| A
ads, advts, adverts - Advertisements
placed in the binding of the book.
Advanced Copy - A copy for
booksellers and reviewers, either bound in paperwraps or a copy of the
trade edition with a review slip laid in.
aeg - See
All Edges gilt.
al -
See Autographed Letter.
All Edges Gilt - The top,
for-edge and foot of the book are colored in gold.
All published - Usually
used of a serially published work to indicate that all issued parts are
present.
als - See Autographed
Letter, Signed.
Alum-tawed
- Leather that has been treated with both alum and some other agents
to render it hard-surfaced and extremely durable.
ams - See Autographed
Manuscript, Signed.
-ana - A
suffix denoting a collection of sayings, anecdotes, or other material
regarding a person or subject, i.e., americana, Hemingwayana, etc.
Annotated
- Includes critical and explanatory notes.
Antiquarian Books - A
loose term implying collectible books rather than used books. Refers to
old, rare, and out-of-print books.
Aquatint
- An etching method widely used in late-Eighteenth and early-Nineteenth
century illustrated books, frequently colored by hand after printing.
ARC - Advanced Reading
Copy . See Advanced Copy.
Advance Review Copy
- A complimentary advance copy of a new book often sent to reviewers,
usually a soft cover.
Appendix
- The additional or supplementary material usually found at the end of a
book.
Arabesque
- A style of ornament originally of Moorish origin often used in the
tooling of bindings.
Arming
- The impressing of a heraldic device into the cover of a book.
Arms
- An armorial device was often used on bindings, bookplates and the like
as a mark of ownership.
As Issued -A
term indicating a given book is in the original condition as published.
As New - As
New is used to refers to a book only when the book is in the same
immaculate condition in which it was published. There can be no defects,
no missing pages, no library stamps, etc., and the dust jacket (if it was
issued with one) must be perfect, without any tears. (AB Bookman.) Books
that are As New are crisp, tight and fresh. The term As New is preferred
over the alternative term "mint" which is a corruption that has
crept in from other fields of collecting.
- Association Copy -Any
book or publication that belonged to the author at one time. The book
must show some evidence of this either in the form of a signed book
plate or an inscription by the author. Less frequently used to
indicate a book that came from the library of a notable person but
that was not written by him or her.
As Usual
- A favorite term to describe defects which probably occur only on copies
of the book the particular dealer handles, such as "lacks endpapers,
as usual".
Author Copies
- Complimentary copies of the first edition of a book given to the author
by the publisher.
Autographed Letter
- A handwritten letter.
Autographed Letter, Signed
- A handwritten letter signed by the writer.
Autographed Manuscript, Signed
- A manuscript all in the author's hand.
Avant la lettre
- A term used in describing French illustrated books to indicate that the
plates are in the earliest state, before the addition of titles.
Azured - (A binding
ornament) decorated with a pattern of thin parallel lines.
B
Backbone - A book's backstrap, backstrip or spine.
BackBstrip
- The covering of the book's spine.
Bar Code
- The common term for Universal Product Code.
Bastard Title - See
Front Matter and Half-title.
bc, bce - See
Book Club.
bd - See
Bound
bdg - See
Binding.
bds - See
Boards
Beveled Boards
- Covers of a book which have been angle-cut to create a sloped edge.
Biblio
- From the Greek: signifying or pertaining to books.
Biblioclast - A
destroyer of books.
Bibliognost - Having
a deep knowledge of books.
Biblioklept - A
stealer of books.
Bibliomaniac - Many
bookdealers and certain collectors.
Bibliophile
- A lover of books.
Bibliophobe
- A fear of books.
Bibliopole
- The people behind the booths at the book fairs.
Binders' Ticket -
A small slip of paper pasted into a book with the name of the bookbimder.
- Binding - The
cover of a book, usually, but not always, leather or cloth.
Binding Copy
- A book which needs to be rebound and is worth rebinding.
Blank -
An unprinted leaf, usually included as part of a signature to make an even
count.
- Blind-stamp - An
impression stamped into a book cover that is not colored with ink or
gilt. When the page of a book has been blind-stamped, the stamp is
usually that of a previous owner.
Blind Tooling
- Decoration of a binding by embossed impressions without gilt.
Block Books
- Books made around the mid 1400's in Germany and the Netherlands in which
pictures and explanatory text well printed from woodblocks.
Blurb - A
comment from a review (often by another author praising the particular
book) printed on the dustwrapper or covers of a proof copy, or on a
wrap-around band.
Boards
- The stiff binding material for most modern books. The
front and back covers of a hardcover book. So called because many early
book covers were originally wood boards.
bomc
- Book of the Month Club. See Book Club.
Book Arts
- Typography, Calligraphy, Papermaking, Bookbinding & related
disciplines.
Book Block
- The entire book sewn together before it is bound.
Book Club
- Edition of a book printed especially for a book club. All books are of a
uniform size and usually produced with cheaper materials.
Book Label
- A label indicating the ownership of a book. Generally smaller than a
bookplate.
Book-Plate
A label placed in a book to indicate ownership. Most book-plates are
decorative, often with the intent of portraying some insight into
personality of the book's owner. An author's book-plate can add value to a
book by making it an association copy though most often the presence of a
book-plate reduces a book's value.
Boss
- On early bindings, a raised metal stud intended to protect the cover of
a book from abrasion.
Bound
- A book with a cover of any type, or a periodical that has a cover other
than it's published wraps.
Bound Galley
- An uncorrected galley proof distributed by the publisher before
publication.
Breaker
- A person who breaks up books to sell the plates individually, or the
book itself when the covers are so bad that it either has to be rebound or
broken up.
Bright Copy
- A clean book where the paper usually retains its original crispness and
glow.
Broadside - A
single sheet of paper, usually printed on one side only.
Browned
- In paper discolored with age, to be expected, often starting at
the outer margins of the page and working inward.
Browning -
An overall discoloration found in the paper of some old books, sometimes
due to the decomposition of the paper size.
Buckram - A heavy
linen binding cloth often heavily starched or otherwise coated with
protective material.
Bumped
- Corners of a book are worn, wrinkled, dented or damaged.
Occasionally applied to head and heel of spine.
B/W - Black
and white illustrations, photographs, etc. |