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From Papyrus to Hypertext

Toward the Universal Digital Library

Christian Vandendorpe author Howard Scott translator Phyllis Aronoff translator

Format:Paperback

Publisher:University of Illinois Press

Published:23rd Mar '09

Currently unavailable, and unfortunately no date known when it will be back

From Papyrus to Hypertext cover

Reflections and predictions of technology's effect on reading and writing

In this study, Christian Vandendorpe examines how digital media and the Internet have changed the process of reading and writing, significantly altering our approaches toward research and reading, our assumptions about audience and response, and our theories of memory, legibility, and context. Reflecting on the full history of the written word, Vandendorpe provides a clear overview of how materiality makes a difference in the creation and interpretation of texts.

Surveying the conventions of reading and writing that have appeared and disappeared in the Internet's wake, Vandendorpe considers various forms of organization, textual design, the use (and distrust) of illustrations, and styles of reference and annotation. He also examines the novel components of digital texts, including hyperlinks and emoticons, and looks at emergent, collaborative genres such as blogs and wikis, which blur the distinction between author and reader. Looking to the future, reading and writing will continue to evolve based on the current, contested trends of universal digitization and accessibility.

A Choice Outstanding Academic Title, 2011.

"In forty pithy essays, the author considers technological innovations that have transformed writing, altering the activity of reading and the processing of texts, individually and collectively. . . . The book's fragmentary organization--the adroit syntheses can be read in any order--makes it exceptionally accessible ... for the born-digital generation. . . . Essential."--Choice

"Precious nuggets of information in every chapter."--Communication Research Trends


"A valuable study of how reading quietly transforms culture."--Libraries & The Cultural Record

ISBN: 9780252076251

Dimensions: 229mm x 152mm x 8mm

Weight: 286g

208 pages