Book and Digital Media Studies

Programme

The Master’s programme in Book and Digital Media Studies covers two semesters. The first semester provides you with a sound basis and introduction to the field, conceptually, empirically and hands-on, through a number of inter-related and compulsory courses. In addition, you have the opportunity to broaden and deepen your knowledge, by focusing on an optional course.
The aim of these courses is to prepare you both for your primary focus and for the secondary subject that you will choose in the second semester. You can choose between History of the Book, Publishing Studies, and Digital Access to Cultural Heritage.

• In Digital Access to Cultural Heritage, you focus on the ways and means of making cultural heritage digitally accessible. In this course, you address such issues as the challenges and possibilities for exhibiting special collections and knowledge domains in knowledge centres. We place special emphasis on the interaction between the providers and the users of digital information. We co-operate with the Dutch National Library (KB) in The Hague on this subject.

• In History of the Book, you consider different aspects of the history of textual communication through the medium of the printed word. We will study a range of subjects from the role of publishers, booksellers and readers, to the interchange between book and society and developments in the physical appearance of books. You conduct research on the basis of the rich primary sources in the special collections of libraries and archives in Leiden and elsewhere, in combination with secondary literature.

• In Publishing Studies, you will look at the wider role and meaning of publishing in society. We will analyse the mechanisms within the industry, from academic publishing to educational and trade book publishing. We cover the whole publishing chain, from the work of authors through the activities of publishing houses to retailers and customers. You will study new trends in publishing arising from the introduction of digital technology.

During the programme, you will participate in a number of excursions, including visits to the Plantijn-Moretus Museum in Antwerp, the Gutenberg Museum in Mainz, the annual Buchmesse in Frankfurt, and the Institute for Sound and Image in Hilversum.
The second part of the second semester will be spent writing your MA thesis. You have the option to sign up for exchange programmes with various other European Universities.

For the most up-to-date course overview, see the e-Prospectus.