Palmer says that one hand-copied book in the 14th century cost as much as a house and libraries cost a small fortune. The largest European library in 1300 was the university library of Paris, which had 300 total manuscripts.
Remember this next time you are upset about spending more than $10 for a new book!
Since literacy rates were still very low in the 1490s, locals would gather at the pub to hear a paid reader recite the latest news, which was everything from bawdy scandals to war reports.
What's the modern day equivalent of a paid reader?
I have been shifting my research of the internet and all the radical change it is causing, by studying the vast technological changes such as the printing press and how it restructured society.
Remember this next time you are upset about spending more than $10 for a new book!
What's the modern day equivalent of a paid reader?
I have been shifting my research of the internet and all the radical change it is causing, by studying the vast technological changes such as the printing press and how it restructured society.
This is not our first rodeo!