150+ terms from the world of book collecting, cataloging, and the antiquarian trade. Alphabetical, opinionated, and occasionally useful.
A
A.L.S. — Autograph Letter Signed. A letter written entirely in the hand of the author, and signed. The gold standard of manuscript material. See also T.L.S.
Addenda — Material added after the main text was set, usually printed on a separate leaf. The author's way of saying "one more thing" after the book was already finished.
All edges gilt (a.e.g.) — All three edges of the text block (top, fore-edge, bottom) have been gilded. Decorative and slightly protective against dust. Common in Victorian bindings.
Ana — A collection of someone's memorable sayings. The literary equivalent of a Twitter feed, but with better grammar.
Antiquarian — Generally refers to books older than 100 years, though the term is flexible. In the trade, it means "old enough to be interesting and expensive."
Association copy — A copy with a documented connection to the author or someone significant. The book itself may be ordinary; the connection makes it extraordinary.
B
Backstrip — The covering material on the spine of the book. Sometimes called the spine, though technically the spine is the structural part underneath.
Bands — The raised horizontal ridges on the spine of a traditionally bound book, caused by the sewing cords or thongs underneath the covering.
Bastard title — See Half-title. The name is medieval, not rude.
Beveled boards — Boards whose edges have been cut at an angle. Common in heavy Victorian bindings. Makes the book look like it means business.
Bibliophile — A person who loves books. Not to be confused with a bibliomaniac, who loves books too much. The distinction is measured in square meters of available floor space.
Blind stamp/tooling — Decoration impressed into leather or cloth without gold or color. The impression is visible only by its shadow. Subtle, elegant, and easy to miss if you're not looking.
Boards — The stiff covers of a hardback book. Originally actual wooden boards; later replaced by pasteboard, millboard, or modern board.
Book part — In Shelvd, the specific component of a book that an uploaded photograph depicts: title page, frontispiece, spine, damage detail, etc. The 51 book part labels are grouped by matter (Physical, Front, Body, Back, Illustration, Other). See Photographing Your Books.
Bookplate — A label pasted inside the front cover to identify the owner. Ranges from elaborate armorial engravings to "THIS BOOK BELONGS TO EMMA, AGE 7." Both have provenance value.
Broadside — A single sheet printed on one side only. Not a book, strictly speaking, but collected alongside them. Think proclamations, ballads, and early advertising.
Browning — Discoloration of paper to a brown tone, caused by oxidation and/or lignin degradation. See also Foxing, Toning.
Buckram — A heavy-duty book cloth, sized and stiffened. The material of choice for library bindings, where durability trumps beauty.
C
Calf — Calfskin leather, one of the most common binding materials from the 16th to 19th centuries. Comes in varieties: full calf, half calf, tree calf, mottled calf, diced calf.
Cancel — A leaf that has been substituted for the original, usually to correct an error. The original is the "cancelland"; the replacement is the "cancellans." Yes, these are real words.
Catchword — A word printed at the bottom of a page that matches the first word on the next page. A pre-pagination navigation aid. If you've ever read a book printed before 1800, you've seen these.
Chain lines — Lines visible in handmade paper when held to light, caused by the wires of the paper mould. Perpendicular to laid lines. Useful for identifying paper type and format.
Chipboard — Cheap board made from recycled paper. Found in mass-market bindings. Not to be confused with millboard (which is good) or particle board (which is furniture).
Clasps — Metal fastenings that hold a book closed. Common on medieval and early printed books. Books were stored flat and clasps kept vellum pages from warping.
Cloth — The most common binding material for books from the 1830s onward. Cotton or linen fabric treated with starch or pyroxylin.
Cockled — Paper that has become wavy or wrinkled, usually from moisture. Not the same as "warped" (which refers to boards).
Collation — The process of checking that a book is complete — all leaves, plates, maps, and inserts present. Also: the formula describing the book's physical structure (e.g., "A-Z⁸ Aa-Cc⁸").
