SHAKERS a Rich Past Revisited EDITOR's NOTE
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THE SHAKERS A Rich Past Revisited EDITOR'S NOTE The Future of the Book t h e SHAKERS The usually staid Ralph Waldo Emerson had a mischievous moment A Rich Past Revisited when it came to books. "A man's library/' he said, "is a sort of harem." Well, without taking the analogy too far, the nature of the harem is changing. Some of the inhabitants are breaking away. In this issue of Humanities we look at the future of the book. Endow ment Chairman Sheldon Hackney talks with John Y. Cole, director of the Center for the Book at the Library of Congress, about the sixteen- year effort there to preserve a place for the book in a world of tapes and Blacksmith's Shop, Hancock Shaker Village, CD-ROMs. "I do think that many kinds of books will disappear," Cole Massachusetts. —Photo by Ken Bums tells us. "And as the pace of technology accelerates, books and print culture will probably play an even more diminished overall role in our society." Whether that is a matter for concern is explored in subsequent pages: Charles Henry of Vassar examines what happens when elec Humanities tronic tools are applied to the traditional academic disciplines, and A bimonthly review published by the raises questions about what it may mean to definitions of undergrad National Endowment for the Humanities. uate and graduate education when doctoral candidates can find in an afternoon's search on a database what it might have taken earlier Chairman: Sheldon Hackney scholars months or years to sift through. And finally, the role played by books in the shaping of our democracy is the subject of a multi Editor: Mary Lou Beatty volume work in progress called A History of the Book in America; it is a Assistant Editors: Constance Burr companion to works published or underway in France, Germany, Great Susan Q. Jaffe Ellen Marsh Britain, and Italy. Editorial Assistants: Amy Lifson In this month's pages we also visit with the 1993 winners of the Nadine Ekrek Charles Frankel Prize, whose achievements will have been celebrated Editorial Board: Marjorie Berlincourt, at a White House ceremony by the time we publish. They are George F. Farr, Jr., Guinevere Griest, Ricardo E. Alegria, historian and anthropologist of Caribbean cul Marsha Semmel, James Herbert, Thomas ture; John Hope Franklin, scholar of African-American studies; Kingston, Jerry Martin, Carole Watson Hanna Holborn Gray, recently retired president of the University of Marketing Director: Joy Evans Chicago; Andrew Heiskell, magazine executive and philanthropist; and Laurel Thatcher Ulrich, historian and author of the Pulitzer Design: Crabtree & Jemison, Inc. Prize-winning A Midwife's Tale. The Frankel prizes are named for Charles Frankel, a professor of The opinions and conclusions expressed in philosophy for forty years at Columbia University in New York, who Humanities are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect Endowment policy. Material later became a U.S. diplomat and then the first president of the National appearing in this publication, except for that already copyrighted, may be freely reproduced. Humanities Center in North Carolina. "What images of human possi Please notify the editor in advance so that bility will American society put before its members?" Frankel asked. appropriate credit can be given. Humanities (ISSN 0018-7526) is published bimonthly by the "What standards will it suggest to them as befitting the dignity of National Endowment for the Humanities, 1100 the human spirit?., .Will it speak to them only of success and Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20506. For editorial comment, telephone: celebrity and the quick fix that makes them happy, or will it find a 202/606-8435; fax: 202/606-8240. place for grace, elegance, nobility, and a sense of connection with the Second-class postage paid at Washington, D.C., human adventure?" and additional mailing offices. Postmaster: We visit a community that turned its back on the world in an attempt Send address changes to United States Government Printing Office, Superintendent of to perfect its nature. In the two-hundred-year-old Shaker village of Documents, Washington, D.C. 20402. New subscriptions and renewals: U.S. Government Canterbury, New Hampshire, we recall the nature of their life— Printing Office, Superintendent of Documents, celebate, pacifist, communal—"hands to work and hearts to God." P.O. Box 371954, Pittsburgh, PA 15250-7954. Annual subscription rate: $13.00 domestic, —Mary Lou Beatty $16.25 foreign. Two years: $26.00, $32.50. For subscription questions or problems, telephone: 202/512-2303; fax: 202/512-2233. 