The Footnote: A Curious History by Anthony Grafton Review by: D. W. Krummel Libraries & Culture, Vol. 33, No.

4 (Fall, 1998), pp. 471-474 Published by: University of Texas Press Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/25548678 . Accessed: 07/11/2013 09:46
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471
There ican sent are a few which schools offer of library courses and information history. about science Harris's on the North book could Amer

continent

for the student easy reading as institutions, which of libraries have as their and provision of access ervation, organization, kind. richer treatment The instructors we have of these courses book. But, form need sources than Harris's

in library avid to learn

repre the growth and development the acquisition, pres major goal to the written of human culture their time students being, this to fuller is the and only

to direct

in monograph

alas, for the in English. at Austin

Hermina

B. Anghelescu,

University

of Texas

The Footnote: University Dwarves dwarves original rarely or and stop

A Press, and

Curious 1997.

History. By Anthony xi, 241 pp. $22.95. aware know a source." is not that the

Grafton. ISBN

Cambridge, 0-674-90215-7.

Mass.:

Harvard

giants, giants, it has

other that to ask

they need The

stand

on

the

shoulders

either

of other

truly from their reference apparatus, separated source work in the former, in the good to clinch the other them. Small wonder ments, and often

if it is or

to "prove sentence both that each is we is so well that point accepted today a texts to be Main thus come paradox. in hopes that originality be seen may one seeks to stimulate latter. The argu

that footnotes be so easily should even and most disparaged, by their best practitioners. especially their early history with rich insight and hearty Grafton de By tracing gusto, fends the importance of footnotes. His is not always since he easy to follow, plan to use footnotes is really concerned less with who was the first if he often (even with tells us that he is) and more and celebrating the "gene of identifying pool" concern so he starts footnotes. His main is with the giants, with Gibbon briefly can blame to Leopold He then moves forward Ranke (and who him?). (whose archival resulted in footnotes the that become evidence of "documented, digging critical to Gibbon then back and other Enlightenment (also Pope, history"); gen even next with to Jacques "well-stocked back further de Thou libraries"); at all, but who his in his addressed (who did not use footnotes timely agenda Grafton served the and forward which, argues, correspondence, purpose); finally tlemen to Pierre Bayle got dark who (with of swamp to around his "thin and commentary"). this movable finish 1700 fragile The crust laurels?if of text by on which now anyone bestowed to cross still the cares

on a band line first?are finally so too his enemy (Bayle was a member, Jean Le Clerc), used cast who in a particular references form" Foot "frequent, precise (207). notes find their True Mission in Life as they become in other words, Cartesian, as they require consistent to mathematical and aspire practice logic. on page root systems" mentions the "deep of footnotes, Earlier, 9, Grafton turn out to be "anthills, "solid and fixed," which with constructive and swarming a as it combative six points of "the antlike activity." (Chapter speaks finger of ecclesiastical historians and antiquaries.") Like most I wish industry dwarves, I knew more the "closer about of detail" that "reveals that appearances scrutiny are deceptive." of uniformity I have also heard sad tales of doctoral students to emulate whose or Gibbon's in their footnotes, re attempts elegance Bayle's lentless led their Dissertationsvater to banish to outer them darkness rectitude, us dwarves, our forever. For mentalite with the survival, grubby preoccupied Cartesian one of citation all too quickly becomes date of agenda style. Grafton's of Cartesians

deep, about

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472
1700 for

L&C/Book Reviews
the the of the first Battle and footnote of makes even if Descartes is not the only factor sense, to fit in (Isaiah has "divorce Berlin's between seems at the and so too the location very relevant) new inspired by conceptions this but like many (220), In simplistic the Cartesian terms, of lives! of book of us rationale today design he leads

at work: the and still sciences bottom

the Books

humanities"

page needs

page (true foot-notes), is aware Grafton layout. to be more neat conclusion: specific. Turabian

to a very Grafton

also proposes that "the footnote's rise to high if not typograph social, took place when it became other words, "after his ical, position legitimate"?in notes its parents, married" he further tory and philology, (24). Ranke, finally at this "marriage of eloquent and erudite (94), "did not officiate" history." (Hap by 189, the metaphor page can talk He historian. and he is even form one" so bold a has about as to

pily, been

on time the the gene is introduced pool remains the paterfamilial Grafton scrapped.) in the Gibbonian "double narrative (188), style" story, same (and here moves which time, Grafton I think with (like his but he most

