Visit to Butler Library at Columbia University

Kevin Kudic

10/22/15

Barbara Gleason

ENGL B6400 Theories and Models of Literacy

                                             A peek into the history of books

            A book as a physical object has power attached to it. What a book represents to a society and how the content of the book is communicated is heavily influenced and controlled by larger forces at play; this question also relates to the issue of who has access to a book.

            We live in an age where books are shared, exchanged and talked about in a variety of ways. The communal power of owning a book can be sensed in a cultural titan like Oprah Winfrey setting the barometer for taste for which book to read: an Oprah seal of approval automatically grants a book status that was not there prior. Sometimes, the sociocultural forces not only decided which books to include but rather exclude as well. These forces run the gamut; from an adjudicated decision on obscenity like in the case of Ulysses, or in a classroom when a professor decides which books to include in the syllabus are all different ways in which this power struggle manifests itself.

            It was with great pleasure that I was able to step into the vault at Butler Library and get a tour of the some rare books and manuscripts at Columbia University. Walking in and seeing the books sprawled out on the table almost as if they were waiting to be autopsied gave me a curious feeling. What was more amazing was seeing how well preserved the books managed to be after half a century in some cases. Consuelo Dutschke was our guide and she is the curator at the Rare Books and Manuscripts Division. She gingerly handled the books while talking about their specific historical role or function. The handouts she distributed marked all of the books and manuscripts we would be looking at during the demo.

One of the manuscripts that interested me was the Encyclopedia. The large tome was located at the end of the table. What was particularly striking about this book and many of the other books in general was the fine, ornate style of the lettering. Wrapped in beautiful bound leather with pages made from vellum, the book was gorgeous to look at. I’ve always been fascinated with Encyclopedias, tomes and books with indexes and collections. What particularly interested me in the encyclopedia were the drawings inside of them. A different scribe would take over taking turns writing a couple of entries. This process of scribes taking turns writing entry in this encyclopedia made me draw parallels to some of the practices that are currently done in digital spaces.

            Now, when we think of encyclopedias we imagine massive collections of databases like Wikipedia where people can contribute to an entry. It is the community of Wikipedia users that check each other and make sure that each entry is accurate. The encyclopedia that we saw as a class, strangely, wasn’t very much different. Each scribe wrote different sections of the book; normally we associate encyclopedias with full color illustrations and pictures but the encyclopedia that we saw didn’t have any illustrations until a scribe started drawing something in one of the entries. Later scribes got hold of the same book and started intentionally leaving a space to accommodate a picture illustration for each entry. So from this one scribe we suddenly got pictures in the encyclopedias; this is a standard feature of encyclopedias today that wasn’t originally part of them. I found this connection to be very fascinating.

            Lately, I have been using a lot of e-books; I own a Kindle and find it immensely useful for carrying large amounts of books in a single portable device. It is hard to imagine the amount of effort and time it took to produce a single book. Current technology has made printing accessible at your fingertips and there are even services that offer custom digital book printing. The books that we saw on display took a tremendous amount of work to make. Making the vellum that scribes used instead of paper was made from goat or pigskin. Dr. Dutschke ran through the grocery list of the livestock that was required to make one book. The fact that it took all of these animal to make only one book added prestige and value that must have been quite impactful for someone to own. Not everyone could afford a book back in the Middle Ages and the person that had a book took it as a special indicator of status. Knowing this information made me appreciate how books were made and the work put into making them. It also gave insight into the way books must have been perceived in the Middle Ages, not just founts of information but also special tokens of status.

            I take the train every morning to work and what I notice that is very commonplace is people reading. Take the subway in New York City and you can see people reading on multiple devices. A large fold-able newspaper like the New York Times has largely fallen out of fashion. What has cropped up instead is the digital version of the print edition. If you peruse a full car during morning rush hour you’ll see people reading on their smartphones flipping through pages digitally with a quick flick of their thumbs. You’ll also see people with the new generation of Kindle reading e-print. Sometimes, you may even see people with laptops typing a last minute note to them, eyes glued intently on the screen. Society may lament that people aren’t reading enough, but that isn’t necessarily true when you ride the subway. In some way, especially digitally, people are interacting with text.

