| Academic reprints |
Items published by a photographic process for the academic market when a scholarly work, for which there is relatively little demand after its original edition, requires a new printing. |
| Accession |
Recording of books added to a collection in the order of their acquisition. |
| Addendum, pl. addenda |
A supplement to a book. When material needs to be added to a finished book at the time of its binding, it may be printed on a slip of paper and tipped in, or pasted in. |
| Advance copy |
A review copy. When a book is published, complimentary advance copies will often be sent to reviewers. |
| Annotated |
Including critical and explanatory notes. |
| Antiquarian |
Of old, rare books, or one who deals in them. |
| Apocryphal |
A work which is of doubtful authenticity or authorship. |
| Appendix |
The additional or supplementary material sometimes found at the end of a book. |
| Atlas folio |
Description of the size of a book: about 25 inches high. |
| Author's copies |
Complimentary copies of the first edition of a book given to the author by the publisher. |
| Autograph |
The author's signature, typically found on the title page or flyleaf of a book. |
| Backbone |
A book's backstrap, backstrip or spine. |
| Bar code |
The common term for Universal Product Code. |
| Bds. |
Abbreviation for "boards," which see. |
| Belles lettres |
Fine arts literature (fiction, poetry, drama, etc.) as distinguished from scientific/technical writing. |
| Biblio |
An electronic mailing list which is dedicated to news of the used book trade. |
| Blurb |
The paragraph or so printed on the cover or dust jacket of a book which almost always tells you how important the book is. |
| Boards |
The stiff front and back parts of a hardcover book. |
| Bound galley |
An uncorrected page or galley proof sent out by a publisher before publication for publicity. |
| Casebound |
A hardcover book. |
| Chapbook |
A small, usually paperback, book of poetry or a religious tract or some such. |
| Chipped |
A condition in which small pieces of the dust jacket have been chipped away at the edges |
| Clothbound |
A book with cloth covering the boards. |
| Codex |
A volume of ancient manuscript. |
| Colophon |
Either a publisher's trademark or information concerning the book's publication printed at the end of a book. Literally the finishing stroke. |
| Comb binding |
A binding similar to a spiral binding, but made of plastic, and which if flattened would resemble a comb. |
| Deaccessioning |
Selling or otherwise disposing of books from a collection. |
| Deckle edge |
Rough edges which a sheet of paper has after it has left the deckle, but before it is trimmed in the papermaking process. |
| Definitive edition |
The most authoritative version of a work. |
| Desideratum, pl. desiderata |
Something needed and wanted. Desiderata is a want list. |
| Dust jacket |
The paper cover (d.j.). |
| Dust wrapper |
The same as a dust jacket (d.w.). |
| Double elephant folio |
Description of the size of a book: about 50 inches high. |
| Duodecimo |
Description of the size of a book: about 7.75 inches high (12mo). |
| Edition |
All the copies of the book made from a specific set of type (with the exception of minor alterations). |
| Elephant folio |
Description of the size of a book: about 23 inches high. |
| Embossing |
A process which produces decorations raised above the surface (typically of printable material). |
| Endpaper |
The folded sheet of paper pasted to the inside of the front or back cover and attached to the edge of the first or last page of a hardcover book during manufacturing. |
| Erratum, pl. errata |
A correction of error(s) inserted into a book after it has been printed. |
| Ex library |
A book with library markings on it. |
| Ex libris |
A Latin phrase meaning, "From the Library of." |
| Even folio |
Page numbers on the left-hand pages. |
| Facsimile edition |
An exact reproduction of an original book depicting the text and the book's physical appearance. |
| First edition |
The first printing of the first edition (as far as collectors are concerned). |
| Flyleaf |
Un printed pages (other than endpapers) which may appear at the front or back of a book. |
| Folio |
Description of the size of a book: about 15 inches high (Fo). |
| Fore edge |
The front of a book, considering the spine to be the back of a book. |
| Fore-edge painting |
A form of book decoration popular in the late eighteenth century which displays a painting when the books pages are fanned. |
| Fortyeightmo |
Description of the size of a book: about 4 inches high (48mo). |
| Foxed |
Discolored, usually with reddish-brown spots, especially the leaves of a book. |
| Frontispiece |
Illustration which faces the title page. |
| Galley |
A proof of a book made before the pages are numbered. |
| Gauffering (goffering) |
Decorative, deckle edged pages. |
| Gutter |
White space between facing pages. |
| Headband |
A decorative cloth band added to the top of bottom of a book's spine. |
| Illuminated |
Old manuscripts and early books decorated with ornamental letters or colored illustrations. |
| Illustrated |
Decorated with pictures or other features usually for the purpose of clarifying the context. |
| Impression |
The number of books printed in a press run, or the run itself. |
| Imprint |
The publisher's and/or printer's note usually found at the foot of the title page giving place, date and publication information. |
| Incunabulum, pl. incunabula |
A book from the "cradle" time of printing (before 1500). |
| Library binding |
A reinforced binding. |
| Limited edition |
A printing which is limited to a stated number. Often inscribed with the author's signature and a sequence number. |
| Nom de plume |
Literally "pen name," the pseudonym an author uses. |
| Octavo |
Description of the size of a book: about 9.75 inches high (8mo). |
| Parchment |
Animal skin (usually sheep) used for a writing material. |
| Quarto |
Description of the size of a book: about 12 inches high (4mo). |
| Recto |
The right-hand or front of a book leaf. Contrast "verso," the back of the leaf. |
| Sixteenmo |
Description of the size of a book: about 6.75 inches high (16mo). |
| Sixtyfourmo |
Description of the size of a book: about 3 inches high (64mo). |
| Thirtytwomo |
Description of the size of a book: about 5 inches high (32mo). |
| Tooling |
Decoration of a book's cover by impression of gold leaf or other material. |
| Twentyfourmo |
Description of the size of a book: about 5.75 inches high (24mo). |
| Vellum |
A fine calfskin used for writing or book manufacture (used for most ancient manuscripts). |
| Verso |
The back of a leaf. Contrast "recto," the front of the leaf. |
| Woodcut |
A block of wood which is engraved for printing or the resulting product of its use. |
| Zinc etching |
A photoengraving process which produces black-and-white line drawings. |
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