Historical Bibliography

Historical Bibliography

The study of books as ‘Objects of art’ may be termed as historical bibliography. According to Stokes, “it is difficult to look critically a late sixteenth century play, a late seventeenth century sermon, an eighteenth century plate book, a nineteenth century novel or a twentieth century periodical, without some understanding of the state of printing office, the position of the author and the publisher, the channels of book distribution and the general social and cultural climate of the time”.

According to Pliny, culture rests on written tradition’s. In the process of transmission from one generation to another, during this process, a scholar requires the knowledge of the art of writing, printing, illustrations and binding. This study of the history of making of books is called historical bibliography. It helps in studying the growth of knowledge of human race and also reveals that man throughout the ages hays been craving and curios of inventing things to better his progress. Hence, in a nutshell, this is the history of the untiring efforts made by man, for several centuries to give to the present-day world, the modern book.

Irrespective of these branches, a librarian, a scholar, a student and every one ,else who has anything to do with books understands bibliography as listing or enumeration of bibliographic items. It is here that bibliography gains its importance as a systematic listing.

Reference:

• Gidwani, N.N., Ed. Comparative Librarianship : Essays in honour of prof. D.N. Marshall, Delhi : Vikas Publishing House, 1973. p,182.
• Reddy, P. V. G. (1999). Bio bibliography of the faculty in social sciences departments of Sri Krishnadevaraya university Anantapur A P India.