The evolving role of printed publications in the digital age and relevance for their continued development

PurposeThe purpose of this article is to adhere to the construction of foreign print books. Of course, when the funds are limited or reduced, we can adjust the collection structure according to the utilization situation and reduce the subjects or languages that readers use poorly. Provide data support for library collection development plan.Design/methodology/approachThis paper analyzes the development and utilization of printed foreign language books based on the case of the National Library of China (NLC).The quality of library collection is analyzed by list checking method, and the utilization of library collection is analyzed by comparative analysis method and the statistical analysis method is used for language and subject areas, the questionnaire analysis method is used for users in NLC.FindingsForeign printed books plays a certain role in supporting domestic social users. The construction advantages of these print books need to be adhered to and developed. They should not be interrupted or cut down sharply because of many libraries are developing towards digital library or smart library nowadays. Libraries need to balance printed and digital resources in their collection and optimize their printed collection composition in terms of subject areas and unique resources to keep up with evolving needs of their patrons.Research limitations/implicationsIt is not compared with the utilization of e-books.Practical implicationsIn the transition period from traditional library to digital library, quantitative analysis of the construction and utilization of printed book resources can provide research support for the formulation of collection development planning, better service to users and better use of funds.Social implicationsIn the period of library transformation and development, it is of great practical significance to study the construction and utilization of printed books in NLC for resource transformation and service transformation. This paper gives the corresponding analysis and discussion on whether printed books should adhere to and whether they can be optimized.Originality/valueIn the period of Library Transformation and development, it is of great practical significance to study the construction and utilization of foreign language printed books in NLC. The printed book resources can provide research support for the formulation of collection development plan, better service to users and better use of funds.

Digital revolution and place of printed books

“Digital-first” seems to be a crucial idea of our time. From the practical, economic, and even ecological point of view printed books are not the best solution. But still, this practice exists. This survey aims to answer, why in the digital environment occurs the textual niche. Is it a kind of relic or something which is deeply connected with human reading comprehension and the quality of text experience? To solve this problem will be used case study and cognitive methods. The crucial question for the presented paper is whether printed (codex) books and their reading means a form of distributing texts which will be progressively declining under pressure in the digital revolution (Q1). To answer this question, it is necessary to describe the current situation of traditional printing and also raise the question of printed documents especially printed and codex books have any features which cannot be replaced by online publishing (Q2). In the second question, one should take into account the cultural and subjective context of reading or possessing printed books.

La figura di Daniele Farsetti collezionista negli epistolari

The last setting of the Farsetti picture gallery, the least studied part of the collection owned by this Venetian family, was already attributed to Daniele. Now, two unpublished letters written by Daniele to the Bergamasque Sebastiano Muletti not only confirm his role, but also portray a figure of connoisseur of manuscripts, printed books, artistic literature and, of course, painting. It seems that two main motivations led Daniele in his purchases of paintings: their presence in artistic literature and their state of preservation. These criteria were broadly recognised in late eighteenth-century Venice.

Word and Image. Polish Medieval and Renaissance Religious Writings in the European Context

The article presents the Polish religious writing of the Middle Ages and Renaissance as an expression of correspondence between the word and image. It also demonstrates the impact of European graphics, including Albrecht Dürer’s woodcuts, upon Polish religious works of the period (such as the works by Pseudo-Bonaventura in his rendering of Baltazar Opec’s Żywot Pana Jezu Krysta and Jan Sandecki’s Historie biblijne or Rozmyślania dominikańskie. The article also emphasizes that it was Dürer who paved the way for the book illustration, thus turning woodcuts into an art form in their own right. The fifteenth century was a watershed in book culture. As new illustration techniques at the turn of the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries encouraged the growth of illustrated printed books, the codex became obsolete.

Walking with Vigilance: Middleton's Edge in The Triumphs of Truth

Scholars have frequently regarded Thomas Middleton's mayoral shows as exemplary for their moral dramatic structure. More recently, Tracey Hill has remarked upon their critical edge. Taking Middleton’s first show, The Triumphs of Truth (1613), as its primary focus and drawing upon selections from his other civic writings, this article examines the ways that Middleton's attention to the peripatetic nature of these events establishes a moral and critical reflection that is uniquely captured in the printed books he and other pageant writers saw through to publication. While arguing that this aspect of Middleton’s shows represents his unique contribution to the genre, the essay also explores the influences of Munday and Dekker, whose shows precede Middleton’s. Middleton does not entirely reinvent the genre but instead reminds the mayor and reader to walk with vigilance during both the live and imagined event.

Manuscript waste in reconstructing book collections of medieval Elbląg

Medieval manuscript collections on the territory of Teutonic Prussia have been particularly affected by numerous unfortunate events in modern history, such as Polish-Swedish wars and the turmoil after World War II. Still, the attempts to reconstruct the local collections may shed new light on the intellectual history of this historical region. To this date this kind of research was based mostly on the preserved manuscripts with Prussian origin or provenance, that is to say produced or used on the territory of Prussia, currently held in Polish or foreign libraries and on the evidence on the lost volumes derived from archival inventories. The article, taking as an example the history of collections of the city of Elbląg, discusses the potential of systematic studies of parchment waste used in bindings of manuscripts and printed books for reconstructing the intellectual landscape of the territory in question. It systematizes different types of provenance evidence that links the parchment waste to the territory of Teutonic Prussia by an analysis of content, script, musical notation, bindings and other material evidence.

Convenient and worth the price? Identifying early users and predicting future use of book streaming services

The printed book has been resilient to change, and the adoption of e-books has been slow. In this context, few studies have addressed a potential turn to streaming services for books. This paper examines the adoption of book streaming in the Norwegian market, where the market-leaders Storytel and Fabel report rapid increases in number of subscribers. We examine who these early adopters are, and what may predict future use of streaming services among non-users. Theoretically, the study is situated within the fields of innovation diffusion and technology acceptance. The study is based on a cross-sectional online survey with a representative sample of the Norwegian population. Results show that users are younger and more educated, and that book streaming is more popular among women than men. The audiobook format allows for flexible ways of consuming books, complementing rather than replacing the printed book. For non-users, results show that convenience value and price value predict behavioural intention to use book streaming services. While emotional attachment to printed books has been found to act as a barrier for adoption of e-books, its negative effect on behavioural intention for book streaming services is only modest.