Infographic of the Experiencing Political Texts Reading Group discussion on books as physical objects. Pic © Nifty Fox
typeface, and illustrations are immediately evident to the reader.
Yet, while the text itself comes from the early modern period, the reader does not. They may, therefore, be lacking contextual information crucial to a full understand- ing of the text. The setting in which they encounter it will also be different from the original reader’s experience. This is perhaps most significant for ephemera such as ballads, broadsides or handbills. Reading such documents in the calm, controlled setting of a special collections reading room is a different experience from catching sight of one posted on a wall on a bustling street corner. The format and typeface of original texts
– as members of our reading group attested – can make for a frustrating reading experience. Small densely packed type, thin paper, and the use of the long ‘s’, all create obstacles for the modern reader. Modern editions address these issues, determining the size, format, layout, and typeface according to reader accessibil-
ity rather than authenticity. They often also include paratextual material such as an introduction and notes that offer contextual information to help the reader make sense of the text. For these reasons, members of our reading group generally preferred reading modern editions of the texts; one even admitted that she never expected to be so pleased to see a footnote. Yet, by having the opportunity to view original and modern editions alongside each other, they were also able to see what was lost in the modern versions. The gothic or black typeface used in the original version of James Harrington’s The Common- wealth of Oceana (1656) to distinguish the constitutional orders from other elements of the text, is usually replaced with roman type in later editions. While this makes the text more readable, it effaces the impact that typographical decision was designed to have (giving the impression that the constitution had been enacted). Similarly, modern editions generally give no sense of original bindings. Even the series The Thomas Hollis Library published by the Liberty Fund fails to convey the experience of reading a text in an original Hollis binding with its distinct cover, embossing, and symbols. Moreo- ver, consulting original copies can sometimes offer insights into the reception of a text by revealing which texts were bound together (and therefore associated with each other in the owner’s mind) or through the handwritten marginalia of past readers. Digital editions have the potential to address some of the problems of both original and modern formats. As a member of a university library, it is usually possible to access collections such as Early English
An example of a broadside. ‘You Talk of Squibs! Read this Fact!’ [18??]. Philip Robinson Library, Special Collections: Broadsides 4/1/7.
40 INFORMATION PROFESSIONAL
Books Online or Eighteenth-Century Collections Online. Moreover, thanks to organisations such as the Hathi Trust some digital collections of original texts are freely accessible to all, without the inconvenience of travelling to or joining a specialist library. In addition, tools are often provided to make the text more accessible – for example by allow- ing the reader to enlarge the typeface. Yet here too problems arise. Reading a text on a screen is not the same as holding it in one’s hands. We are not immediately conscious of the size or quality of the volume, we cannot manipulate it in the same way turning the pages and flicking easily from front to back. Moreover, as Giles Bergel noted in one of our workshops, some digital collections present works page by page, yet we read books opening by opening – with two pages viewed alongside each other. Reading page by page we may miss connections implicit in the original layout such as the juxtaposition of image and text. Similarly, digitised col- lections generally reproduce the work in black and white losing any evidence that a page may originally have con- tained coloured ink.
As well as discussing these issues in our workshops and reading group, we also sought to reflect them in our exhibi- tions. The first of these ran from the 12 June to the 11 September 2023, occupy- ing eight display cabinets in a designated Special Collections exhibition space on the main entrance floor of the Philip Robinson Library at Newcastle Uni- versity. An aim of the exhibition was to present the contrast between physical and digital copies of political texts, using collection items from the University Library’s rare book holdings, modern editions, and third-party websites. What came strongly through the visitor feedback was that visitors liked both the use of technology and the opportunity to see original antiquarian materials. There were, however, challenges inher- ent in displaying both formats. Setting aside standard considerations around conservation, security and physical size, the primary challenge around displaying physical books in this context was how visitors might encoun- ter and interact with them when the glass cases prevent touching and only a single page or double page spread can be presented thus directing and setting parameters on the reader’s experience of the text and making it difficult to demonstrate certain points. Additionally, there was a need to cross-reference between texts and across display cases, so it was important that visitors navigate the exhibition in a specific and curated way. (Previous
January-February 2024
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