Alumnus co-authors Collecting in the Icon Age: IT’s Impact on Collecting Practices

Books
A plain light blue background with the words Springer Nature int he top left. In the middle is the title in a darker blue that reads Collecting in the Icon Age. On the right there is a image of the cover of the book with the names Paul Wilson and Pete Tolmie. In the top right is the Springer logo.

Paul Wilson (Ergonomics 1972) has co-authored a new book with Pete Tolmie titled Collecting in the Icon Age: IT’s Impact on Collecting Practices.

The Icon Age referred to in the title is when objects began to be represented on computer screens via icons.  

The book focuses on how the Icon Age has affected how people do things associated with collections, from their inception to their disposal. It also looks at different kinds of collections and how they are managed across seven key collecting contexts: accumulations; libraries; filing systems; archives; museums and galleries; private collections; and amateur collections – informed by studies across a diverse range of collections.  

The book also presents taxonomy of collectable object types, including new types of objects that have appeared since the onset of the Icon Age. It draws out the important lessons regarding the impact of IT on collecting practices and contexts.  

Paul and Pete both also look ahead to the potential impact on collecting of new kinds of computing technology in the final chapter of their new publication. 

Learn more about Collecting in the Icon Age: IT’s Impact on Collecting Practices.