This book has its origins in two conferences. The first one “Forms and Formats: Experimenting with print, 1695–1815,” (8–9 September 2014) was held in Oxford at the Bodleian Library, Jesus College Fellows Library, and Oriel College Senior Library, and supported by the Centre for the Study of the Book. The second conference “Copyright and the Circulation of Knowledge: Industry Practices and Public Interests in Great Britain from the 18th Century to the Present,” (7–8 October 2016) was held at the Maison de la Recherche, Université Sorbonne Nouvelle Paris 3 in 2017, and supported by Université Sorbonne Nouvelle’s CREW (EA 4399) – the Centre for Research on the English-speaking Word and CREC – the Centre for Research on British Studies, Université Paris Diderot’s LARCA (UMR 8225) – Laboratoire de recherches sur les cultures anglophones, and the Institut Universitaire de France (IUF). We would like to thank first and foremost the co-organisers of these conferences, Emmanuelle Avril, Alexandra Franklin, Sarah Pickard and Will Slauter, and our keynote speakers Ronan Deazley, Christine Ferdinand and James Raven. The Oxford conference remains a special moment for us, thanks in particular to the generosity of the librarian of Oriel College, Marjory Szurko who hosted us in its Senior Library and delighted us with an edible exhibition. A select number of conference presentations covering the handpress period were commissioned after the event, and we are particularly grateful to all the authors who have remained faithful to this project, and who, over the years, have responded with good grace to our multiple requests.
We owe a debt of gratitude to our generous readers who reinforced the coherence around the central theme of the volume, especially Eleanor Shevlin, Faith Ackers and the authors of a meticulous report at the review stage. We are also most grateful for the support given in the second stage of the project by a Massachusetts Society of the Cincinnati Library Fellowship and a Short-Term Fellowship at the Folger Shakespeare Library, and for the indispensable help of both staff and fellow researchers in the sharing of knowledge and documents, especially Caroline Duroselle-Melish, Ellen McCallister Clark, Michelle Lee Silverman, Shanta Bryant, Meghan Carafano, Rachel B. Dankert, Peter Radford, Ginette Vagenheim and Abbie Weinberg. For the crucial input from Keith Moore and Rupert Baker at the Royal Society and for Frédéric Ogée’s encouragements to publish after the workshop stage.
Finally, we would like to express our thanks to our family and friends who have supported us during the years that this book was in process.