preface

f) Text of contents of the books

g) Index (publishing)

h) Back cover (hard or soft, fancy-looking, with illustration)

1.3.3 Types of book

According to Hamedi (1997):

How-to

Research

Basic theory

Monograph

Handbook

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1.3.4 Categories of Books

According to Mogel (2000):

Adult trade books

Children’s books

University Press books

Mass-market paperback books

Mail Order publications

Book club books

Professional books Source : taken from Google image

College textbooks and educational materials

School textbooks

Subscription reference books

1.3.5 The Role of Book/ Publishing in the Society

Education process

Social development

Political stability

Economic development

Complex information

Nation heritage

Effective communication tools

Chapter 1 Background

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You have now reached the stage where you should be able to discuss the content of the

topic with your group.

Discuss the earliest form of books.

Discuss the structures and characteristics of books.

1.4 The Development of International/ Regional Publishing

Scenario

In the mid 15th century books began to be produced by block printing in

Western Europe (the technique had been known in the East countries earlier).

In block printing, a relief image of an entire page was carved out of wood. It

could then be linked and used to reproduce many copies of that page.

Creating an entire book, however was a painstaking process requiring a

hand-carved block for each page. Also, the wood blocks not durable and

could easily wear out or crack.

The oldest dated book printed by the method of block printing is The Diamond

Sutra. This is a wood block printed copy in the British Library which, although

not the earliest example of block printing, is the earliest example which bears

an actual date. It was found in 1907 by the archeologist Sir Marc Aurel Stein

in a walled-up cave near Dunhuang, in Northwest China.

The colophon, at the inner end, reads: Reverently (caused to be) made for

universal free distribution by Wang Jie on behalf of his two parents on the 13th

of the 4th moon of the 9th year of Xiantong (i.e. 11th May, CE 868). Common

era (CE).

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It was not until Johann Guttenberg popularized the printing press with metal

moveable type in the 15th century that books started to be affordable and

widely available.

This upset the status quo, leading to remarks such as “the printing press will

allow books to get into the hands of people who have no business reading

books”.

It is estimated that in Europe about 1,000 various books were created per

year before the invention of the printing press.

The history of publications is the story of innovations and advances in

materials, techniques and technology, which continues with today’s

computerized type-setting, automated presses, and a wide variety of

photographic and other reproduction processes.

Publishing activities

i. Publishing houses professionalized a process that had previously been

undertaken by word of mouth, or through the circulation of papers at

academic institutions and learned societies where interested groups

congregated to further their aims. Publishers could be companies, societies,

universities, departments, institutions, or individual persons either on a

regular or part time basis. They vary with their aims and scope, and many

small publishers are just individuals taking care of works including editorials,

production, marketing, sales, distribution, etc.

ii. Publishing is always concerned with the printing or multiplication of

documentation and recorded information; carefully checked and peer

reviewed, original, integral and authentic. Until very recently, the publishing

process was traditional and reclusive. Publishing as a whole is very big

business, with several mega-companies that dominate the landscape. Major

categories of publishing are scholarly publishing, professional publishing, text

book publishing, reference works, dictionaries, multi-volume compendia, etc.

The basic activities in publishing are selection, editing (copy and language),

design and illustration, translation and indexing, production, promotion,

marketing, sales and distribution.

Chapter 1 Background

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1.4.1 Malaysian Context

Book printing were introduced by British Colony and Dutch

Tools for trade and spreading Christianity

First Malay Book published in Amsterdam in 1603

Abdullah Abdul Kadir Munsyi (Father of Modern Publishing)

Two stages of development:

a) Before Independence

b) After Independence (After 1957)

1.5 Social Relationship of Publishing, Mass Communication and

Library

The oral account (word of mouth, tradition, hearsay) is the oldest carrier of

message and stories.

When writing systems were invented in ancient civilizations, clay tablets or

parchment scrolls were used as, for example in the library of Alexandria.

Scrolls were later phased out in favor of the codex, a bound book with pages

and a spine, the form of most books today. The codex was invented in the

first few countries A.D. or earlier.

Some have said that Julius Caesar invented the first codex during the Garlic

Wars. He would issued scrolls folded up accordion style and used the “pages”

as reference points.

Background

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1.6 Communication among Librarians, Publishers, Booksellers

and Vendors

Book publishing is the activity of selecting, manufacturing, and marketing

material that has been gathered into book form.

The impact of the book on the civilized world has been incalculable in

magnitude. It can be stated without fear of contradiction that our civilization is

a product of what has been called “the culture of the book.”

Books affect us in thousands of ways. Each of the major religions has its

sacred writings – texts that carry the morality and wisdom of ages past. Our

educational systems depend on books of law, history, and geography. Books

have provided entertainment as well as information and inspiration for people

in all walks of life.

The book itself, of course is a triumph of technology, providing, as it does, an

almost perfect vehicle for both light reading and serious study.

The history of book publishing is also the history of technical innovation

accompanied by social change – in this case, the spread of literacy. Three

major inventions have determined what book publishing is today: writing,

paper and printing.

Chapter 1 Background

IML 601

12 | P u b l i c a t i o n s a n d P r o d u c t i o n o f I n f o r m a t i o n M a t e r i a l s

At this point you should be able to:

Understand the historical background of book publishing

Define books and publications

Identify the structures, types and characteristics of books

Describe the role of books and publications in an information society

a) Explain briefly the structure of a book.

b) List five types of books prescribed by Hamedi (1997)

c) Describe the role of books and publishing in the development of human civilization.

d) Briefly explain the development of international publishing scenario.