Colophon — A statement at the end of a book giving production details: printer, date, place, sometimes typeface and paper. The ancestor of the copyright page. See The Colophon on the blog.
Conjugate — Two leaves that are physically part of the same folded sheet. Important for determining if leaves are original or inserted.
Copyright page — The verso of the title page, containing edition statement, printing history, ISBN, and legal notices. The modern replacement for the colophon.
Cropped — When a book has been trimmed too aggressively during rebinding, cutting into printed text or illustrations. A minor sin that becomes major when it affects a valuable edition.
D
Deckle edge — The rough, uneven edge of handmade paper caused by the deckle (frame) of the paper mould. Sometimes imitated on machine-made paper for aesthetic effect.
Dentelles — Ornamental tooling on the inside edges of a leather binding. From the French for "lace." As decorative as it sounds.
Device — A printer's or publisher's emblem or trademark, usually found on the title page or colophon.
Dos-à-dos — A binding style where two books share a single back board, opening in opposite directions. Rare, clever, and deeply impractical for shelving.
Dust jacket — The removable paper wrapper around a hardback book. Introduced as protection, now often more valuable than the book it protects. See The Dust Jacket Problem on the blog.
E
Edition — All copies of a book printed from substantially the same setting of type. Not the same as impression, issue, or state. See Editions and Impressions.
Elephant folio — A book taller than 58 cm (23 inches). Named for its size, not its content. Audubon's Birds of America is the most famous example.
Embossed — Raised decoration on a binding, created by pressing the material over a relief. Blind if uncolored, gilt if gold.
Endpapers — The leaves at the front and back of a book that connect the text block to the covers. Can be plain, marbled, printed, or decorated.
Engraving — An image printed from an incised metal plate. The ink sits in the cut lines. Not to be confused with a woodcut (where ink sits on the raised surface).
Errata — A list of errors found after printing, usually printed on a separate slip or leaf. The publisher's confession, inserted before you notice.
Ex-library — A book that was previously in a library collection. Usually identifiable by stamps, labels, card pockets, and spine labels. The provenance nobody wants but everyone has.
Ex libris — Latin for "from the books of." Usually refers to a bookplate. See Ex Libris on the blog.
F
Facsimile — An exact reproduction of an original work. Can be photographic, lithographic, or digital. A facsimile of a Gutenberg Bible is interesting; it is not a Gutenberg Bible.
First edition — The first appearance of a work in print. The holiest of collecting grails, and the most frequently misidentified. See Editions and Impressions.
Flyleaf — A blank leaf at the front or back of a book, part of the endpapers. The traditional home of inscriptions, bookplates, and penciled prices.
Folio — (1) A leaf of a book. (2) A book format where each sheet is folded once, producing two leaves (four pages). (3) A large book. The word does a lot of work.
Fore-edge — The outer vertical edge of a book's pages, opposite the spine. Sometimes decorated: painted, gilt, or gauffered.
Foxing — Brown spots on paper caused by fungal activity, iron impurities, or both. The term comes from the color (fox-brown), not from any involvement of actual foxes. See Foxing, Browning, Toning on the blog.
Frontispiece — An illustration facing the title page. Traditionally an engraving or photograph, often a portrait of the author.
G
Gauffered — Edges of a book that have been decorated with heated tools, creating indented patterns. Usually on gilt edges. The Baroque version of bling.
Gilt — Gold applied to edges, spine, or covers. "Top edge gilt" (t.e.g.) means only the top is gilded. "All edges gilt" (a.e.g.) means all three.
Gutter — The inner margin of a page, where it meets the binding. Too narrow, and the text disappears into the spine.
H
Half-title — A leaf before the title page bearing only the title, without author or publisher information. Also called the bastard title (see above).
Headband — The small decorative band at the top (and sometimes bottom) of the spine, between the text block and the covering. Originally functional (reinforcement), now mostly decorative.
Hinge — The internal joint where the cover meets the text block. "Hinge cracked" means the connection is weakening. "Hinge broken" means the cover is detaching. Neither is good.
