The Artifact Vibration Standard

At last, The Idea of the Book is pleased to announce the Artifact Vibration Standard, a new evaluation system specifically devised for printed matter. This novel assessment protocol facilitates the rapid identification of an object’s unique characteristics by measuring its vibrational energy based on the following criteria:

  1. presence of artist, author, editor, and designer (or combination thereof)
  2. dynamic between artist, author, editor, and designer (or combination thereof)
  3. conceptual execution
  4. material execution, including production and printing
  5. constraints in execution, including production and printing
  6. social or political limitations
  7. social conditions of distribution and circulation
  8. reception, influence, and permanence
  9. frequency with which it is encountered

The lowest possible score is 5.0, the minimum requirement for an object to be in inventory. The highest possible score is 9.0, used sparingly. In addition, odd-numbered decimals are added for nuance (e.g., an object can receive a 5.3 or an 8.7, depending on its vibration). The system will be implemented on newly cataloged material beginning this year.

This standard carries the voices of many. Thank you to the friends and colleagues whose words, thoughts, and silences helped tune this idea.

 

Version 1.0. © The Idea of the Book. All rights reserved. Subject to nuanced modification without prior notice. May be reproduced in critical articles and reviews, stored in retrieval systems, and transmitted in any form or by any means—electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise—without prior permission from the author. May be used to augment existing evaluation systems in the book trade.