This glossary covers many of the terms used by libraries and booksellers to describe the components of a book. The list has been compiled from various sources, and will be updated as we come across new terms used by our customers, suppliers and partners.

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

advance reading copy - A preview or early review copy of a book that is usually sent to book buyers, reviewers, booksellers, book clubs, and/or publisher sales representatives before the book is published. It could be in a different format, uncorrected, not bound, and/or have a different cover design than the publication issue. The typical publishing process is proof, advance reading copy, and publication.

annuals - Books that are published annually.

as issued - The book is in the original physical state that it was published in and has all its original components including its binding, text block, illustrations, etc.

as new - Refers to the condition of a book; it is immaculate and without flaws. See also mint.

association copy - A book that was either owned by its author, owned by someone connected to the author, or owned by someone connected to the contents of the book. It can also refer to a book that was annotated by the author. Proof of the association is usually in the form of some written notes.

backstrip - The covering of the book spine that has the title and author of the book printed on it. It is usually made of cloth, leather, or paper, and is sometimes decorated. See also spine.

bevelled edges - A binding technique in which the edges of the boards of the book have been cut to a slanted angle. Also known as bevelled boards.

binding - The process that secures the pages or sections of a publication to keep them in order and to protect them. Binding may be stapled or sewn, sewn and enclosed in wrappers, or by gluing the pages to the outer cover, but most often refers to a hardcover binding. The art of bookbinding has its own fascinating history; knowing the basic chronology of bookbinding history can be an aid in dating undated material and help in the detection of fraudulent material. See also perfect bound.

binding copy - A book that is worth re-binding; the book covers are in serious disrepair, but the text is fine.

blanks - Refers to a blank page that is left intentionally in the book. It can be located at beginning of the book, at the end of a clearly marked division, and/or at the end of book. Also known as blank leaves or printer's blanks.

board book - A durable book format that is used for children's books, in which all pages are printed on thick cardboard.

boards - The front and back covers of a hardcover book. The term originates from when book covers were made from wood, but they are now typically made from stiff cardboard or paperboard.

book club edition - A book that was printed specially for a book club (e.g. "Book of the Month Club") that usually uses a lesser quality paper and binding materials. These editions are usually available by book club subscription only.

book jacket - See dust jacket.

bookplate - A simple or elaborately designed label used to indicate ownership, which is usually found pasted to the inside of the front cover of a book.

bright copy - Refers to the condition of a book; a surprisingly bright or fresh copy of an older book. It is as new and clean as the day it was published.

broadside - A sheet of paper, usually of a larger size, that is printed on one side only. Examples include songs, poems, announcements of sales, and political declarations.

buckram - An inexpensive stiff cotton fabric that is used to bind books. It is often used in library editions because of its strength.

bumped - Refers to the condition of a book; it refers to worn, bent, or rounded corners of the boards of a book.

cancel - A publisher-authorized content correction that is made after a book has been printed and bound. Cancels can be as small as a scrap of paper to correct type, or as large as a page or a signature to correct a section. The corrected page or illustration is glued onto the page or inserted into an already bound book.

chapbook - A small book or pamphlet, often a collection of poetry or prose.

chipped - Refers to the condition of a book; a mark or flaw caused by scuffing, gouging, or breaking off of a small piece of the dust jacket, pages, or backstrip.

chromolithography - A printing process that is done by printing in colours from a series of lithographic stones or plates. Noted for its fresh, bright colours, this process was popular during mid and late 19th century bookmaking.

cloth - A book that is bound and covered in cloth. See also hardcover.

cocked - Refers to the condition of a book; the spine is no longer straight and appears crooked or twisted. Also known as spine lean.

cockled - Refers to the condition of a book; the wrinkled, puckered, waving, or curling condition of a page or of the boards of a book, which is caused by non-uniform drying and shrinkage.

collated - The content of the work, including all pages and illustrations, has been examined and verified that it is complete and in the proper order.

