There are four German universities which feature Book Studies research departments and degree courses in Book Studies (Buchwissenschaft): Mainz (since 1947/1949), Erlangen (since 1983), Munich (since 1987) and Leipzig (since 1994). Each university offers its own take on the course, and there are significant differences in student numbers and in the resources available at each institution.
In the last ten years the Book Studies course at Erlangen has been updated, redesigned and restructured. The department has developed and grown significantly as a consequence: after Mainz the Erlangen institute is the largest of the four. In 2008 the Book Studies department became part of the Department for Media Studies and Art History. The book as a medium and literary communication are therefore pivotal notions of the course.
The Bavarian State Ministry of Sciences, Research and the Arts has added Erlangen's Book Studies course to the list of subjects which have grown strongly.
The institute currently consists of a chair (Professor Ursula Rautenberg), a W2 professor for Book Studies specialising in Electronic Publishing and Digital Economy, a junior professor for Book Studies/Book Trade and an honorary professor for copyright and publishing law. Furthermore there is a number of other lecturers in the department with their own specialist areas of teaching and research. The department regularly has visiting lecturers from the publishing industry. You can find an overview of the researchers and teachers currently working in the department at this address.
As the department has grown, the number of students too has increased: over 500 students are enrolled in the Bachelor, Master and postgraduate programmes.
The Erlangen Book Studies department is recognised for the outstanding quality of its numerous academic research projects and publications in the field. Research is divided into three areas of specialisation.