Glossary of rare book terms

Sellers of used, rare, and outofprint books often use jargon to precisely describe the condition of their titles. Collect rare and outofprint books as one of the premier rare book sites on the internet, alibris has thousands of rare books, first editions, and signed books available. For example, to obtain a book from grand avenue library, an offsite usc library, will require you to page the item and pick it up from leavey library. As issued a term used to describe an aspect of the book that might be perceived as a flaw but was the original state of the book. Gutter the inner margins adjoining the spine of a page. Symptoms include weakness, numbness, tingling and increased sensitivity that spreads over the body. Occasionally the text of a book will be put into a specialized book press and painted, often with a scene from the book or a landscape, so that the painting is invisible when the book is closed but visible when somebody bends the text and fans the pagesknown as a foreedge painting. Book terminology or book terms are the vocabulary used in book collecting to describe the many different parts of the book.

It pays to become familiar with the basic descriptive terms used by used and rare booksellers to communicate a particular book s condition. Looking for help understanding commonly used book collecting terminology, or abbreviations and references used in book sellers descriptions. To view a term record, click on its first letter from the list below. Glossary of book termssome common abbreviations used in the world of collectible books.

Search the glossary of book terms to unravel the puzzling language you may have found in the description of your book. Buying used books online shouldnt require any more guesswork than buying new copies. Not only will this allow the novice to correctly describe a book, this page will provide an easy reference to unknown book words allowing an intelligent decision before purchasing or describing a book to sell. Below youll find a list of terms and their definitions to common book printing terms. The alphabetical list contains unapproved terms and references. Tipped in is used to describe something which has been glued into a book. A glossary for book collectors, booksellers, librarians, and others berger, sidney e. Very fine is a flawless copy, perfect in every way and probably never read.

A list of terms and definitions particular to the subject of the book. As one of the premier rare book sites on the internet, alibris has thousands of rare books, first editions, and signed books available. But there is a proper way of doing things and books have long had a wideranging, welltried and welltrusted language of description. Contact us the first edition rare books rare books by. Here are some resources to help you decode bookcollectorspeak. Additional or supplementary material generally found at the end of a book. A glossary for book collectors, booksellers, librarians, and others. When the owner of a book is known and is stated for the purpose of authenticating and documenting the history of the book. Book printing glossary below youll find a list of terms and their definitions to common book printing terms. The edge of a book opposite the spine sometimes inscribed, decorated, painted, or gilt. Each term is followed by one or more explanatory encyclopediastyle definitions. It pays to become familiar with the basic descriptive terms used by used and rare booksellers to communicate a particular books condition. Here is our ash rare books guide to the common terms and abbreviations.

Valuable book which so difficult to find that it seldom appears for sale. A trade publication for the rare and antiquarian book industry that was published between 1948 and 1999. You may encounter some of these terms used to describe books listed on. An illustration appearing before the first pages of a book. Association copy a book once belonging to the author, or signed or annotated by the author to someone closely associated with the author of the book or the book itself in some way. Thats why all our used book listings contain a condition code. One collector, dealer or society may define a term in one way, while others will use the term in a slightly different way. The online glossary provides access to the more than 39,000 glossary entries contained in the fifth edition of the print glossary.

A thesaurus for use in rare book and special collections cataloging. Let us help with this glossary of book binding terms. Terms at the end of the volume an listds all the significant references in the glossary to authors and their writings. And please let us know if any of our definitions still leave you puzzled. The mostsuccinct definition of how to identify a book s spine probably comes from tom congalton and dan gregory of between the covers rare books, inc the part of the book that faces you when it is properly shelved on a bookshelf. The introductory text from the print edition is available. This guide contains resources and terms frequently used in the library. Glossary of library terms library terminology research. It is not complete, but is a work in progress, and a labor of love for those who collect books, published here as a service to those whove requested it. Booksellers use these terms, as well as unique terms not included in this list, based on their own criteria. Also, a book inscribed by its author to a famous person, or owned by someone of interest. If you have additional questions regarding the glossary, please contact our special services. Whether youd like to sell, buy, or just ask a question, wed love to hear from you.

Boards the stiff material commonly referred to as the covers. Two fiveyear sentences and one threeyear sentence, if served concurrently, result in a maximum of five years behind bars. Antiquarian and rare book glossary of terms you should know raptis rare books fine rare and antiquarian first edition books for sale. A brief workgenerally between 1 and 35 pages in lengthon a topic. Prior to shelving, each book is graded appropriately. This abbreviated glossary covers only the most commonly encountered terms.

