• Terminology.
  • Albumen Print - Photographs produced between 1850 and 1890, made from albumen paper coated with egg white. Some books of this period had these books tipped in.
  • Advanced Copy - A copy for reviewers and booksellers before publication, with a paper or cloth binding and a review slip tucked in.
  • Annotation - A descriptive or evaluative note in a bibliography or catalog.
  • Aquatint - An intaglio process of etching in which acid-resistant granules are applied to a copper or steel plate before etching.
  • Author's Proof - A copy that is returned to the publisher with corrections made in it.
  • Association Copy - A book belonging to the author or another person with whom he was associated, contains identifying evidence.
  • Back List - A publishers list of older titles still in demand.
  • Backstrip - The spine of the book.
  • Bevelled Boards - Covers of a book that have been cut on an angle.
  • Biblio - Greek, signifying or pertaining to books.
  • Bibliophile - A lover of Books.
  • Bibliophobe - A fearer of books.
  • Bind - To fasten leaves together and adhere to covers.
  • Binding - The cover of the book.
  • Binding Copy - A used copy that needs rebinding.
  • Bleeding - Printing an image past the edge of a page.
  • Blurb - A comment from a review, printed on the dust jacket or cover.
  • Boards - The front and back covers.
  • Book Plates - A lable pasted on the inside cover of a book showing ownership.
  • Book Scout - A Dealer without a store.
  • Book Worm - Beetle larvae that likes the paste and glue of a book's binding. Modern books use alum in the paste to discurage the larvae.
  • Breaker - To take a book apart for its contents.
    1. A person who breaks up books to sell the plates.
    2. A book in reading copy condition or worse that is suitable for taking apart for its plates.
  • Broadside - A single sheet printed on one side only.
  • Broadsheet - A single sheet sometimes printed on both sides.
  • Browning - Discoloration of the paper because of age.
  • Cancel - One or more pages substituted for existing pages in a book that has already been bound when an error is found.
  • Chapbook - A book or pamphlet six or seven inches tall from the 17th to 19th century.
  • Chipped - Used to describe when small pieces on the edge of the dust jacket have been torn off.
  • Covers - The Binding of the book, front and back boards of the book.
  • Cuts - Illustrations printed in the text pages.
  • Cut Edges - Edges trimmed by machine as opposed to the pages being roughly cut. (see Uncut)
  • Dampstain - Water stain.
  • Dedication Copy - A copy of a book with the author's presentation inscription to the person(s).
  • Disbound - lacking/removed binding.
  • Discard Stamp - The stamp of a library that reads Discard or Ex-Libris on the title page and/or the end papers.
  • Dos-a-dos - Two separate books bound so that each cover represents the cover of a diffrent title.
  • Dummy - A mock-up book used by salesmen to show what the book would look like to prospective buyers. Containing the title page, ten to twenty pages (about the first chapter), and blank pages to fill the rest of the binding.
  • Dust cover - (see Dust Jacket.)
  • Dust Jacket - The paper cover which is issued with the book. Also called the dust cover.
  • Dustwrapper - The covers of the book made of paper rather than from boards. Not removable.
  • Edition - All printings or impressions of the book until the content or text is changed.
  • Embossing - A raised lettering or design on the cover of a book.
  • Endpapers - When a book is bound, the binder adds a double leaf, half of which is pasted to the inside covers, leaving the other half to form the first and last leaves of a book.
  • Ephemera - A short lived piece of printed material. Paper Collectables. (ex. playbills, posters, and flyers, etc.)
  • Ex Libris - A book that has been discarded from a library, contains library markings. (Exlib.)
  • Facsimile - A copy or reproduction of a book that was not done with the original books plates. Photocopy.
  • First Edition - The total number of printings or impressions of the book until changed. (see edition)
  • First Separate Edition - First printing in book form of something previously published with other printed matter.
  • Fly Leaf - The blank page following the endpaper at the beginning or end of a book.
  • Fly Title - (see Half Title)
  • Format - The general design and makeup of a book.
  • Foxing - Discoloration of reddish or brown spots on the pages.
  • Gilt Edges - The pages have been cut smooth and gilt or gold has been applied.
  • Ghost - May indicate missing pages and/or plates.
    1. A faint image appearing where it was not intened.
    2. The transfer of ink from a printed page or an engraving to the opposite page.
  • Gutter - The inner margin of a page.

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