Refers to the application of metallic gold or a gold-colored finish to edges of the text block. See All Edges Gilt (AEG) and Top Edge Gilt (TEG).

Glassine is a thin, semi-translucent material used by some publishers to cover and protect a book. The material is delicate and easily damaged. These are usually, though not always, unprinted. Some are embossed with a spider web pattern and called Webbed Glassine. 

The example shown is on a book dating from 1937. As the image shows, this wrapper is chipped and wrinkled with losses along the edges. It is also somewhat toned and brittle.

A book, or dust jacket in average used and worn condition – complete with all its parts. Also see our page of Condition Definitions.

Guidelines and terms used to properly describe the condition of books. See our page of Condition Definitions.

Inner margins of two facing pages. Can also refer to the outer indentation created by joining of the boards and spine.

A book which has had its spine and corners covered in one material, generally leather, and the rest of the front and rear covers covered in another, such as paper or cloth. See also Quarter Binding.

Also Fly Title. The page preceding the title page proper, normally listing only the title of the book and no other information. While usually present in modern books, it is sometimes lacking in older publications because it was originally designed to be removed before custom binding.

Also HALF-TONE A gradation of tone (between light and dark) of an image using minute, closely-spaced dots. Used in printing to reproduce photography and graphics.

Abbreviated HC. A book whose case is made of stiff boards, as opposed to wrappers. See Softcover.

Top edge of the text block.

Band of silk or cotton affixed to signatures when bound together to form a text block for strength and additionally, decoration of the spine ends.

An interior junction where an Endpaper meets the Binding.

Hurts are copies of books that have acquired damage, defects, or other  condition issues. Like remainders,  publishers and bookstores sometimes  mark  hurts to differentiate them from new copies and they are typically  sold at a discount.

Containing drawings, photographs or other illustrations.

All copies of a book printed during one press run.

Books printed between Gutenberg’s invention of moveable type and the year 1500, coined from the Latin word cunae, meaning “cradle”.

Independent Online Booksellers Association is an international trade association founded in 1999 and committed to high ethical standards for online booksellers. IOBA members adhere to a code of ethics and meet standards for book descriptions and customer interactions.

When an author or someone associated with the book signs and handwrites a dedication, etc. Example: “To my beloved Elizabeth, John Steinbeck.” See also Signed.

Inscriptions may  be just a few words, but might be lengthy and complex. The first example image shows a poem handwritten by the author as a part of the inscription; the second example image shows an original illustration created as a part of the inscription.

International League of Antiquarian Booksellers is an international trade association that presently includes twenty-two national associations representing some thirty-seven countries and around 1800 individual bookselling firms.

International Standard Book Number. A unique numeric commercial book identifier administered by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) under international standard ISO 2108. Most countries and territories adhere to this international standard. Numbers are assigned by country; the included link is to the organization responsible in the United States.

A nine digit standard was created in 1966. This was expanded to 10 digits in 1967 and became an ISO standard in 1970. Nine digit numbers can be converted to 10 digits by preceding the number with a zero (0). The number was expanded to 13 digits in 2007 (Wikipedia).

Though usually accurate, as with many man-instituted technologies, the system is not perfect; occasionally one will find two [or more] titles with the same ISBN, or other errors in the printing of the number.