Dec 08, 2017 if a book includes rare, unfamiliar, specialized, or made up words or terms, the glossary serves as a dictionary for the reader to reference throughout their reading of the book. Mathematics terms and definitions look up the meaning of math words. Illustration at the beginning of a book, usually facing the title page. Glossary of terms used in architecture bauman rare books. Fair a book in very worn condition, but all of its important parts and dust jacket if one was issued must be present. See gilt als autographed letter signed antiquarian bookseller a term, in todays usage, that describes a bookseller whose stock in trade is primarily old, rare, andor collectible books association copy a book once belonging to the author, or signed or annotated by the author to someone closely associated with the author of the book or the book. Visit us online, at our galleries in new york or las vegas, or call us at 180099bauman.

Ever how to interpret the condition, edition, and other terms included in the description of a book for sale. This is the first full edition of a book collectors glossary. The glossary of geology is available as an online subscription, via ip address, to libraries, university departments, corporations, etc. The association fosters the appreciation and sales of antiquarian books, prints and manuscripts and promotes professional and ethical standards for its members. While glossaries are most commonly associated with nonfiction books, in some. Fine f a book that has no defects in book or jacket, but not as crisp as it was when new. Bowed a condition where the boards of a hardcover book have turned either inwards or outwards in relation to the leaves. Although we offer extended due dates for the convenience of our users, these due dates are not guaranteed. The numbering of leaves not pages, commonly found in manuscripts.

The books interior will only be printed in black ink, with one color black on both sides of the page. If a book or other library item is located at another location, you can page, or summon the book to be sent to your location. A street car token of 1880, of which 500 are known to exist, would be considered to be common in the context of street car tokens. Glossary of historical collectible terms heritage auctions.

Tippedin items can include photos, book plates, author signatures, postcards etc. Here is a helpful compilation of rare book terms commonly used in the manuscript and rare book market. May 21, 2015 this glossary defines nearly 300 terms frequently encountered by stamp collectors and cover collectors. To further these objectives the abac sponsors book fairs and endeavours to stimulate interest in book collecting by private collectors and public institutions. Catalogue entries each old and rare book in our online store is described using our old and rare book cataloging style. Describes a book that shows some small signs of wear but no tears on either binding or paper. Book terms and book conditions used by book collectors. Pulp cheaply produced magazine made from low grade newsprint. The following shows a book open, exposing its pastedown and endpapers these are called marbled endpapers. Abaa about rare books book glossary book collecting advice. Some booksellers prefer the term mellowed, a term best perhaps reserved for. Please let us know if there are any more expresssions you would like us to include.

Taken together with our other glossaries, we hope this list of book condition terms will help you kickstart your book collecting efforts. A book description is the language we rely on to convey to you, the buyer, an accurate picture of the book we have for sale. There may be exceptions to some of our definitions our main concern. Glossary of historical collectible terms find common terms and definitions related to collecting historical collectibles. Mass market paperback is the format in which most popular fiction is published. Some of the terminology used in book collecting can be arcane, indeed. This by architecture, john henry parker is available at bauman rare books. Abaa glossary of book terms antiquarian booksellers. Share flipboard email print math is already its own language, so make sure you know the meaning of words used to describe it runphoto, getty images science, tech, math.

Glossary pearson, as an active contributor to the biology learning community, is pleased to provide free access to the classic edition of the biology place to all educators and their students. Bindings a term generally used in the antiquarian book world to mean fine bindings, of which there are numerous styles. The mission of the abaa is to promote ethical standards and professionalism in the antiquarian book trade, to encourage the collecting and preservation of rare and antiquarian books and related materials, to support educational programs and research into the study of rare books, and to facilitate collegial relations between. Glossary of terms used on vaccines and immunizations website. Abaa sponsors three annual rare book fairs, the best of their kind in america. Raptis rare books is an antiquarian book firm that specializes in fine first editions, signed and inscribed books, and landmark books in all fields. The front free endpaper or ffep is also a common place to encounter signatures or inscriptions. For example, see glossary of architecture in order to explain jargon for wikipedias broad audience, each of its glossaries contains a working vocabulary.