Holograph — A document entirely in the handwriting of the author. From Greek: "written whole."
I
ILAB — International League of Antiquarian Booksellers. The global federation of national antiquarian book trade associations (ABAA, ABA, SLAM, VDA, NVvA, ALAI, AILA, and others). Sets ethical standards for description, attribution, and trade. If your dealer is an ILAB member, they've agreed to play fair.
Illuminated — Decorated with hand-painted ornament, typically gold leaf and colors. Refers to manuscripts and early printed books. Not to be confused with "illustrated."
Impression — All copies printed at one time from the same setting of type. A first edition may have multiple impressions. See Editions and Impressions.
Imprimatur — "Let it be printed." Official permission to publish, required in many countries until the 18th century. Found on the verso of the title page or in the preliminaries.
Imprint — The publisher's name, place, and date as printed on the title page. In modern publishing, an imprint is also a subdivision of a publishing house.
Incunabulum (pl. incunabula) — A book printed before 1501. From Latin "in the cradle" — the infancy of printing. There are about 30,000 known editions, cataloged primarily by the ISTC.
Inscribed — Bearing a handwritten note by the author, usually on the flyleaf or half-title. Different from "signed" (which is just a signature).
Interleaved — A copy with blank leaves bound between the printed pages, intended for notes. The 17th-century version of annotating.
ISBN — International Standard Book Number. 10 digits before 2007, 13 digits after. Identifies a specific edition from a specific publisher. See Identifiers.
ISBD — International Standard Bibliographic Description. The IFLA standard that prescribes the structure and punctuation of a formal catalog entry. Eight areas, specific punctuation, universal grammar. The notation . — separating areas is ISBD's signature. See The ISBD Entry.
Issue — A group of copies within an edition that differ in some respect from other copies, usually intentionally. See Editions and Impressions.
J
Japanned — Paper or boards coated with a glossy lacquer finish. Primarily found in Asian-influenced Victorian bindings.
Joint — The external hinge of a book — the groove where the cover bends. "Joint cracked" is external; "hinge cracked" is internal.
K
Kettle stitch — The stitch at the head and tail of each section that links one section to the next. Named from the German Kettelstich. Visible at the top and bottom of the spine when the book is opened.
L
Laid paper — Paper showing parallel lines when held to light, caused by the closely-spaced wires of the mould. As opposed to wove paper (which shows a uniform texture).
Large paper copy — A copy printed on larger-than-standard sheets, giving wider margins. A luxury variant, sometimes issued simultaneously with the regular edition.
Leaf — A single sheet within a book, with a recto (front) and verso (back). One leaf = two pages. This is the most commonly confused unit in book description.
Letterpress — Printing from raised type or blocks. The dominant printing technology from Gutenberg to the mid-20th century. If you can feel the impression of the type on the page, it's letterpress.
Limited edition — An edition restricted to a stated number of copies, usually numbered and sometimes signed. The number alone doesn't create value — what matters is who limited it and why.
Limp — A binding with flexible covers rather than stiff boards. Limp vellum, limp cloth, limp leather. The word sounds worse than the binding is.
M
Manuscript (MS) — A text written by hand, as opposed to printed. Plural: manuscripts (MSS).
Marbled — Paper or edges decorated with a swirled pattern of colors, created by floating pigments on a bath of size. Each sheet is unique. Common on endpapers and edges from the 17th century onward.
Matter — The structural division of a book's content into three zones: front matter (everything before the main text: title page, dedication, contents), body (the text itself), and back matter (everything after: index, bibliography, colophon). In Shelvd, image labels and book parts are organized by matter.
MARC — Machine-Readable Cataloging. The data format used by libraries worldwide to store bibliographic records. Invented in the 1960s, still going strong, still confusing.
Miniature book — A book no larger than 76mm (3 inches) in any dimension. A specialty collecting field with its own society, its own bibliography, and its own magnifying glasses.