colophon - A printer's reference at the end of a book which usually gives the place of printing, name of the printer, and other details about the book. See also imprint.

contemporary - A term used to describe a work that was published within the last decade.

cracked - Refers to the condition of a book; there is a long narrow opening or break down the spine or in the cover.

crimped - Refers to the condition of a book; a grooved, indented, or pinched condition of a cover or page, which is caused by extreme humidity.

cropped - The margins of the book have been trimmed by the binder, usually too close to the text or into the text.

cut - An illustration that is printed on a text page. See also plate.

deckle edges - The natural rough and uneven edges of book pages when they have not been trimmed flush. The binding of handmade paper can also produce this decorative effect. Also known as uncut.

dedication copy - A copy of a book specifically inscribed by the author to a particular person.

dedication page - The page of a book that lists the persons and/or institutions to whom the author has committed the work. It is usually located opposite the copyright page.

deluxe edition - See edition deluxe.

disbound - A book, pamphlet, or ephemera that is lacking its binding.

doctored - A book that has been repaired, restored, or even added to. Also known as made-up.

dust jacket - A removable paper wrapper that encloses a book to protect it from dirt. Also known as dust wrapper or book jacket.

dust wrapper - See dust jacket.

edition - All copies of a book that are printed from the same plates or one setting of type. An edition can have more than one printing. For example, if 300 copies of a book are printed on September 15, and 200 copies are printed from the same plates on November 24, all 500 copies are part of the same edition.

edition deluxe - An edition of a book that has been specially printed and bound for its fine appearance. Sometimes refers to limited editions with special leather or decorated cloth bindings.

edges - The top, bottom, and un-hinged outer sides of a book.

embossed leather - A leather binding that has been printed with a raised design.

endpapers - The plain white, coloured, decorated, or printed paper that is at the front and end of a book, one half of which is pasted down to the binding. The endpapers are used to give a finished look to the binding.

engraving - An illustration or decoration printed from a metal plate or hardwood block.

ephemera - Objects which, in general, are fragile and not made to last for a long time. Examples include, but are not limited to, magazines, journals, paper toys, and publisher promotional items.

errata - A list of errors and misprints in the text of a book. The list might be printed on a bound page in the book or on a separate piece of paper that is pasted or laid in the book.

ex-library - Identifies a book that was once the property of an institutional or corporate library. Usually there are noticeable marks and stamps on the binding and/or in the text. It may also have library card pockets, and it often shows considerable wear and/or rebinding.

facsimile - A copy that looks like the original printing of a book but is not original. Also known as fake.

fading - Refers to the condition of a book; describes the loss of colour on the pages, dust jacket, or the cover of the book, which is usually caused by time or exposure to sunlight.

fair - Refers to the condition of a book; Obviously well-worn and handled but no text pages are missing, however, it may be without endpapers or a title page. There might be markings, but they do not interfere with readability.

festschrift - A book containing a number of scholarly essays printed in honour of an individual.

fine - Refers to the condition of a book; No defects, little usage. May show remainder marks. Older books may show minor flaws.

fine binding - An elaborately designed book; for example, a book that is bound in leather with blind stamps and gilt edges.

first American edition - The first edition published in the U.S. of a book that was previously printed elsewhere.

first British edition - The first edition published in the United Kingdom of a book that was previously printed elsewhere. Also known as first U.K. edition.

first edition - The first appearance of a work in book form. Every printed book has a first edition but many never have later editions.

flex-cover - A supple and tractable book cover. Flex covers are often used in conjunction with spiral bindings.

fly title - See half-title.

flyleaf - The blank page or pages following the front free-endpaper.

fore-edge - The outside edge of the book where the book opens (opposite of the spine). Also known as front-edge.

foxing - Refers to the condition of a book; intrinsic to paper, the patchy brownish-yellow spots that discolour plates and pages of a book. It is most likely caused by lack of ventilation and/or chemical reactions between the paper and microorganisms.

