Towards 2020, I started to do more serious reading on the history of hypertext with focus on technical implementation. There aren’t any tutorials on hypertext software development I’m aware of, but quite some semi-technical discussion that’s largely forgotten/abandoned by now in contrast to the cultural/social analysis still remaining relatively prominent today (but of little use as the earlier type of systems aren’t available any more, unfortunately). I want to limit the selection to pre-Web publications, as the Web is boring, can’t do text things and everybody knows everything about it already, including the bad + missing parts. The goal here is to build a hypertext “library” that can revive the pre-Web hypertext vision. As always, it’s far from any real digital library because I have to work with printed originals I can own as physical property for copyright reasons, therefore digital variants won’t do for their artificial legal and technical restrictions. As I can’t re-publish the printed originals nor publish my notes that are based on them, I guess the “library” will end up consisting of bibliography and summaries/reviews/commentary, saving hypertext developers their valuable, scarce lifetime of reading these long-lost titles themselves. In case of exceptional interest in a particular title, one can still look into the actual printed book. One question is: which one of these should I read next? Please feel free to vote on: “A Culture of Innovation – Insider Accounts of Computing and Life at BBN” by editors David Walden, Raymond Nickerson from 2011 “Computer Lib/Dream Machines” by Theodor Holm Nelson from 1983 “Computer Lib/Dream Machines” by Theodor Holm Nelson from 1987 “Computers and Writing” by Noel Williams, Patrik Holt from 1989 “Computer Supported Collaborative Writing” by editor Mike Sharples from 1993 “Computer-Supported Cooperative Work – Introduction to Distributed Applications” by Uwe M. Borghoff, Johann H. Schlichter from 2000 “Computer Writing Environments – Theory, Research & Design” by editors Bruce K. Britton, Shawn M. Glynn from 1989 “Designing Electronic Performance Support Tools – Improving Workplace Performance With Hypertext, Hypermedia and Multimedia” by George H. Stevens, Emily F. Stevens from 1995 “Designing User Interfaces for Hypermedia” by editors Wolfgang Schuler, Jörg Hannemann, Norbert Streitz from 1995 “Ex-foliations – Reading Machines and the Upgrade Path” by Terry Harpold from 2009 “From Memex to Hypertext – Vannevar Bush and the Mind’s Machine” by editors James M. Nyce, Paul Kahn from 1991 „Handbuch der Informatik: Hypertext“ by Dr. Peter Schnupp from 1992 “How the Web was Born – The Story of the World Wide Web” by James Gillies, Robert Cailliau from 2000 “Hypermedia & the Web” by David Lowe, Wendy Hall from 1999 “Hypermedia and Literary Studies” by editors Paul Delany, George Paul Landow from 1991 „Hypermedia-Anwendungsentwicklung – Eine Einführung mit HyperCard-Beispielen“ by Dr. phil. Peter Andreas Gloor from 1990 “Hypertext ’89 Proceedings” by ACM from 1989 “Hypertext ’91 Proceedings” by ACM from 1991 “Hypertext ’92 Proceedings” by ACM from 1992 “Hypertext ’93 Proceedings” by ACM from 1993 “HYPERTEXT – A Psychological Perspective” by editors Cliff McKnight, Andrew Dillon, John Richardson from 1993 “Hypertext and Hypermedia” by Jacob Nielsen from 1990 “Multimedia and Hypertext – The Internet and Beyond” by Jakob Nielsen from 1995 „Multimedia, Hypertext und Internet – Grundlagen und Praxis des elektronischen Publizierens“ by Jakob Nielsen from 1996 “Hypertext: Concepts, Systems and Applications” by editors Antoine Rizk, Norbert Streitz, Jacques André from 1990 “Hypertext in Context” by Cliff McKnight, Andrew Dillon, John Richardson from 1991 “Hypertext Hands-On!” by Ben Shneiderman, Greg Kearsley from 1989 “Hypertext/Hypermedia – An Annotated Bibliography” by Michael Knee, Steven D. Atkinson from 1990 “Hypertext/Hypermedia Handbook” by editors Emily Berk, Joseph Devlin from 1991 “HYPERTEXT – The Convergence of Contemporary Critical Theory and Technology” by George Paul Landow from 1992 “Hypertext – The Electronic Labyrinth” by Ilana Ariela Snyder from 1996 “Hyper/Text/Theory” by editor George Paul Landow from 1994 “Hypertext: theory into practice” by editor Ray McAleese from 1989 “Hypertext – Theory into Practice” by editor Ray