Mint — In absolutely perfect, as-new condition. A term borrowed from coin collecting. Rarely applicable to books, since even opening one technically diminishes it.
Morocco — Goatskin leather, usually from North Africa. Durable, takes dye and tooling beautifully. The luxury binding leather.
Mottled — Calf leather with an intentionally uneven, spotty appearance, achieved with acid or dye. Decorative, and it ages gracefully.
N
New — In bookselling, means "as published" — the book shows no signs of use. In condition grading, this is stronger than "Fine."
Nihil obstat — "Nothing stands in the way." An official declaration that a Catholic book contains nothing contrary to faith. Found with the Imprimatur.
O
Octavo (8vo) — A book format where each sheet is folded three times, producing eight leaves (sixteen pages). The most common format for modern books. See Physical Description.
Offset — (1) Lithographic printing method. (2) The ghost image transferred from one page to its facing page, usually from ink or illustrations. Offset (sense 2) is a flaw; offset (sense 1) is a technology.
Original — In its first binding, as issued by the publisher. "Original cloth" means the cloth binding it was published in, not a later rebinding.
P
Pagination — The numbering of pages. In bibliographic description, given as a sequence: "xvi, 352 p." means 16 preliminary pages in roman numerals followed by 352 text pages.
Palimpsest — A manuscript that has been scraped clean and rewritten. The original text sometimes remains partially visible. Medieval recycling.
Pasteboard — Board made from layers of paper pasted together. The standard material for book covers from the 16th century onward.
Plate — An illustration printed separately from the text and inserted during binding. As opposed to an illustration printed on the same page as the text.
Points — The specific features that identify a first edition, first issue, or first state. "Points of issue" are what collectors argue about with the intensity of medieval theologians. See Editions and Impressions.
Preliminaries (prelims) — The pages before the main text: half-title, title page, copyright page, dedication, contents, preface. Paginated in roman numerals.
Presentation copy — A copy given by the author to a specific person, usually inscribed. More personal than "signed," more significant than "inscribed to an unknown recipient."
Provenance — The history of ownership. Who had this book, when, and how it moved between owners. See Provenance Tracking.
Q
Quarto (4to) — A book format where each sheet is folded twice, producing four leaves (eight pages). Larger than octavo, smaller than folio. Shakespeare's plays were first published individually as quartos.
Quire — A gathering of folded sheets, ready for sewing. Also called a "section" or "signature."
R
Rebacked — A book whose spine has been replaced while keeping the original boards. A common and usually acceptable repair.
Recto — The right-hand page of an open book; the front of a leaf. Abbreviated "r." The opposite is verso.
Remainder — Copies sold off cheaply by the publisher when a book doesn't sell. Often identifiable by a remainder mark (a small ink mark or stamp on the bottom edge).
Rubbed — Light surface wear on a binding, typically on the edges, corners, and spine. The most common condition issue. If you've ever put a book in a bag, it's rubbed.
Rubricated — Decorated with red ink, typically initials, headings, or paragraph marks. Common in medieval manuscripts and incunabula.
S
Signatures — (1) The letters or numbers at the bottom of the first leaf of each gathering, used by the binder to assemble the book in the correct order. (2) The collation formula (e.g., "A–Z⁸").
S.l. — Sine loco (Latin: without place). Used in catalog entries when the place of publication is unknown: [S.l.] : [s.n.], [ca. 1780]. The bibliographic equivalent of a shrug.
S.n. — Sine nomine (Latin: without name). Used when the publisher is unknown. Often paired with S.l. in entries for early printed books where neither place nor publisher can be identified.
SLAM — Syndicat national de la Librairie Ancienne et Moderne. The French antiquarian booksellers' association. One of the oldest and most prestigious in Europe. Their conventions for catalog descriptions are followed by all French-language dealers. See Trade Catalog Conventions.
Slipcase — A box open on one side, designed to hold a book with its spine visible. Protective and decorative.