2 NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 1993 HUMANITIESTHE MAGAZINE OF THE NATIONAL ENDOWMENT FOR THE HUMANITIES . Page 4 Page 13 Page 22 The Book 1993 Honorees Other Features 4 A Conversation with... 13 The Frankel Awards 32 The Numbers Game John Y. Cole and NEH Chairman Profiles of five distinguished By Jeffrey Thomas Sheldon Hackney discuss literacy Americans: anthropologist Humanities graduates are finding and technology. Ricardo Alegria, historian John it tougher. Hope Franklin, educator Hanna 8 Books at the Speed of Light Holborn Gray, philanthropist 36 In Focus Andrew Heiskell, and author By Charles Henry Laurel Thatcher Ulrich. Doran Ross Applying electronic tools to the humanities disciplines. 37 Noteworthy The Diaspora 9 A History of the Book 38 Calendar in America By Janis Johnson 22 The Shakers at How printed materials shaped Canterbury Village Humanities Guide the democracy. By Maggie Riechers Entrepreneurial talent narrowed the distance between the 40 Recent NEH Grants Believers and the outside world. by Discipline 27 New Netherland—Translating 46 Deadlines New York's Dutch Past By Charles T. Gehring This early pluralistic society brought together Spaniards, Poles, Croatians, Africans, and native Americans. HUMANITIES 3 A CONVERSATION WITH... John Y. Cole WEndowm ent Chairman Sheldon Hackney met recently with John Y. Cole, director of the Center for the Book at the Library of Congress, the conversation turned to the future of the book in the new technology. 4 NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 1993 Sheldon Hackney: It is generally true that national cooperation between Headstart and when a formal mechanism is set up to sup school and public libraries. port something, it means that that Some Hackney: Then you must also be thinking of thing is either in trouble or it is too late building an audience for books. actually to save it. So why was the Center for the Book set up? Cole: It's our specialty, and the Headstart project is a wonderful vehicle for encouraging John Y. Cole: There's no doubt that the role children to get to books as early as possible. of the printed book is diminishing in our cul ture. And, indeed, that's one of the reasons Hackney: Are role models important? the center was established by Daniel Boorstin Cole: Very much so. Occasionally we are crit when he was Librarian of Congress: to There’s no doubt that icized for using sports figures or celebrities in remind people that books and reading are television spots or on posters, but I believe important. He had an institutional reason as that first you get someone's attention and well, to make a stronger cultural connection then you go to work. the role o f the printed between the library and the community at large. He wanted the center to become a Hackney: Then role models in the family strong public advocate on behalf of books would be even more powerful. book is diminishing in and reading. And we have. Cole: Absolutely. Our efforts in this area Hackney: You've been going for sixteen started with a 1981 symposium titled "Read years. How's the book doing? ing and Successful Living: The Family-School Partnership." our culture. And, Cole: I ask myself that each day. At one level, I think it's doing well: The book industry Hackney: If we could go back to aliteracy, itself is certainly prospering and becoming why people don't read. Have there been indeed that’s one of the more diversified. However, if one focuses on changes in recent years in reading habits of , the book as an essential carrier of ideas— Americans? Also, in motivation? which I think is its important role—it may Cole: It's hard to tell. The statistics can be not be doing quite as well. read in different ways. Is the glass half full or reasons the center was Several years ago the Center for the Book half empty? Whatever the answer, I think sponsored a survey called "Books in Our that the amount of serious reading taking Future," in which we spent six months pon place is probably declining. I think that if one established by Daniel dering this very question. is concerned about education and the contri Interestingly enough, one point that every bution books make or should make to a one agreed on was that technology provides knowledge-based democracy, there is reason Boorstin when he was many opportunities, especially for the pub for concern. lishing and distribution of the printed word. But the panel felt that the future of the book Hackney: Do you believe that in general this gets to the motivation factor? If people was threatened from another direction: by Librarian of Congress: the "twin" problems of illiteracy and aliter- enjoy reading, with kids for instance, even acy. Illiteracy is obviously a serious educa if they are reading what we might think of tional problem in our culture and many as trivial material when they are eight, to remind people that groups are involved in the literacy move nine, or ten years old or thirteen years old, ment. The problem of aliteracy, which is lack they will eventually find their way to of motivation to read, is the one that directly books that are worthwhile.