McAleese from 1999 „Hypertext und Hypermedia – Von theoretischen Konzepten zur praktischen Anwendung“ by editors Peter A. Gloor, Norbert A. Streitz from 1990 „Hypertext/Hypermedia ’91“ by Hermann Maurer from 1991 „Hypertext und Hypermedia 1992 – Konzepte und Anwendungen auf dem Weg in die Praxis“ by editors Ralf Cordes, Norbert A. Streitz from 1992 “Information Retrieval and Hypertext” by editors Maristella Agosti, Alan F. Smeaton from 1996 “LIBRARIES OF THE FUTURE” by J. C. R. Licklider from 1965 “Literary Machines – Edition 87.1” by Theodor Holm Nelson from 1987 “Mapping Hypertext – Analysis, Linkage, and Display of Knowledge for the Next Generation of On-Line Text and Graphics” by Robert E. Horn from 1989 “Philosophy of Hypertext” by Theodor Holm Nelson from 2002 „Problemlösung Hypertext – Grundlagen, Entwicklung, Anwendung“ by Dr. Martin Hofmann, Dr. Lothar Simon from 1995 “RETHINKING HYPERMEDIA – The Microcosm Approach” by Wendy Hall, Hugh Davis, Gerard Hutchings from 1996 „System ohne General – Schreibszenen im digitalen Zeitalter“ by editors Davide Giuriato, Martin Stingelin, Sandro Zanetti from 2006 “Text, ConText, and HyperText – Writing with and for the computer” by editor Edward Barrett from 1988 „Text im digitalen Medium – Linguistische Aspekte von Textdesign, Texttechnologie und Hypertext Engineering“ by editor Henning Lobin from 1999 “The Digital Word: Text-Based Computing in the Humanities” by editors George Paul Landow, Paul Delany from 1993 “The Future of the Book” by editor Geoffrey Nunberg from 1996 “The New Media Reader” by editors Noah Wardrip-Fruin, Nick Montfort from 2003 “The Technology of Text – Principles for Structuring, Designing, and Displaying Text” by editor David H. Jonassen from 1982 “The Technology of Text, Volume Two – Principles for Structuring, Designing, and Displaying Text” by editor David H. Jonassen from 1985 “understanding hypermedia” by Bob Cotton, Richard Oliver from 1993 “Understanding Hypertext – Concepts and Applications” by Philip Seyer from 1991 “Vistas in Information Handling, Volume Ⅰ – The Augmentation of Man’s Intellect by Machine” by editors Paul W. Howerton, David C. Weeks from 1963 “Weaving the Web” by Tim Berners-Lee, Mark Fischetti from 2000 “WRITING SPACE – The Computer, Hypertext, and the History of Writing” by Jay David Bolter from 1991 These include proceedings of the German as well as European hypertext conferences. It looks like Germany pre-Web had a somewhat active hypertext community as well (as text stuff is obviously a prominent interest in my country with its own long, rich, diverse history), and me reading + summarizing these could enable English audiences to learn more about their activities which would otherwise remain inaccessible. Here’s what I’ve already read: „Engelbarts Traum – Wie der Computer uns Lesen und Schreiben abnimmt“ by Henning Lobin from 2014 „Hypertext – Ein nicht-lineares Medium zwischen Buch und Wissensbank“ by Rainer Kuhlen from 1991 “Intertwingled – The Work and Influence of Ted Nelson” by editors Douglas R. Dechow, Daniele C. Struppa from 2015 “Memory Machines – The Evolution of Hypertext” by Belinda Barnet from 2014 “Personal Knowledge – Towards a Post-Critical Philosophy” by Michael Polanyi from 1962 “POSSIPLEX: Movies, Intellect, Creative Control, My Computer Life and the Fight for Civilization” by Theodor Holm Nelson from 2010 “The Work of Revision” by Hannah Sullivan from 2013 “Track Changes: A Literary History of Word Processing” by Matthew G. Kirschenbaum from 2016 „Vom allmählichen Verfertigen elektronischer Bücher – Ein Erfahrungsbericht“ by Knud Böhle, Ulrich Riehm, Bernd Wingert from 1997 Summarization/commentary pending for some of these. Also, please suggest books that are missing from the list. I’m aware of a few candidates, but didn’t manage to obtain them physically yet, depending on prices, buyability (don’t have nor use credit card or PayPal), out of stock (and out of print anyway, for no good reason nowadays), etc. There are certainly more modern books about different aspects of technical implementation I didn’t include in these lists, so if anybody is interested in doing actual practical work on hypertext software today, that could/should become a second, separate compilation as this one is mostly about the earlier history that has been lost. Happy voting!