            If we compare this mode of reading: silent and contemplative to the way people read in the advent of the book then we can take the trajectory of the history of the book as one that goes from outward to inward in many ways. Alberto Manguel notes, “Written words from the days of the first Sumerian tablets, were meant to be pronounced out loud, since the signs carried implicit, as if it were their soul, a particular sound (The Silent Reader 45).” As the technology improved, the ability of the book to be personalized became more feasible. In its earliest incarnation, before even a physical book was well established, we had text. As Dr. Deutschke showed us during the tour, the script was written without any breaks between words, no punctuation—scripta continua.  Looking at this, made me think about how reading must have taken place during those times. I wasn’t aware that this form of writing was so prevalent. It made me think about other kinds of writing systems in the world. I realized that the way we leave a space between each word was not something that was taken for granted, but rather it developed from a specific purpose: To read silently.

Silent readers are usually the norm when we think about the act of reading. We tie the function of literacy to this ability. A literate person should be able to read silently with confidence and with ease. However the cultural norm of silent reading has been conditioned to us from a particular framework that took centuries to develop. In many ways, I think silent reading took hold from the development of people as readers.

            Centuries ago, when scribal literacy dominated the landscape, texts were read orally. The communities that were literate were typically the elites of a society. This was true during a time when the overwhelming majority of the populace could not read or write. Yet texts were circulating freely especially in the nascent Christian religion before it would dominate Europe. Scribes would work on a text and sometimes they would pick up where another scribe left off. It was a highly literate and closed feedback system. In the texts that were shown to us, one of the manuscripts had the entire Book of Psalms written in two pages. This was meant to be strictly memorized. The text sprawled across the pages and the writing was so tiny that it was hard to imagine how ancient scholars could have possibly read them. Seeing the kind of usage that books had really impressed me. From the tour, you could really sense the impact that books had on a culture that was still very much based on the oral tradition, yet here they had texts that were primarily used as a performative piece. Books were meant to be read out loud in public. Quite different from the silent reader image that we have ingrained in our society.

Overall, it was a wonderful experience visiting the Rare Books Divison. I learned that books are not simply neutral vessels of information and knowledge, but rather a benchmark for the way we view what society truly values.

                                                                    Works Cited

Manguel, Alberto. A history of reading. Penguin, 2014. Print

McGrath, Alister. In the beginning: The story of the King James Bible and how it changed a nation, a language, and a culture. Anchor, 2008. Print

Saenger, Paul. Space between words: The origins of silent reading. Stanford University             Press, 2000. Print

Final reflection on Theories and Models of Literacy

My experience taking Theories and Models of Literacy has overall been very enjoyable. The course touched upon many foundational and key moments in literacy that made me ponder on how the literacy of the past reflects the literacy of today. This was illustrated by our class trip to Butler Library
where we saw an eclectic variety of medieval texts that showed the process of scribal literacy.


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Looking and more importantly being able to actually touch the texts was an experience that really captured the full sensory experience of books. People often remark on the wonderful smell of books, especially aged books. Being able to touch handwritten manuscripts, some of them ornately decorated , was a real treat.

Literacy now, as it was in the past, is in a constant state of flux. It's dynamic changes in response to the environment makes it hard to pin down an exact definition of what it is. Just like in the past where scribal literacy was soon changing into print literacy, now digital literacy is at the forefront of society. Kindles, smartphones and tablets have all taken up our reading spaces. This will continue to happen as new technologies challenge our definition of what literacy is.

In addition to learning about the history of literacy in print, we also delved into the acquisition of literacy. Susan Bryce-Heath's ethnography in her book Ways with Words gave us a useful touchstone for being able to talk about the moment where a person is interacting with text: a literacy event. Viewing the acquisition of literacy as not just a moment where somebody sits down and reads something, but as an experience of transferral with text. A literacy encounter can happen whenever a curious mind comes into contact with text, ponders on it and makes guesses on meaning based on previous experiences. A literacy event, therefore, can happen to a person as young as three. This concept complicates the traditional view of literacy and carries with it serious implications that cannot be ignored in a classroom setting.