frayed - Refers to the condition of a book; the unravelling of the threads or fibres of an edge of a book cover that is caused by excessive rubbing.

front-edge - See fore-edge.

front free-endpaper - The free or loose half of the pasted-down double leaf that is found at the very beginning of a book. The other half of the leaf, the pasted down portion, is attached to the board.

frontispiece - An illustration placed before the first pages of a book that usually faces the title page.

gilt edges - The edges of the pages of a book after they have been cut smooth and coloured, usually with gold paint.

glassine - A strong, thin, glazed, semi-transparent paper that is used to make protective covers for books because it is, among other durable characteristics, grease and water resistant.

gnawed - Refers to the condition of a book; chewed-on edges or corners of a book.

good -Refers to the condition of a book; The average used book with all pages present. Books with loose bindings, highlighting, cocked spine, torn dust jackets, can fall into this category.

gouge - Refers to the condition of a book; an unintentional nick or hole in the cover of a book, or on its spine.

gutter - The white space formed by the inner margins of two facing pages (near the spine) in a bound book, journal, or newspaper.

half cloth - A book that with cloth covered spine and paper covered boards.

half-title - The extra page, in front of the title page, that bears the abbreviated title of the book. In the days when books were sold as unbound leaves, the half-title served as a "cover" for the protection of the true title page. Also known as fly title or bastard title.

hardcover - A book with stiff boards that is bound and covered in either cloth, paper, or leather.

headband - A functional or ornamental band, made of coloured silk or cotton, which is fastened at the top (and sometimes at the bottom) of the spine of a book.

headpiece - A type ornament or decoration appearing at the start of a section or chapter of a book.

high spot - A term that is used to denote a highly regarded first or important edition of a book.

highlighting - The bright pen markings where the previous owner marked the book to highlight words, sentences, and/or passages of text.

hinge - An inside or outside joint of the binding of a book, where the spine meets the covers. It is usually made of cloth and provides additional strength at the flex point.

illustration - Refers to any picture, diagram, portrait, or non-text item in a work, which is used to clarify the text or for decoration.

impression - A set of copies of a work, printed at one time, from one setting of type. There may be several impressions of one edition. Also known as printing, press run, or print run.

imprint - Refers either to the place of publication or to the publisher. The imprint information is located either at the base of a title page or in a colophon at the back of a book.

index - An alphabetical listing of names or topics, with the citation of page numbers, to facilitate quick reference to the contents of the work. The index is located at the back in a book. For series and journals, it is usually published after the volume is completed and is usually found in the last issue.

inscribed copy - A book in which a written inscription has been made by the author, to a specified person.

insect damage - Refers to the condition of a book; the book's binding or boards show visible damage from insects.

issue - A portion of the printing of an edition that has a different format, binding, or paper. An issue, of an edition, is done intentionally by the publisher and can contain various states.

joint - The exterior juncture of the spine and boards of a (usually) case-bound book.

journal - A periodical or magazine, especially one published for a special group, learned society, or profession.

juvenile - A children's book.

juvenile picture book binding - A sturdy style of binding that is designed for books used by children. The book jacket is usually a case.

label - A square or rectangular piece of paper or leather attached to the spine of a book, containing printed information about the book, such as author, title, and volume number. Also known as backstrip label.

laid in - Pages or other paper present in the book that are not glued or sewn in.

laminated - A thin layer of plastic that is adhered to another material, such as cloth or paper.

large paper edition - An edition of a book with pages in a larger format than those of the regular edition. Typically these are limited or deluxe editions of a work.

large print edition - Designed for people with poor eyesight, the words are printed in a larger size than in the regular edition.

leaf - A single sheet of paper in a book. A page is one side of a leaf.

leather bound - A book that is bound and covered in leather.

leatherette - An imitation of grained leather, produced from a strong, machine-glazed base paper. Many small prayer books, for example, are leatherette. See also imitation leather.

