Book lovers will enjoy this Web site. “On this site you will find the British Library’s two copies of Johann Gutenberg’s Bible, the first real book to be printed using the technique of printing which Gutenberg invented in the 1450s,” says the home page. Here you can view digital copies of the two texts, either alone or side by side to see how individual pages differ. It’s an absolutely wonderful use of the Web. The Gutenberg Bible is an important piece of publishing history; as you may already know, it was the first printed book that started the publishing industry. Not to brag, but I have been able to view a copy of the Bible myself. When visiting a friend in Chicago, I was able to page through a copy at the Lutheran School of Theology near the campus of the University of Chicago. A small group of us was escorted into an environmentally controlled room, where we were instructed to put on white gloves. With the supervision of staff members we were able to examine texts up close. It was a most memorable experience. Check out the site.
