Edition: All the books printed from the same
Plates or setting of type form an
edition - whether are not all the books are printed at the same time. Thus, a 1/4 million copies printed from the
same plates or typesetting a month after the printing of a 1/2 million copies printed are all part of the same
edition. The two Press Runs can be distinguished,
however, as the 1st and 2nd printings of the same edition. Every printed book has a first edition, but many never
have subsequent editions. While editions are distinguished from one another by whatever substantial changes have
been made in the printing plates or type settings, as a practical business matter a publisher requires a good
reason for incurring the expense of resetting the type or creating new plates. Hence, at the very least, one would
expect to find new or altered material in a new edition, and should not be surprised to find a different cover or
other changes unrelated to the typographical changes.
Also see Printings for additional information.
Editor/Edited By: Where a book bears an editor's name rather than
an author, the person referenced has selected the title's contents from the work of others (with or without
including his/her own work), organized the selections, and generally prepared the title for publication. Often
the editor writes an introduction to the subject being presented and/or supplies footnotes or other commentary
for the purpose of clarification or accuracy. Another type of editor (who would only be mentioned if the author
so chose) is an employee of a publisher who works with the author to correct errors, improve clarity and accuracy,
and suggest refinements.
Elephant Folio: A book size designating a book up to 23" tall (seldom seen).
See Book Sizes and Formats.
Embossed: The results of a
process which produces raised letters
or decorations on a surface. The results of a process which produces
letters or decorations raised above the surface in low relief.
Endpapers: These are first and last
Leaves found in a hardbound book. Half of each
endpaper is pasted onto the inside of one of the covers and the other half joins that cover to the
Textblock. The part of the endpaper which is pasted
to a cover is called the Paste-Down Endpaper,
and the unattached half is called the Loose Endpaper. See Figure 5.
Because endpapers play a prominent role in the binding of a Case Bound book, they are made from a stronger and
heavier paper than Text Paper.
Engraving: An image printed from a metal plate, block of wood,
or other material which has been properly incised to produce the desired image. Also called Etching.
The technique covers both the work done by artists and mechanical reproduction methods. There are many different
types of engravings used to illustrate or decorate books: aquatint, copperplate, dry point, gravure, halftone
engraving, line engraving, and photoengraving.
Ephemera: From the Greek "ephemeron", meaning something that
disappears quickly, the term refers to an enormous variety of printed paper items which were never intended to
survive much past their ephemeral use or enjoyment. Postcards, bookmarks, photographs, programs, menus, tickets,
playbills, broadsides, posters, and sports cards are examples, but anything which captures someone's fancy
qualifies if it was regarded as mundane and unimportant in its time.
Ex-Library/Ex-Lib: A book which has signs that it was once
owned by a public library or a private institution. The signs range from minimal, unobtrusive marks or
stamps to a book laden with stampings, card pockets, catalog numbers on the spine, etc. While most libraries
stamp books they have discarded to indicate that the book was not stolen nor lent and never returned, the
practice is not universal. One should check with the library if a book lacking a discard stamp appears to be
of unusual value. Some ex-library books may have been
Rebound in
Buckram, a coarse linen which is heavier and more durable
than the cloth used by publishers. The term itself does not imply anything about the condition of a book
which may be quite decent. Ex-lib books, unless rare and important, are not collectible. Some out-of-print
academic & scientific books, however, command high prices because their limited supply far exceeds the demand.
Ex-Libris: Literally "From the library of...", the term
applies to a book from a private, personal library documented by the presence of a printed bookplate
bearing the previous individual owner's name or initials. It does not apply to books once owned by a public
library or a private institution which are described as Ex-Library.
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