Traditionally, a glossary appears at the end of a book and includes terms within that book that are either newly introduced, uncommon, or specialized. A glossary, also known as a vocabulary or clavis, is an alphabetical list of terms in a particular domain of knowledge with the definitions for those terms. Prison terms for two or more offenses to be served at the same time, rather than one after the other. A more complete guide to book sizes, book conditions and binding terms can be found through the aforementioned links. Muscle paralysis starts in the feet and legs and moves upwards to the arms and hands. Antiquarian and rare book glossary of terms you should know. The first half of the glossary contains terms az and is followed by two book anatomy illustrations, descriptions of the various book sizes, a guide to condition ratings, and the most common abbreviations used in the world of. Glossary of rare book terms letter f books tell you why. The south carolina book dealers association is made up of persons and businesses in south carolina usa, engaged in the selling of rare and outofprint books.

Books are frequently described as rare when they are merely valuable. Abaa glossary of book collecting terms abc for book collectors pdf bookbinding and the conservation of books catalogers desktop classification web estc estc web matching heritage of the printed book hpb lc. Precise definitions for many philatelic terms do not exist. Find some of the common jargon booksellers and book collectors often use. Here is our ash rare books guide to the common terms and. We take our book descriptions seriously as our online bookshop sales are completely dependant on customers buying what they expected from our catalogue. Also, the gutter between the ffep and front pastedown is a very common place to encounter damage to a book, notably a cracked binding. Usually sewn and glued, hardcover books are then bound with cardboard covers that are reinforced with a stiff cloth before being covered with a paper dust jacket.

A work whose authenticity or authorship is in doubt. Glossary of geology american geosciences institute. When you order a used book from, youll know exactly what kind of shape its in. When it comes to a book s binding, there are many descriptors that are used. Bauman rare books offers an extraordinary selection of rare books and autographs in all fields. It was founded with the aim of fostering interest in rare books and manuscripts and maintaining high standards in the antiquarian book trade. Glossary of rare book terms letter t books tell you why.

A book described as good will not usually appeal to the fastidious collector unless the book is extremely rare, but books in good condition may prove a bargain for the general collector or when fine copies are priced out of budget. Glossary wilsey rare books, dealers in rare books on the. Most libraries keep their rare books in special collections to which access is restricted. Antiquarian bookseller a term, in todays usage, that describes a bookseller whose stock in trade is primarily old, rare, andor collectible books. A book from the stan lee or forrest ackerman collection would be an example of a value adding provenance.

The new grisham, grafton, or cornwell novel you bought to read on your vacation is one of these. Approval of a plan of reorganization by a bankruptcy judge. Beinecke cataloging manual yale university library. Antiquarian and rare book glossary of terms you should. There may be exceptions to some of our definitions our main concern is to provide you with general concepts relative to commonly used book jargon. Antiquarian books a loose term implying collectible books rather than used books. A glossary of book binding terms books tell you why, inc. For anyone interested in book collecting, understanding the terminology used in the book buying and selling industry is essential. The book s interior will only be printed in black ink, with one color black on both sides of the page. This 2007 publication is a revision of descriptive cataloging of rare books, 1991, itself a revision of bibliographic description of rare books, 1981t. Describes the average used worn book that has all pages or leaves present. Each glossary is an alphabetically arranged list of a subjects terms, with definitions.

If you have any questions regarding any first edition books or any rare books, please contact us today. This page has words starting with the letter a, click on the letter links below for other words as needed. Pagination the numbering of pages is rare in books printed before 1475. On wikipedia, a glossary is a special kind of list. Abebooks glossary of book terms our glossary was designed to help visitors to our website understand unfamiliar bookrelated terms. Ioba book terminology independent online booksellers. Abaa antiquarian booksellers association of america. To further these objectives the abac sponsors book fairs and endeavours to stimulate interest in book collecting by. We have put together definitions for dog words that you may not be familiar with. Abebooks glossary of book terms our glossary was designed to help visitors to our website understand unfamiliar book related terms. What is a glossary in a book how to write a glossary for.

The terms soft cover, paperback, and wraps also refer to a paper binding. Glossary of terms used in architecture rare book for sale. There is merit in precision and we try to use the most precise and professional terminology. All edges gilt the top, foredge and foot of the book are colored in gold. Indicates that this is not the first appearance of a book in print, but that this is the first appearance in a substantially. This consists of two paragraphs, the first of which describes the physical book, the second its bibliographic history and information about it.

Hopefully, our glossary will help you unravel some of the jargon used by book collectors and book sellers. Collectible book terms glossary this section of bookpoi provides one of the most comprehensive glossaries, with definitions, of book terms available. Like terms describing condition, statements of rarity are somewhat subjective. Alphabetical list rare books and manuscripts section. A book collectors glossary by carl noe scot kamins, editor. If a book includes rare, unfamiliar, specialized, or made up words or terms, the glossary serves as a dictionary for the reader to reference throughout their reading of the book.