I. Definition--Advantages of knowledge of bibliography; Range of
bibliography; Antiquity of books. Ancient materials--Clay tablets
of Assyria, Assyrian libraries--Palm leaf books of India--Birch
bark books of Cashmere--Maya books and mss.
II. Papyrus and its importance, preparation, grades, roll form of
books--Papyrus mss. and Egyptian literature.
III. Papyrus paper among Greeks and Romans--Methods of bookmaking and
publishing in Greece and Rome. Writing instruments and inks--Mss.
of Herculaneum--Public libraries of the ancients--Alexandrian and
Roman libraries.
IV. Wax tablets of the Romans--Introduction of parchment--Change from
roll form to square form of books--Results of this
change--Palimpsests.
V. Latin palæography and various styles--Bookmaking in the Middle
Ages--Schools of calligraphy--Scriptorium and its
rules--Colophons--Monastic libraries.
VI. Secular scribes of Middle Ages; Gilds. Art of illumination with
examples of illuminated mss.--Changes resulting from introduction
of paper--Cotton vs. linen paper--Block printing in China and
Europe--Block books.
VII. Invention of printing--Career of Gutenberg--Earliest printed
books--Spread of the art in Germany, Italy, France,
England--Printing in America.
VIII. Incunabula--Characteristics--Types, abbreviations, signatures,
colophons with examples.
IX. Technical terms for sizes of books--Confusion of size and
form--Signatures, water-marks, size notation.
X. Bindings of books--Historical sketch--Processes of book
binding--Examples.