Response to Adult Biliteracy: Sociocultural and Programmatic Responses

“A general definition of biliteracy is the ability to read and write in two languages. A broader definition, however, includes more than reading and writing; it includes the ability to construct and communicate meaning in two languages across diverse social contexts and in socioculturally appropriate ways.”  

As I looked through the photo essay, I couldn’t help but notice the visual tapestry of texts that surround us in our daily lives. As a commuter I notice dual language signs on the subway cars, Spanish and English juxtaposed together advertising insurance, doctors, lawyers—all of the essential services that people in a society need. Spanish isn’t the only language that has a stake in the city. Some of the languages that I’ve come across such as Arabic, Urdu, Portuguese, Serbo-Croatian, are part of the diverse ethnicities that make up Astoria, Queens. Often times I’ve looked up at signs and wondered what those other languages are communicating, if there’s another meaning apart from the obvious one-to-one functional relationship.

We live in a world that is increasingly surrounded by advertisements that occupy our public spaces. These advertisements are being communicated in an interesting combination of text and images creating different ways of extrapolating meaning that is much more complex than simply decoding text for a corresponding singular meaning. Signs that communicate biliteracy are prominent in spaces that have a predominant population of English and second language speakers.

The photo essay gave many great examples of the functions of different signs. Some of the signs capture the creativity needed to fuse these two languages together, creating something entirely new and hybrid. For example, C-Señor is a pun on the word sí, translating to “yes, sir.” Giving the store an extra qualitative description of customer service. It isn’t unusual that the bulk of the signs in this photo essay are shown in environments that are exposed to the public. The need for communication in an effective way creates conditions that create biliteracy. Some of the signs are quite telling in that regard. One sign reads “Se nesecita dos persona para lavar platos.” The sign shows that the person who typed it either was a non-native speaker of Spanish because it has spelling mistakes and the person didn’t pluralize “persona” to personas. This shows that even a person who may never have had a need to use Spanish is now obliged to use it. It shows that the labor force in particular has a need to be fulfilled and language is the medium that communicates that need. Biliteracy in this kind of environment is a definite attribute in the eyes of a businessperson.

This shows that there will be an increasing need for biliteracy and that in many ways it’s already here

A short summary of A Short History of the Printed Word

The introduction to Short History puts into perspective the significant processes that were developed in order to allow Gutenberg to create his printing press. The introduction makes the printing press invention and frames it as part of an interconnecting chain that stretches from China to Japan, to Korea, to the shores of Arabia, and finally to Europe.

What I really enjoyed about reading the introduction to this book is that it touches upon each one of these hubs and shows how each piece of technology was important to these hubs. Woodblock and moveable type had already been developed in China and Korea when it suddenly boomed in Europe with Gutenberg. Paper making was a process perfected in China and took a century before it reached the shores of Europe through the Moors in Spain. Paper would be the important ingredient for Gutenberg when his printing press would develop, vellum (parchment made from animal skin) being inadequate to hold the chemical reaction necessary to imprint ink.

Chappell and Bringhurst really bring to life this fascinating history; a history that belongs to all of humanity, it is our legacy. A quote that I really enjoyed pretty much sums up the intent of the book

I believe that for understanding of the printed medium, dates and personalities are less important than changing forms and textures. It is necessary to experience printing by touch as well as sight. For example, a simple tactile response is apparent when a curious layman runs a finger over a calling card or announcement to find out if the lettering is indented, flat or raised--which is to say, letterpress, offset (planographic) or intaglio (engraved). 

This is the focal point for the book and it is more interested in the shared cultural legacy of the printed medium. It is also very interested in specifically labeling the terminology of each kind of printed word, giving great care to the differences of each one making it an interesting read not only for the layperson, but anyone interested in typography and the aesthetic development of it.

Printing History Timeline

It is useful to remember that the phases of printing history are not mutually exclusive. The are much more like the branches of a tree. One phase doesn't disappear, or cease to bear its fruit, because another has begun (10.)

