The centrality of books and printing to the world’s cultural and social order is indisputable, and institutions such as the British Museum, the Folger Shakespeare Library, and the Library of Congress house vast collections. Among these are rare or unique items notable for their scarcity and special characteristics of printing, binding, illustration, ownership, or publication. What will become of rare books as cultural documents or aesthetic objects in a time increasingly affected by electronic writing, publishing, record keeping and communication? These are among the questions addressed by Paul S. Koda and John L. Sharpe.
At the time of this interview, Koda was curator of rare books at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Sharpe was curator of rare books at Duke University.
This edition of Soundings was conducted by Wayne J. Pond.
