2024-2025 / DOCU0009-3

Digital book chain: forms, media and business models

Duration

30h Th

Number of credits

 Master en langues et lettres anciennes et modernes, à finalité spécialisée en édition et métiers du livre5 crédits 
 Master en langues et lettres anciennes, orientation classiques, à finalité spécialisée en édition et métiers du livre5 crédits 
 Master in communication, professional focus in publishing and the publishing industry5 crédits 
 Master en histoire, à finalité spécialisée en transmission numérique des savoirs historiques (Pas organisé en 2024-2025)5 crédits 
 Master in French and Romance languages, general, professional focus in publishing and book trade5 crédits 

Lecturer

Tanguy Habrand

Language(s) of instruction

French language

Organisation and examination

Teaching in the second semester

Schedule

Schedule online

Units courses prerequisite and corequisite

Prerequisite or corequisite units are presented within each program

Learning unit contents

This course looks at the relationship between books and digital technology from the perspective of the computerization of the book chain. After outlining the major contradictory myths surrounding the digital book, the course looks at how information technology revolutionized the book trade at the end of the last century, and analyzes precursory projects. It then examines the forms taken by the digital book (homothetic, enriched, etc.) and its reading media (computer, e-reader, tablet, telephone, etc.) before comparing them and identifying complementary reading practices. One of the aims is to get students to think of the printed book as "one" of the realizations that can be taken up by content in the digital ecosystem, in the same way as the audio book. In order to identify the redefinitions, creations and possible disappearances (disintermediation) of professions, the course analyzes the functioning of the digital book chain, focusing on certain links (diffusion-distribution, bookstores, libraries) and cases (online self-publishing), while giving pride of place to communities of readers and new figures in criticism and recommendation (YouTube, Instagram, TikTok). Attentive to the disruptive elements of the digital book chain, this course also aims to make students aware of the profound upheavals in the print book industry that digital technology is fostering (e.g. print-on-demand). Lastly, it confronts the commercial publishing model with paradigms that have emerged in libraries, scientific research and piracy.

 

Learning outcomes of the learning unit

1. Understanding, thanks to cases studies, its internal (between several economical systems) as well as external tensions (regarding traditional publishing or other medias).
2. Developing a wide knowledge of the possibilities offered by the digital revolution in terms of books.

Prerequisite knowledge and skills

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Planned learning activities and teaching methods

Lectures and exercices.

Mode of delivery (face to face, distance learning, hybrid learning)

Face-to-face course

Course materials and recommended or required readings

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Exam(s) in session

Any session

- In-person

written exam ( open-ended questions )

Work placement(s)

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Organisational remarks and main changes to the course

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Contacts

Tanguy HABRAND
tanguy.habrand@uliege.be

Association of one or more MOOCs

There is no MOOC associated with this course.