leaves - The sheets of paper that make up a book. A page is one side of a leaf.

levant - Elegant and highly polished morocco goatskin leather with a grain-pattern surface.

library binding - A book with a stronger binding than the customary edition binding, and intended for use in a library.

library edition - Refers to a book supposedly or actually printed on a better quality of paper and with a stronger binding than the standard edition. It can also refer to an edition, series, or set of books, produced in a uniform format, but this use of the term is more or less obsolete.

limitation - A statement of number of copies printed in an edition. See also limited edition.

limited edition - An edition that is limited to a certain number of copies, is usually printed and bound luxuriously, and in some cases, may be signed by the author. The number of copies is given somewhere in the text of the book.

lithograph - An illustration printed from stone, zinc, or other material.

loose - Refers to the condition of a book; the text block is coming loose from the binding at the hinges.

loose-leaf - The binding of individual sheets of paper in an exchangeable form, for pages to be added, removed, or relocated in the book. Loose-leaf bindings are used wherever records of repeatedly changing information must be kept. Instruction manuals, catalogues, and accounting forms are often loose-leaf bound. Also known as ring-bound.

manuscript - The original text of an author's work, handwritten or typed. It can also refer to a book or document written before the invention of printing.

margin - The space between the edge of the page and the printed text. Sometimes in binding, the margins are trimmed or cropped.

misbound - An illustration, map, or a number of pages that have been incorrectly folded, bound in the wrong place, or bound in upside down.

no date - No publication date is printed in the book.

no place - No place of publication is printed in the book.

octavo - Refers to the size of the book; the most common book size since the early 17th century, an octavo book averages about 6 x 9 inches. The term originally referred to the number of folds (8) in a standard book-printing sheet, but it now commonly refers to size.

offprint - An excerpt of a larger publication that has been printed and bound separately for promotional purposes. For example, publishers will print and bind a chapter of a book to send to booksellers or for the author to give away before the entire book is published.

offset - The light image of transferred ink or an imprint that comes from an adjoining text page or illustration, or an inserted paper. This transference is not done on purpose and can be caused by humidity, acid from the inserted paper, or wet ink when the book was bound.

out of print - A publication that is no longer available through the publisher.

out of series - Unnumbered editions from a numbered limited edition series. They are considered "extra copies" of the edition, are usually not signed, and are not considered part of the limited edition series.

pagination - The sequence of the numbered pages in a book.

pamphlet - A small work that is less than book-length, has paper wraps, and typically has a staple binding. Also known as brochure.

panelled - Ruled lines forming a square border or frame on a binding, which is done in gilt or blind. Also known as compartments.

paperback - A book with a paper cover. Sir Allen Lane, founder of Penguin books, was credited with inventing the modern paperback when he published Ariel by Andre Maurois with a paper cover in 1936. Also known as wrappers.

parchment - A stiff material made of sheepskin or goatskin that is used for bindings and for legal documents and manuscripts. Material that is made of paper but looks and feels similar to the skin material can also be called parchment.

parts - Novels that are published in separate instalments, typically in a magazine or journal.

pastedown - The half of the endpaper that is pasted to the inside cover of a book.

perfect bound - A binding method that uses a plastic glue to bind the loose leaves to the solid text block of a book. It is used for paperback books.

pirated edition - An unauthorized edition that is usually sold abroad without payment to the author.

plate - A full-page book illustration that is separate from the text pages. Technically, illustrations that are printed on text pages are called cuts. However, the term "plate" is often used to describe both types of book illustrations.

poor -Refers to the condition of a book; All text is legible but may be soiled and have binding defects. Reading copies and binding copies fall into this category.

preliminary pages - The first pages of the book that appear before the text begins.

presentation copy - A book with an inscription which shows that it was a gift from the author or publisher. See also inscribed copy.

printer's blanks - See blanks.

