Sixteenth Century Book Trade + Writing Technologies (Rawnsley)

The Book Trade Comes of Age: Sixteenth Century (Companion)

• Throughout the 16th century we can observe aesthetic differences among books from different areas in Europe. Although books written in Latin were still predominant, books in vernacular languages started to become more common. Overall, the technology of printing did not change significantly during this period of time. Publishers looked for ways to reduce prices by modifying book sizes.
• Religion was still highly influential in the book industry;  books went on to eventually contribute to the growth of Protestantism (Reformation). Christian authorities tried to regulate the activities of printers and booksellers by introducing different forms of censorship and licensing to avoid subversion that could stray readers from traditional Christian teachings. In any case, printing centers kept spreading throughout Europe.

Motivations for the Development of Writing Technologies (Rawnsley)

• Text technologies have undergone changes in recent decades that have allowed for easier and more efficient methods of text manipulation and editing. These advances have been largely driven by economic motivations.
• After the introduction of the movable type, an even more efficient method of text input and creation came along with the invention and distribution of the typewriter.
• The typewriter has come a long way since its earlier versions. The QWERTY keyboard we use nowadays came about after much trial and error. The development of new text technologies -- from movable types to typewriters to word processors -- has always been focused on efficiency and making machines that could be distributed and that would sell.

Comment: The story of how the QWERTY keyboard came about is quite an interesting one. I would have loved to witness the typing contests they held in the late 1800s -- I imagine that typing skills were somewhat of a novelty. We've come a long way to modern times, with typing skills being a basic requirement for any type of clerical job.

Question: In modern times we hear of groups (often parents) pushing for the banning and censorship of certain books from public school libraries in an attempt to protect children from difficult topics. Are there any lessons that we could take from the censorship of books in the 16th century? Can the banning of books ever be justified?