Do Books Have a Future?
Friday, Oct. 23, 1-2:20 pm
Presented by Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI) • 941-309-5111 • olliringlingcollege.org
Sarasota Art Museum, Ringling College Museum Campus, 1001 S. Tamiami Trail, Sarasota, FL 34236
Fee: General admission $20
Is there a future for the printed word in hard-copy books? Can they compete in an increasingly digital world? Or are we going to become an oral-visual culture in which streaming devices, social media, and AI-generated images dominate? This presentation will examine the history of books from ancient times to the Gutenberg printing press, from the rise of books as a form of mass communication in the early 19th century to their current state. We will explore the function of books in thinking, learning, philosophy, politics, social change, and entertainment — why and how they mattered ― and what, if any, role they will play in our fast-moving digital information age.