2008 Woodie Awards
Gutenberg Press Awes Students
Alex Pons
Issue date: 8/30/07 Section: News
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In addition to the new library, faculty felt there was a need for an additional attraction that would highlight the evolution of the printing press. Having first heard of the Fenix Press at a local Renaissance Festival, a librarian thought that not only would the demonstration be appropriate, but also that most students would find it interesting.
Libraries are known to be places where years of printed text and knowledge accumulate into a venue where the curious and open-minded can learn. As President of the University and Assistant Professor of Philosophy and Religion Rebecca Chopp described in her speech at this year's Founders' Day Convocation, Colgate has always understood the importance of libraries.
Case-Geyer is well equipped with state-of-the-art technology and facilities, and many consider it to be a symbol of the school's enthusiastic commitment to meeting twenty-first century demands. Yet, when faced with a future of tremendous opportunities, Colgate decided to look back in time and demonstrate to its students exactly how far printed text has come.
The fact that Colgate would bring a Gutenberg-era printer might seem out of the ordinary to some people, but it is, according to librarians, very befitting. For starters, most students do not know that Colgate actually owns one of the original Gutenberg pages.
Yet, what is the most important message behind the demonstration is the library's desire to link the future with the past in the context of printing books.
"[We wanted students to have] the experience of being in a building with state of the art technology with the history of printing and libraries," Assistant Professor in the University Libraries and Information Literacy Rebecca Hewitt said.
The history of printing began in Germany in 1440 when Johannes Gutenberg invented the first printing press and with it literally revolutionized human history.
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