Bad Books: On the Value of Error and Imperfection

In the digital age we have come to view books as fixed and stable when compared to apparently fluid and ephemeral electronic texts. However, the idea that Gutenbergs printing press would abolish forever the kind of variation found in manuscript culture is overstated. Though mass-produced, books bear visible traces of how they were made, where they have been, and how they were usedand perhaps more obviously when they contain errors or imperfections. This talk will examine a number of apparently bad books from NUI Galways Special Collections, arguing that they possess a fruitful and productive individuality which allows us to better understand and appreciate their value, and the wider history of books.