propose

is pushing "footnotes it) that differs the primary from sharply of us) was taught that

secondary the (23). At are

discursive

footnotes

very, very naughty. One appreciates the famous ignores

to his audience down He cutesy. by being most of them at the level of e-mail humor parodies, Van Wyck and no great and John Updike notwith Belloc, loss, Hilaire Brooks, an excuse to mention I wish that he had found the Battle of the Foot standing. notes in Robert such dialogue, however is Grudin's 1992 Book. Alas, wondrous, to his If Gibbon remains discursive. the watershed, essential also essentially playing footnote greatness ence notes the same at and Cartesian exclusively), the relationship: main time. One above, with spots argument quickly all the more and gossip below. The becomes sources, agenda, beauty a consistent as much as we see him maintain five times ratio?roughly of them the other line as below?for footnotes as several little more thousand than Even (One pages. "extended Noel can If Gibbon's successors this have often is not been he was prose parentheses," Coward (69) must is the way (very few in which almost are one all his or notes are both discursive and refer

not

its moral staggering the above use to say

discursive

glad in fact

are unimportant. that digressions to answer his doorbell?sometimes.

me then sug now over events look the past and a half: the major century (1) Citations to the to the book than rather and refer primarily like library cataloguing, to full citation of author, 1. vi. c. 36 gives way work title, imprint (e.g., Euseb. or not they are Cartesian in other words, whether and page number): statement, to be formulated to the prose with the biblio in their relation above, they need in mind. but politically with this event universe very (2) In connection graphical gest more now our practice. is seek different, (3) Citation analysis style manuals proscribe Grafton does their footnote to the define prosopographies. through disciplines ing as they assume them not discuss but his perspectives such matters specifically, on them. comment implicitly across of knowl the world that citation he never For instance, argues practices or with rules. each other with must either be cataloguing library compatible, edge are distinctive to disciplines that citations Instead he assumes (11: "the footnote or technical as any other as scientific and content in nature varies complex widely see also pages In scientific 14-6 and 219-20). po especially, writings practice"; is not difficult that in a hierarchic conceived is often presentation lytextuality

for the hot stuff waiting about bragging us are so lucky. But is another it this what few of is, matter.) being the recent Let thus finessing ends with Grafton Ranke, history.

of course, that argue, him Scholarly upstairs.

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473
to grasp: from brief, precise, end footnotes the way, Along on the dog. Precision like fleas and more the giants at least no longer be compatible, may reading said a marriage but who once have been there, for any Cartesians to footnotes. text, prose pressing that often nuisance renders footnotes the more The on two to citation analysts. explicit up for title, to full to abstract, on like dwarves

looking

less

and enjoyable of presentation some there may literatures:

to last? Furthermore, the it had a de them also makes intelligent S. in Michael shown is well point embedded bibliographical citations, than them

Batts's
this

1978 book, The Bibliography of German Literature, \10ff. (The footnote

essentially case in point.) own footnotes, for Grafton's is based with on discursive a commentary are more (and there every one of them of and impressive valuable The most that still of the places a firm draws are the prose he cites had his citations line: his text own,

to

review, is a further As

four are

hundred) enriched

references. prose He style

to his lucid translations. testify content and The downstairs. content. his With For lets the footnotes' editors.

in context; others footnotes upstairs, as is the footnote a better with fight initials with

only in his text). Thus above first names selected by giving authors cited and hours who will librarians minimally verifying spend can be once cited that a work the Cartesian also cursing logic that has ordained on page on page 121 or Goldgar in passing later mentioned 215). (e.g., Strang into an alphabetic from dumping himself the lot of them restrain Grafton does (Descartes it is the instance, him cheat pit need at the to be that case end labeled "General in his index?all but for this reason they Bibliography"; so in a book about footnotes?since the more really it is

style, caves he

one wishes in and

put up authors

there My

sloppy working on a pop rests

habits quiz:

expected Cronin, Like in Berlin,

by this journal's H. H. Wellisch, E. Garfield, libraries Grafton loves Ranke, home to Ranke's

ones vindicated). as here, are exposed (or, good to and to be known the authors among likely ones B. Grafton cite: these of which does readers, or even and archives: the not-so-generic much of R. K. Merton? this book was done in faith among sources

