DUST JACKET

Also DUSTWRAPPER (Abbreviated DJ or DW). The separate paper covering for a book. While originally intended for protection (and sometimes originally made from cloth), these have become an important part of modern books, often including information about a book not found elsewhere and original art work designed specifically for the particular book. Jackets are often collectible and highly-desired in their own right and a book published with a jacket that no longer has one can, from a collector’s viewpoint especially, be considered “incomplete.”