Sophisticated — In bibliography, this is not a compliment. It means the book has been altered to appear more complete or valuable than it is — added leaves, fabricated elements, concealed repairs.
Spine — The part of the binding that faces outward when the book is shelved. Contains the title, author, and publisher information. What most people see first.
Sprinkled — Edges or covers that have been decorated with small drops of dye or color. Less elaborate than marbling, more decorative than plain.
State — A variant within an issue, usually caused by corrections made during the print run. First state = before corrections; second state = after.
Statement of Responsibility (SoR) — In ISBD, the part of Area 1 that names all persons responsible for the intellectual content: author, editor, translator, illustrator. Preceded by / (space-slash-space). In trade descriptions, this information leads the entry instead.
Sunned — Faded by exposure to light. Spine sunning is the most common form — the spine fades while the covers retain their original color.
T
T.L.S. — Typed Letter Signed. A letter typed (not handwritten) but bearing an original signature. Less valuable than A.L.S. but still collected.
Tipped in — A leaf or plate attached to a page with a thin line of adhesive along one edge. The standard method for inserting plates, errata slips, and bookplates.
Title page — The page that gives the full title, author, publisher, and date. The single most important page for bibliographic description. See The Title Page.
Toning — Overall yellowing or darkening of paper caused by age and oxidation. Not the same as foxing (which is spotty) or browning (which is more severe).
Trade catalog — A catalog entry formatted for the antiquarian book trade, as opposed to a library (ISBD) entry. Author comes first (surname in capitals), sections separated by periods, binding and condition prominent. Conventions vary by country: ABA/ABAA (English), SLAM (French), VDA (German), NVvA (Dutch), and nine others. Shelvd generates trade entries in thirteen languages. See Trade Catalog Conventions.
Top edge gilt (t.e.g.) — Only the top edge of the text block is gilded. The most common form of edge gilding.
U
Uncut — A book whose pages have not been trimmed to a uniform size after binding. The edges may be rough or uneven. Not the same as "unopened."
Unopened — A book whose pages are still folded and joined at the edges, requiring cutting to read. Proof that the book has never been read. The collector's equivalent of a factory-sealed video game.
Unrecorded — Not found in any known bibliography or catalog. Either genuinely rare, or just not important enough for anyone to have cataloged it. Often both.
V
Variant — A copy that differs from other copies of the same edition. Can be a variant binding, variant title page, or variant text.
Vellum — Calfskin (or sometimes goatskin or sheepskin) prepared for writing or binding. Not the same as paper. Much more durable, much more expensive, and much more likely to warp.
Verso — The left-hand page of an open book; the back of a leaf. Abbreviated "v."
Vignette — A small illustration or decoration, usually on the title page. Often a printer's device or ornamental design.
W
Washed — Paper that has been cleaned with water or chemicals to remove stains, foxing, or discoloration. When done well, it's conservation. When done badly, it's damage.
Watermark — A design visible in paper when held to light, created during manufacture by a wire pattern in the mould. Used to identify the paper maker, date, and mill.
Woodcut — An image printed from a carved wooden block. The oldest printing illustration technique. The ink sits on the raised surface (relief printing).
Wormholes — Tiny holes in paper or binding caused by bookworms (larvae of various beetle species). The kind of worms that actually eat books, as opposed to the metaphorical bookworms who merely read them.
Wove paper — Paper with a uniform texture (no laid lines), made on a mould with a woven wire surface. Introduced in the mid-18th century. Most modern paper is wove.
Wrapper — A paper cover on a book. Can be printed or plain. The predecessor of the dust jacket. "In original wrappers" is a desirable condition for pamphlets and some early editions.
This glossary is not exhaustive — no glossary of bibliography ever is. But it covers the terms you'll encounter in Shelvd and in the trade. For deeper reading, see ABC for Book Collectors by John Carter (now in its 9th edition), which remains the standard reference and is considerably funnier than it has any right to be.
See also: Condition Terms · Binding Styles · Book Formats