Printed text beginning with China and Korea. Despite Gutenberg holding the spotlight for his advances in print technology, East Asia had already paved the way for this technology to bloom in Europe. It took a thousand years for the paper-making process to finally reach Europe from China. The rest of this awesome timeline can be found here http://visual.ly/printing-history-timeline

Response to Learning to Read the Great Debate

 

One of my favorite lines in a Dr. Seuss begins with

HOP

POP

We like to hop.

We like to hop 

on top of Pop.

The lines themselves were so silly and conjuring up the image of me jumping on my Dad always made me laugh. What I wasn't fully aware of was how the use of repetition and rhyme crystallized the image even more so. It was the joyous nonsense that made reading Dr. Seuss so enjoyable. All of his books captured what childhood was for me: a period of creativity and wonderment with language. Moreover, Dr. Seuss was a master of crafting the perfect image and word together. His drawings are iconic and the way he combines words and images really resonated with me and with many children who were just learning to read.

In Learning to Read The Great Debate,  Jeanne S. Chall gives a comprehensive overview of early basal readers for children. She not only gives an account of how these readers evolved but also the influence that shaped their development. Looking at the pictures of phonics instruction books makes me realize how innovate Dr. Seuss books were. If we look at those books as "phonics" books then Hop on Pop develops phonemic awareness in a way that is so memorable and fun. 

One of the more interesting debates that was presented in Ch. 1 was how many, which ones, and at what frequency should beginning phonics words early readers should be exposed to. 

Some insist that the child acquire a considerable amount of phonics knowledge before he begins reading words, sentences, and stories. Others suggest combining phonics instruction with the reading of stories from conventional basal readers and library books...[p]robably more important is the number of phonic elements and rules to be learned: some give the child a heavier "phonic load" than others (16).

This is very telling and shows the that a child's beginning stages of reading and phonics acquisition is by no means based on a natural progressive scale that is scientifically measured. What I wonder about is how technology affects this process? It seems like children are now increasingly exposed to a wide range of words at the touch of a fingerprint; smartphones, tablets, and interactive toys are all clamoring for a child's attention. How does this affect their reading acquisition?

All i know that, if you wanted to keep ME happy as a kid, all you had to do was give me a Dr. Seuss book.

Response to Language Stories & Literacy Lessons

Literacy embedded in social practices: Alison "reads"

Language Stories & Literacy Lessons by Harste, Woodward and Burke offer compelling research that shows that children have already experienced interaction with text way before they enter a classroom.  One of the implications in the study is that teachers' attitudes can adversely hamper the natural curiosity and experimentation with text due to the restricting nature of skills-based instruction. This type of instruction is devoid of any social context. This point is made clear when the authors looks at the case study of Alison. Alison, they argue, has been a reader for a very long time, even before she stepped foot into a classroom. Through her assumptions about the interpretation of highway signs, Wendy's cups and many other common textual sightings, she has been a "reader" since she was 3 years old.

This has profound consequences for the assumptions the way we approach the instruction of reading and writing. If it is true that students already come prepared with a rich encounter of texts, then how can we exploit that in classroom?

Oftentimes I would sit with my little cousin and we would goof around. She was just getting acculturated into the process of writing, dexterously manipulating a pencil as her chubby fingers wrapped around a no. 2 pencil. I would watch her write her name: Elizabeth. Sometimes half completed with missing vowels, or with the "b" written as a "d." Watching her do it, she would make me read it out loud and sometimes when she would misspell her name I would pronounce it the way she wrote it phonetically and she would laugh. It was a little game we would play: read silly nonsensical things she wrote and make her laugh.

Turns out this little game we would play is actually serious business for kids! Learning about how this process affects a child is key into becoming a developing reader/writer. My little cousin had a nascent phonemic awareness and she was beginning to realize: words on the page actually had a pattern. In the coming years she would grow to discern that pattern. After reading excerpts from Language Stories, it made me wonder about how my cousin was doing in school. She's eight years old now, and I would hate to think that that sense of wonder and curiosity that drove her first experiences with writing and reading is no longer there.