How and Why Books Matter - Essays on the Social Function of Iconic Texts - James W Watts

How and Why Books Matter - Essays on the Social Function of Iconic Texts - James W Watts

Why Books Matter: Preservation and Disposal

How and Why Books Matter - Essays on the Social Function of Iconic Texts - James W Watts

James W Watts [+-]
Syracuse University
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James W. Watts is Professor of Religion at Syracuse University. His publications include How and Why Books Matter: Essays on the Social Function of Iconic Texts (Equinox, 2019) and Understanding the Bible as a Scripture in History Culture and Religion (Wiley, 2021).

Description

Contemporary debates over the nature and function of libraries and the books that they contain are cast in a different light by the study of iconic books. Because iconic ritualization reinforces the legitimacy of individuals, institutions, nations and religions, its study inevitably becomes a study in social values and expediency. An iconic books perspective highlights the values that societies have invested in books and libraries. It helps us understand the values attached to browsing stacks, to physical books, to book disposal, and to library architecture. The study of iconic books therefore provides a new assessment of the common feeling today that these values are being threatened by technological, economic, and political changes.

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Citation

Watts, James. Why Books Matter: Preservation and Disposal. How and Why Books Matter - Essays on the Social Function of Iconic Texts. Equinox eBooks Publishing, United Kingdom. p. 167-188 Jun 2019. ISBN 9781781797686. https://www.equinoxpub.com/home/view-chapter/?id=35891. Date accessed: 29 Mar 2024 doi: 10.1558/equinox.35891. Jun 2019

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