printing - The total number of copies of a book, or another type of publication, printed at one time. For example, an edition of a book can have a first printing of 5,000 copies and a second printing of 2,000. See also edition.

price clipped - The inside front corner of dust jacket has the price cut off.

pristine condition - A book in its original condition, unchanged in any way.

private press - A small establishment that is not associated with a large publishing house. Private presses decide which works they will print, frequently do their own press work, and print editions in limited numbers of copies.

privately printed - A work printed at the expense of the author or some other private individual or group.

proofs - Traditionally, a printed trial-run of the work, bound or unbound, which is used for proofreading and to determine if changes need to be made in the text. The typical publishing process is proof, advance reading copy, and publication.

provenance - The history of the previous owners of a book. Bookplates, notes and other writings in the book, and inserted matter, may determine provenance.

quarter-bound - A book with a leather spine and with the sides bound in paper or cloth.

quality paperback - See trade paperback.

quarto - Refers to the size of a book; the book measures about 9 by 12 inches. Also known as 4to.

rag book - A children's book printed on and bound with cloth fabric.

rare - Traditionally, a publication is "rare" if an active collector or bookseller expects to see it in the marketplace only once in a great while.

reading copy - Refers to the condition of the book; the text is readable and complete, but the binding is in poor condition and the text block should probably be rebound.

rebacked - The book has been given a new spine and the hinges have been fixed. This process mends a book when the hinges are weak and the spine is worn and cracked. See also rebound and recased.

rebound - The original binding of the book has been removed and a new binding has been attached and re-sewn. See also rebacked and recased.

recased - The text block of the book has been put into a new binding. The process usually requires new endpapers and gluing but not re-sewing of the binding. See also rebacked and rebound.

recto - The front of the leaf; the page that lies to the right in an open book. Rectos are the odd-numbered pages. Also known as recto page. See also verso.

reinforced dust jacket - A dust jacket that has been strengthened with tape by the previous owner.

reinforced library binding - See library binding.

re-issue - A term encompassing all types of a reprinting of a work; it can be a later printing of a book, which is substantially unchanged, or an entirely new edition, such as a cloth edition re-issued as a paperback edition.

remainder - Books that are discounted from the publisher because of over-printing or lack of sales, or because the book has been revised. They are often sold to booksellers in bulk and usually have remainder marks on the outside edge or binding of the book.

remainder mark - A publisher's written mark on a book indicating it is a remainder. It is usually done with a permanent pen, stamp, or spray paint on the outside edge or on the binding of the book.

reprint - A new impression from the same type setting, or a new edition of the work.

review copy - A copy of a book sent out for review by the publisher to the press, booksellers, and others in order to attract attention to the publication. See also advance reading copy.

ringbound - See loose-leaf.

rubbed - Refers to condition; the spine or cover has visible scuffmarks and may be worn in places.

scarce - Traditionally, a "scarce" publication isn't as hard to find as a rare publication, but might take a few years to locate.

scuffed - Refers to condition; the binding or cover has been scraped and might look rough or slightly frayed in places.

serialization - A work of fiction that is printed in successive parts first in a magazine and then in book form, or is printed as a book and then printed in successive parts in a magazine.

series author - An author whose work consists of series titles. Kevin J. Anderson, author of Star Wars; Young Jedi Knights, is an example.

series title - A collective title for a successive group of publications with a common theme or subject, which are usually published by the same publisher but not necessarily by the same author. Star Wars, Sweet Valley High, and Goosebumps are examples of series titles.

set - A group of publications with a common theme that are released, usually at the same time, by one publisher. The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (12 Volume Set) by Charlotte Porter and Helen A. Clarke (eds.) is an example.

shaken - Refers to condition; a cloth or leather bound book that is loose in its covers but is still attached to its binding.

sheet music - Compositions printed on unbound paper.

shelf worn - Refers to condition; the book shows visible signs of wearing on the binding and/or edges due to numerous removals and placements on countless shelves.

