UNESCO Chair in New Media Forms of the Book (967), established in 2012 at the University of Bedfordshire (United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland)

Fields/Disciplines

New media forms of the book.

Objectives

The specific objectives of this Chair are to:

• use appropriate technologies to improve access to knowledge and provide accessible, affordable and multiplatform knowledge resources, in order to contribute to the objectives of Education For All, as well as to other UNESCO strategic objectives, particularly in terms of communication, information and culture;
• realize surveys and analyze trends in the use of electronic media (mobile media and Internet technologies) as a cost-effective and borderless means  of sharing book resources and providing knowledge transfer opportunities via industry links, as well as conduct research on the levels of access to electronic texts and their use across a variety of platforms;
• focus on the cultural implications of the book’s adaptation to the particular media environment of different societies and preserve the heritage of national book cultures in new e-book developments, by selecting culturally significant case studies providing evidence of book publication across multiple platforms;
• develop models that will aid in the understanding of the role of the book as a source text for other contemporary media industries; and,
• publish a free website of academic and teaching materials using the data collected and demonstrating the models and methods to be used in higher education teaching.

Host Institution

University of Bedfordshire

UNESCO Sector/Office responsible for the Chair/Network

Communication and Information

Contact: Professor Alexis Weedon, UNESCO Chairholder

University of Bedfordshire

Luton Campus, Park Square

Luton LU1 3JU

United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

E-mail: alexis.weedon(at)beds.ac.uk