The properties of the book are determined by its functions. Accordingly, if we consider the book in the social communication and information process, it is revealed that the book is inherent in both the properties of Document IV, and specific properties.
One of the most important properties of the book is its connotation. This property was written about in the 20s of the XX century, but was understood differently. M.N. Kufaev understood the book "as a receptacle of all thoughts and words clothed with a visible sign", or "a receptacle of thoughts and words of a human being, taken in their unity and expressed in visible signs" [quoted from: 14, p. 272]. At the same time, the scope of the concept of "book" included not only the editions of verbal works, but also the book with illustrations, and music editions, and phonographic rolls and gramophone records.
With the revival of semiotic research, interest in the landmark nature of the book has increased. The semiotic approach has become widely used in language and word research. A new manifestation of the semiotic approach to the book was its consideration as a whole as a symbolic system.
In the 1970s, the book was defined as a "sign system in which a set of visually perceived fonts or graphic images is used for the exchange of semantic information between the other two material systems, such as the author and the real world, or the author and reader," as noted by E.L. Nemirovsky [quoted from: 14, p. 273].
Thus, emblematic character is characteristic of the book not only to the same extent as any Document IV, but also to a greater extent, because the book itself, as a material object, performs the function of a sign, which is similar to that of the emblematic character of Document III - a material object created by man and specially designed to transmit information fixed in it in society [13, p. 20].
The property of emblematic character defines the property of semantics of a book. Semantics is a branch of semiotics that studies sign systems as a means of expressing content. Information perceived by a person is semantic because it expresses a certain content. K. Migon noted that the book is a stable means of information transmission, which allows conceptualizing the content [10, p. 32]. Thus, the property of semantics, inherent in the Document, is also characteristic of the book.
The book is also characterized by such a property as the reflection (capture) of human thinking, which was noted by many researchers. It was also noted that the book captures and transmits not only thoughts (knowledge), but also feelings, emotions, etc.
G.N. Shvetsova-Vodka notes that the content of the book should be considered not only as an embodiment of individual thoughts, but also as defined by A.I. Badsuk as a "product of public consciousness" [2, p. 6], the ideological life of society, a form of existence of ideology, as well as the existence of public consciousness as a whole (science, art, law, morality, etc.) [14, p. 278].
- Public consciousness in general and individual consciousness are formed as a result of reflection of objective reality. The book, fixing in material form the works of individual consciousness, is also a reflection of objective reality, but not direct, but mediated through consciousness.
Such a property of the Document as discreteness is also inherent in the book. But the book is also characterized by aspiration for integration, unification, and continuity. It affects the material form of the book, which is a set of material objects connected in one way or another, on which the record is fixed.
Since the emergence of the printing industry, there has also been a desire to unite the published books in a series. This unification can be carried out on the basis of content, authorship, reader's and purposeful purpose and others, and between the books of one series formed a similarity or unity, and on other grounds (material form, design, etc.). The desire for unity in the form of a book, such as periodicals and continuing editions, is even more pronounced, and can be defined as the unity of a continuous and continuous publication.
The content of the books also shows a desire for integration and continuity. They not only combine the works of different authors, but also perform the function of integration and organization of available knowledge in the content of individual works, which is most typical for textbooks, readers, reference books, encyclopedias. Integration is also observed in the scientific book, one of the mandatory requirements for which is to take into account the thoughts, ideas, views of predecessors, and not only in the content of the main text of the work, but also in the form of accurate references to previous works.
M.F. Yanovsky wrote: "If we can talk about the birth of the book, the fathers of each of them should be recognized as a lot of other books" [citation: 14, p. 279]. Despite all the individuality of the author's work, it seems that all authors eventually write one large book, consisting of many individual and diverse works.
To be continue...