DOCUMENTATION

Course objectives

The course is a structured discussion of the issues and problems which are specific to the discipline of Documentation, internationally known as Information Theory or Digital Humanities. A special focus, both theorical and practical, will be dedicated to illustrating functions and policies of databases. Moreover, considering the history of Information Retrieval (since the Sixties) will give the opportunity to stress on the role of database as authoritative sources for the scholarly communication. Books and articles of the pioneers of computer Science will also be read and analyzed. In fact, the “literary corpus” of Informatics must be revealed in all its cultural aspects. First aim: Cultural history of information technology and communications (ITC). Comparison with other near disciplinary fields related to traditional institutions such as archives and libraries. (historical and critical approach) Second aim: improving Information literacy. Digital libraries will be considered as the main focus of study, both in the perspective of a “general user” and, further on, to give the students the best potentiality for seeking a job in the area of digital curator or advanced librarian. Third aim: enhance autonomous and critical capacities. Methodological approaches offered during the course: Structutralism, Cultural Studies, Comparative Studies. Further expected results: an autonomous approach to the field of Digital libraries and digital heritage. Google’s algorithm PageRank will be a case study particularly important. The success of Google both as a “narration” and as a “market strategy”, as well as a user-friendly and extremely efficient tool of retrieval, will give the opportunity of considering the disciplinary field of Documentation/Information Theory at every levels: from the practical-technical aspects to the professional ones. A second case study will be ACO the algorithm well known for the use in Amazon (“suggestions” for other books to buy). Starting from technical aspects of the algorithm itself, the students will be invited to consider cultural effects, mainly related to the risk of a monopolistic use of the book market.

Channel 1
PAOLA CASTELLUCCI Lecturers' profile

Program - Frequency - Exams

Course program
Digital Humanities Stories and history of the pioneers of Information Theory -Introduction to the disciplinary area of Documentation: from Paul Otlet and La Fontaine, to Suzanne Briet and up to current researches in the so called Information Theory. -Stories,authors, texts, and theories from Alan Turing, to Vannevar Bush, Norbert Wiener. A special focus to the 60s and 70s: Joseph Licklider, Ivan Sutherland, Douglas Engelbart, Marshall McLuhan, Ted Nelson. The portrait of the "classic" age will end with reference to Tim Berners-Lee, L. Page, S. Brin. - An introduction to Digital Humanities topics following some authors: D.J. Bolter, G. P. Landow, J. McGann.
Prerequisites
none
Books
2 books: 1) P. Castellucci, Dall’ipertesto al Web. Storia culturale dell’informatica, Roma-Bari, Laterza, 2009. 2) one book, chosen in a given list Students not attending: 2) P. Castellucci, S.Mori, Suzanne Briet nostra contemporanea, Mimesis, 202.2
Teaching mode
1) Introduction to the disciplinary area. Historical, cultural, political and philosophical context. The founding fathers: Paul Otlet andHenri La Fontaine, 1895, in Europe; Positivism. Non-book materials: from microfilm to the Net. Access Policy 2) Insight: The disciplinary corpus. The disciplianry "canon". Close reading of texts by the pioneers of the Information Theory, from 1945 on: Vannevar Bush, Norbert Wiener, Paul Baran, Joseph Licklider, Ted Nelson, Tim Berners-Lee).
Frequency
Students not attending must add one more book The course ends with a more "practical" approach to the use of the Net, and logic operators Laboraory: OPAC (Online Public Access Catalogue; main boolean operators).
Exam mode
Oral examination that aims to evaluate, in particular: - critical approach, and a close reading of the texts - aware and autonomous approach (methodological approach: Structuralism and Cultural Studies - good knowledge of the disciplinary vocabulary
Bibliography
Students must choose 1 book (in English or in Italian) -Norbert Wiener, Introduzione alla cibernetica. L’uso umano degli esseri umani (1950), Torino, Bollati Boringhieri, 1966, ripubblicato recentemente in più edizioni.  -Joseph C. R. Licklider, Libraries of the Future, Cambridge Mass., The MIT Press, 1965. Non tradotto in italiano. -Theodor Holm Nelson, Literary Machines 90.1. Il progetto Xanadu (1990), Padova, Franco Muzzio Editore, 1992. Libri di Ted Nelson in inglese reperibili in Rete o su lulu.com -Tim Berners-Lee, L’architettura del nuovo web. Dall’inventore della rete il progetto di una comunicazione democratica, interattiva e intercreativa (1999), Milano, Feltrinelli, 2001. - Johnny Rayan, Storia di Internet e il futuro digitale, Einaudi, 2011 -Katie Hafner, Matthew Lyon, La storia del futuro. Le origini di Internet (1996), Milano, Feltrinelli, 1998. -James M. Nyce, Paul Kahn, Da Memex a Hypertext. Vannevar Bush e la Macchina della Mente (1991), Padova, Franco Muzzio Editore, 1992. -George B. Dyson, L’evoluzione delle macchine. Da Darwin all’intelligenza globale, Milano, Raffaello Cortina, 2000. - Alessandro Baricco, The Game, Einaudi, 2018. -Jay David Bolter, Lo spazio dello scrivere. Computer, ipertesti e storia della scrittura (1991), Milano, Vita e Pensiero, 1993. Seguirà poi una seconda edizione, con sottotitolo modificato: Lo spazio dello scrivere: computer, ipertesto e la ri-mediazione della stampa, Milano, Vita e Pensiero, 2002. -George Peter Landow, Hypertext. The Convergence of Contemporary Critical Theory and Technology, Baltimore and London, The Johns Hopkins University Press, 1992; traduzione italiana: Ipertesto. Il futuro della scrittura, Bologna, Baskerville, 1993. Seconda edizione, 1998, edita da Bruno Mondadori -Jerome McGann, La letteratura dopo il World Wide Web. Il testo letterario nell’era digitale (2001), Bologna, Bononia University Press, 2002. -All'alba dell'arte digitale, (a cura di S. Bordini e F. Gallo), Mimesis, 2018 Charles Percy Snow, Le due culture (1959), Milano, Feltrinelli, 1964. edizione a cura di Alessandro Lanni, Venezia, Marsilio, 2005, con interventi di scienziati e umanisti: G. Giorello, G. O. Longo, PG. Odifreddi. Charles Percy Snow, Gli uomini nuovi (1954), Torino, Einaudi, 1965.
Lesson mode
1) Introduction to the disciplinary area. Historical, cultural, political and philosophical context. The founding fathers: Paul Otlet andHenri La Fontaine, 1895, in Europe; Positivism. Non-book materials: from microfilm to the Net. Access Policy 2) Insight: The disciplinary corpus. The disciplianry "canon". Close reading of texts by the pioneers of the Information Theory, from 1945 on: Vannevar Bush, Norbert Wiener, Paul Baran, Joseph Licklider, Ted Nelson, Tim Berners-Lee).
  • Lesson code1022509
  • Academic year2025/2026
  • CourseArchive and Library Theory and Management
  • CurriculumSingle curriculum
  • Year1st year
  • Semester2nd semester
  • SSDM-STO/08
  • CFU6