signature - A group of folded pages that, when bound and trimmed with other signatures, forms a book or pamphlet. Also known as gathering. Also refers to a person's self-handwritten name (autograph signature).

slipcase - A box open on one side so that when a book is slipped into it, the spine shows.

soft cover - Typically is synonymous with paperback, but it can also describe a book with a limp cover or a flex-cover.

spine - The part of the book opposite the opening, which is visible when the book is shelved. Also known as back, backstrip, and shelfback.

stapled - A binding method that uses metal staples to secure the pages, typically for binding magazines and pamphlets. Also known as saddle stitching.

state - Minor changes made to a portion of the edition during the manufacturing stage and before all the books were complete and released. The term does not refer to condition.

stub - a narrow strip of paper on the inside margin, between leaves of a book. Usually evidence that a plate or other matter has been removed or that there is an illustration attached into the binding.

subtitle - A secondary and explanatory title used to explain more about the book.

sunned - Refers to condition; the pages or dust jacket is faded from exposure to sunlight.

suppressed - A part of a book that was held back after being published; i.e, a chapter that existed in the first printing, does not appear in the second.

text block - The signatures of a book, sewn and trimmed, but without covers, endpapers, or a binding. Also known as book block.

tight back - The book that is bound very tight with an inflexible spine, almost to a fault because when it opens, the pages will not lie flat by themselves. However, as the book becomes well used, the binding will eventually loosen. Also known as fast back.

tipped-in - A publisher-authorized content correction that is made after a book has been printed and bound. It can be as small as a scrap of paper to correct type, or as large as a page or a signature to correct a section. The corrected page or illustration is glued onto the page or inserted into an already bound book. Also known as cancels.

title page - The page of a book, which contains the name of the author(s), the title, and usually the publisher's name and the date and place of publication.

trade paperback - A soft cover edition of a book that generally has a high-quality binding and is in a larger size format than a traditional paperback. Also known as quality paperback.

typescript - A typewritten copy of a work. It may be the author's original copy, a typewritten copy of the manuscript, or a typewritten copy done by a professional typist. See also manuscript.

unopened - The folded edges of the signatures have not been cut open for reading. The book has been left in the beginning stages of its binding process or it was issued in this manner.

unpaginated - The pages of the publication are unnumbered.

unsophisticated - Refers to condition; the book is fairly worn and has not been repaired. Unsophisticated can also refer to a book or pamphlet that is manufactured in an amateurish manner.

variant - Refers to a minor difference between printings, usually on the title page or on the endpapers.

vellum - A fine parchment made from calfskin, lambskin, or kidskin, not tanned but treated with chemicals to make it suitable for writing and printing on, and for binding. Can also refer to heavy off-white fine-quality paper resembling this parchment.

verso - The back of the leaf; the page that lies to the left in an open book. Versos are the even-numbered pages. Also known as verso page. See also recto.

very good - Refers to the condition of a book; Shows some signs of wear and is no longer fresh. Attractive.

volume - A book or periodical that is part of a series or a set. The volume notation can be a number, letter, or a similar form.

warped - Refers to condition; the boards or paperback covers are bent and twisted.

washed - When a map, print, or pages of a book are cleaned in a mild chemical solution to remove stains, writing, or acid from the pages. See also re-sized.

watermark - Translucent letters or a design in a sheet of paper. Usually can be seen only by holding the sheet to the light.

waterstained - Refers to condition; discoloration, stains, and possible shrinkage on the pages, binding, and text-block, from water.

wire coil - An inexpensive type of binding material used to make a spine on a spiralbound book. Also known as wire comb.

worming - Refers to condition; small holes or tracks in the paper or bindings, which is made by burrowing insects.

wrappers - A book with a printed or plain paper binding. Also known as paperback and wraps.

yellowed - Usually refers to the yellow fore-edges and pages of paperbacks, which is caused either by fading, age and/or acid in the paper.