Glossary of Book and Ephemera Terms and Abbreviations

 

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E / e. [edition].

 

EAN. European Article Number. Systematized product numbers used in Europe, equivalent to [UPC] in the US.

 

EAN-5. a 5-digit code, including a small [bar code], that follows after the EAN or [ISBN]. This code shows the retail price of the item, where a 5 (code for US$) is followed by the price in dollars and cents, or it is shown as 90000, a null code meaning no price has been encoded in the bar code. Also called the EAN add-on.

 

e-book. any of a number of types of electronically published books. Being a very recent invention, the collectibility of e-books has yet to be determined.

 

ecru. another word for [beige].

 

ed. 1. [edition]. 2. editor. 3. edited.

 

edges. 1. thin outer surfaces of the [boards]. 2. thin outer surfaces of the pages of a book. 3. outer surfaces of the [text block].

 

edgeworn. [edges] are rubbed or worn. Usually refers to minor wear to [boards].

 

edited. prepared for publication.

 

editio princeps (Latin: first edition). term usually used to describe an [antiquarian] [first edition].

 

edition. 1. all the copies of a book printed from the same plates. 2. all the copies of a book having the same version of the text. See [first edition]. Compare [printing].

 

editor. one who gathers material for a book, oversees a text written by others, or makes a text more readable.

 

8vo. [octavo]. See also [size terms]. (Note: This term does not mean 8 volumes.)

 

elephant folio. an extremely large book, about (50 cm) 23" tall or larger.

 

else fine. other than defects noted, the condition is [Fine].

 

else very good. other than defects noted, the condition is [Very Good].

 

ember holes. holes, usually small and blackened, caused from the book having been near flying hot ashes. Normally found only in old or [antiquarian] books.

 

emblem book. a type of book mostly printed between the years 1500 to 1800, in which words and pictures are combined into "text-image puzzles" by which large ideas are conveyed in little space, or by which the juxtaposition of the words and pictures says something interesting.

 

embossed. having a raised surface, usually referring to raised lettering or raised ornamentation on the binding. Sometimes described as "in relief." When the design is indented rather than raised, the term is [debossed].

 

embroidered. a fancy type of decorated [binding] consisting of cloth bearing hand-applied decorations in colored thread. Such books were popular in the 1500s.

 

enabler edition. unofficial term used to describe special editions of the Harry Potter books that were [mass market paperbacks] with subdued covers, published for grownups who wished to read the books but did not wish to be seen reading "children’s books." Term coined by Marina Hyde.

 

endpaper / ep / eppr. sheet of paper pasted onto the inner [cover], joining the [text block] to the cover. Endpapers have two halves: the [paste-down] is pasted to the inside cover; the [free endpaper] is not pasted down and turns like a normal page. Enpapers are sometimes called [liners]. Endpapers made of leather or silk are called [doublures].

 

engraving. type of [illustration] usually made from a metal plate, technically called a "line engraving," the other type being a "wood engraving." Compare [copper plate engraving], [steel engraving].

 

envelope flap. a type of self-closing [binding] having a triangular flap extending from the rear [board] that folds over the [fore-edge] and goes under the front board. Most often seen on Islamic books of the 1700s and earlier, and on stationery.

 

EP / ep. [endpaper].

 

ephemera (Greek: things that disappear quickly). general term for any and all [collectible] printed paper items other than books. The term covers a wide range of paper items, such as [blotters], [broadsides], [brochures], [cabinet cards], [flyers], [menus], [postcards], [playbills], [stereographs], ticket stubs, and [trading cards], that were intended to be used for a short time then discarded. Most [periodicals] can be considered ephemera. Some modern plastic items, such as phone cards, are also considered ephemera and are sometimes collectible.

 

ephemeron. singular of [ephemera].

 

erasures. marks or scuffs indicating removal of pencil lines.

 

erotica. material, including literature, art, or [illustrations], relating to sex and usually intended to be arousing.

 

errata (Latin: errors). mistakes corrected, usually on an extra page called an "errata page." Sometimes a corrected page is pasted by the publisher over a bound page; in other cases a small piece of paper, called an "errata slip," is [laid in] or bound in a book.

 

ex. 1. from; as in "ex-library" (from a library). 2. example.

 

Excel-Tan (brand name). [bonded leather].

 

ex-library / ex-lib / xlib / xl. refers to a book which was once in a lending library, and most probably has library stamps, a library pocket affixed to the front page or an [endpaper], heavy wear, and other defects. While most ex-library copies only rate a condition grade of [Good], some can be rated higher, depending on what flaws are present. Compare [ex-libris].

 

ex-libris (Latin: from the library of). [bookplate] printed with an [owner] name or initials. Compare [ex-library].

 

example. a particular copy.

 

exonumia. tokens, medals, badges, and similar metal or coin-like items. [Collectible] exonumia are related to coins but are not standard currency.

 

expected. commonly found defects. For example, "ex-library with expected marks."

 

extra fine. [Very Fine].

 

extra illustrated. 1. refers to a copy of a book into which additional [illustrations] have been bound, or in some cases have been added by the [owner]. 2. refers to an [edition] in which additional illustrations have been added by the publisher.

 

extremities / extrems / exts. the [edges] of the book, particularly the corners of the [boards] and ends of the [spine], that usually receive the most wear.

 

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This glossary was written and compiled by Gwen Foss of Alan's Used Books with thanks to the many independent bookdealers of TomFolio.com.