classification. library the Dewey and Library did he find by browsing

One papers. personal I should like to see how his of Congress classes, than from rather and other

his still question may scatter would footnotes how many of his best

footnotes,

these with Included among colleagues, dialogue colleagues? in and building focused be librarians who, scholarly by working to know rhetoric of Benutzerfreundlichkeit them and generally eschew any dyspeptic one-on-one to working readers To in deference with (like Grafton). deserving the copy phies view extent editors, compiled to serious that their Cartesian footnotes deserve

and bibliographies, to of course, ought come collections,

fortunate

by rote the librarians with dialogue to do in turn will need librarians It takes heavy

excuses and style manuals spirit unimaginative to be disparaged, much like published bibliogra a read this book with readers General may downloading. they respect. the considerable thinking One hopes homework than the so, since of working a few minutes,

this book as well. through but it is much worthwhile.

and more

D. W. Krummel,

University

of Illinois,

Urbana

Since the titles "tragic" German

a book of the in place edition

on

this topic will naturally spawn 1995 German and the forthcoming saw

its own French

let me point footnotes, translations both use

out

that

the word

of "curious," and I cannot see how either adjective really fits, or why the seems itself as concerned with German footnotes. "Curious" like a

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474

L&C/Book Reviews
wonks who the wannabe for catching gimmick or "scholarly." like "academic" scarier adjectives feel threatened by more might As for "tragic," the translators may have it in mind pity. Grafton

publisher's honest but

a spin that would elicit fear and may have discovered as perhaps children on pages 228-9?today's the overindulged footnotes in his conclusion in this, but instead I see no tragic hero or heroine of the strange marriage?although since I cannot play in my own catharsis, a sad tale. There may be a minor tragedy mostly reason is that, in our day to the readers of this journal. The the role of divine messenger of hit-and-miss year-old supposed German foreign acquisitions, So much version. about library now reports owning for our visionary National Library Collection our efforts. resource-sharing through not one American the four that is

to be coming

Librarian's on Librarianship Science: An Indonesian and Information Thoughts Reflections Record in Librarianship, on the Profession inHer Country. Monash Occasional Papers trans, by George no. 6. By Luwarsith and Bibliography, Pringgoadisurjo; Keeping ISBN 49 pp. 1995. Ancora Australia: $20.00. Miller. xiii, Press, Melbourne, 0-86862-020-3. An Librarian's rare insight librarian

Thoughts the into

Science: on Librarianship and Information Reflections a unique inHer Country offers on the Profession needs and research most issues important

Indonesian

and viewpoint in Indonesian

by ship. Published Monash University occasional publishes lacks book books widespread or journal and scholarly

in Archives and Records of Librarianship, the Department the illustrates in Australia, library profession why Reflections matter the subject often lacks polish, The writing papers. as a can make the awkward and publication interest, length between fill the niche occasional But difficult. article papers work

Pringgoadisurjo's rare nature of Intended history lator. of For

be lost. otherwise that might works and publish journals, and publication in writing overcomes flaws minor by the of its author. and the compelling its content personality no general offers Indonesian to be read by other librarians, Reflections some welcome added footnotes from aside the country by the trans a a detour with unfamiliar those Indonesia, through general quick appear to bridge the culture A formidable. gap. Obstacles Asian Southeast to an effective of library 13,500 archipelago miles. The at

reference system

work helps in Indonesia

islands (6,000 inhabited)

Indonesia Ocean, estimates Yearbook urban English, plicate areas and literacy

crossing
of this

the equator from the Indian to the Pacific

two million most square Statesman's in fifth populated country 93 percent Malay, com the work

encompasses

almost

Dutch, to offer attempts as a titled Carefully an

14 percent Multiple nationally. of local dialects and hundreds a cohesive reflection network on and of not

languages?Indonesian, such as Javanese?further services. library a history of libraries, and library literacy,

of books, beginnings history interesting of the language until 1930. Knowledge Indies East the Dutch under government as the author for one to continue research, be necessary would Pringgoadisurjo's and the the war years sources. from Dutch cites primarily during history Library with in 1949 is uneven, Indonesian only distant independence years following that her read She expected events. on historical silences and unexpected echoes a not reiterated need would and this ers would lived have history. period through of an assessment is more after of library history In its treatment 1949, Reflections in and the publishing industry education, of contemporary libraries, library documents Indonesia.

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