Catalogues have been a staple library feature for the last several centuries, a useful finding tool for readers and organizational aid for librarians; they are also a representation of a particular...Show moreCatalogues have been a staple library feature for the last several centuries, a useful finding tool for readers and organizational aid for librarians; they are also a representation of a particular place and time. The form and content of a catalogue can provide insights into the social norms and scholarly interests of the era in which it was created. Employing a longitudinal and comparative approach, this thesis examines the published catalogues of Leiden University Library’s Hebrew manuscripts collection throughout its four centuries of existence. I compare these catalogues, mark the differences in the ways they describe Hebrew manuscripts, and illuminate the social changes or emerging scholarly fields that likely influenced their creators. Throughout this thesis, I argue that when it comes to Hebrew manuscripts, any examination of historical cataloguing trends or choices cannot be complete without also considering that era’s societal attitudes toward Jews, the original creators of the language and texts contained in said manuscripts. I conclude that there exists a direct correlation between the quality of the catalogues’ manuscript descriptions and the cataloguer’s knowledge of the Hebrew language and of Jewish literature and culture; I extrapolate the implications of this conclusion for the future of manuscript cataloguing in the digital age.Show less
This essay examines the societal and psychological repercussions of technology and techniques commonly employed in digital media. It identifies the workings of human attention and its exploitation...Show moreThis essay examines the societal and psychological repercussions of technology and techniques commonly employed in digital media. It identifies the workings of human attention and its exploitation as a major gateway for external influence to undermine the authoritative and intentional use of digital media. The ability to attract human attention is central to the business models of the largest digital companies today. By attracting and redirecting human attention towards advertisement, collecting valuable data in the process, companies like Alphabet, Amazon or Facebook turn major parts of their profits. It is proposed that the capability to attract human attention as a resource is best approached by understanding it as a form of capital in the tradition of Pierre Bourdieu. It, therefore, differentiates between incorporated, institutionalized and objectified attention capital. Objectified attention capital is of special interest since it resembles the material means to attract attention, including the digital infrastructure, server farms, algorithms and social media platforms owned by large corporations. With this focus on attention, the interplay between the human mind and the technologies employed can be traced, revealing the structural undermining of human intention by technological and economic rationale. The reversal of the roles of consumer and media are then diagnosed, implying the exploitation of the consumer as an end to generate behavioral surplus data and profits, overruling the original intent of the consumer in the process. The effects of this reversal and subsequent loss of human control are then embedded in the works of Jürgen Habermas and his concept of colonization. It is demonstrated, how the functioning of objectified attention capital is colonizing ever new areas of everyday life, subsuming and assimilating it under its logic. Four major repercussions of this process are finally laid out: Firstly, the formalization and decline of public debate. Utilizing the Habermasian terminology of the public sphere (Habermas, 1962), detrimental effects of objectified attention capital on the public debate are identified including the fragmentation of knowledge, leading to ‘post-truth’ politics, as well as the commodification of public discourse that takes away its spontaneity and with it its emancipatory momentum. Secondly, this approach is extended and applied to the democratic process, where the amplification and encouragement of moral outrage on digital platforms by filter-mechanisms of objectified attention capital are demonstrated. Referencing the works of Jan-Werner Müller (2016) and James Williams (2018), the populist tendencies of the increasing moral outrage are traced. Thirdly, the biases in attentional big data are brought forth that discriminate against women and minorities, since the data sets employed in objectified attention capital are often skewed, reproducing one-sided world views. Finally, the loss of human attention is understood as a decrease in human autonomy, increasing the control of technology over the future of humanity. However, utilizing the analytical tool of attention capital, several areas where steps against this development can be undertaken are identified, focusing on the regulation of objectified attention capital and the democratizing potential of institutionalized and incorporated attention capital.Show less
As the Internet facilitates not only the passive consumption but also the active creation of media content, the lines between the two categories blur continuously. At the same time new content is...Show moreAs the Internet facilitates not only the passive consumption but also the active creation of media content, the lines between the two categories blur continuously. At the same time new content is created and shared with unprecedented speed and available in abundance. Among the many industries deeply affected by this development is publishing: Readers are now creating their own book reviews on YouTube. The thesis at hand examines how this BookTube phenomenon affects cultural and social contexts of reading. BookTube constitutes a dynamic new agent in the field of trade publishing due to its specific resources in social and symbolic capital. It functions as an amplifier for authors and publishers while disrupting established forms of book reviewing in traditional media. Furthermore, BookTube exemplifies that online platforms have a particular relevance to the generation of ‘digital natives’ in terms of reading and consuming habits and the forming of its attitude towards books.Show less
The aim of this thesis paper is to understand the change in the relationship between libraries and society as part of the effects of today’s changes in technology, to analyze how this change is a...Show moreThe aim of this thesis paper is to understand the change in the relationship between libraries and society as part of the effects of today’s changes in technology, to analyze how this change is a reflection of how the very structure of information is being altered by the ways it is conveyed through digital platforms, and to trace its social impact. We are a culture of the book, the way we perceive and interact with the world has been shaped by the implications of print culture, and now this way is being transformed by the implications of digital culture. The different properties attributed to digital technologies enable people to have a more active and significant role in the construction of knowledge in culture.Show less
