A book is a set or collection of written, printed, illustrated, or blank sheets, made of paper, parchment, or other material, usually fastened together to hinge at one side. Paper is thin material mainly used for writing upon printing upon or packaging Parchment is a thin material made from Calfskin, Sheepskin or goatskin. A single sheet within a book is called a leaf, and each side of a leaf is called a page. A page is one side of a leaf of Paper. It can be used as a measurement of Documenting or Recording quantity ("that topic covers twelve pages" A book produced in electronic format is known as an e-book. An e-book (for electronic book: also ebook) is the Digital media equivalent of a conventional printed Book.

Books may also refer to a literature work, or a main division of such a work. In library and information science, a book is called a monograph, to distinguish it from serial periodicals such as magazines, journals or newspapers. Library science is an Interdisciplinary Science incorporating the Humanities, Law and Applied science to study topics related to A monograph ( Classical Greek, "One Writer" or "Single Writing") is a work of writing upon a single subject usually also by a single Magazines, periodicals or serials are Publications generally published on a regular schedule containing a variety of articles, generally Magazines, periodicals or serials are Publications generally published on a regular schedule containing a variety of articles, generally A journal (through French from late Latin diurnalis, daily has several related meanings a daily record of events or business a private A newspaper is a written Publication containing News, information and Advertising, usually printed on low-cost paper called Newsprint. The body of all written works including books is literature. Literature is the Art of written works Literally translated the word means "acquaintance with letters" (from Latin littera letter

In novels, a book may be divided into several large sections, also called books (Book 1, Book 2, Book 3, etc). A novel (from Italian novella, Spanish novela, French nouvelle for "new" "news" or "short story

A lover of books is usually referred to as a bibliophile, a bibliophilist, or a philobiblist, or, more informally, a bookworm. Bibliophilia is the love of Books Accordingly a bibliophile loves books but especially "for Qualities of Format.

A store where books are bought and sold is a bookstore or bookshop. Books can also be borrowed from libraries or obtained for reading through the practice of BookCrossing. A library is a collection of information sources resources and services and the structure in which it is housed it is organized for use and maintained by a public body an institution BookCrossing (also BC, BCing or BXing) is defined as "the practice of leaving a Book in a Public place to be picked up and

Contents 1 Etymology 2 Book structure 3 Sizes 4 Types of books 4.1 Types of books according to their contents 4.1.1 Fiction 4.1.2 Non-fiction 4.1.3 Other 4.2 Types of books according to their binding or cover 5 Bookbinding 6 History of books 6.1 Antiquity 6.1.1 Scroll 6.1.2 Codex 6.2 Middle Ages 6.2.1 Manuscripts 6.2.2 Wood block printing 6.2.3 Movable type and incunabula 6.3 Modern world 6.3.1 Transition to digital format 7 Collections of books 8 Identification and classification 8.1 Classification systems 9 Paper and conservation issues 10 Uses for books 11 See also 12 Notes and references 13 External links

Etymology

The word book comes from Old English "bōc" which comes from Germanic root "*bōk-", cognate to beech. The Germanic languages are a group of related languages that constitute a branch of the Indo-European (IE Language family. Cognates in Linguistics are words that have a common origin They may occur within a language such as shirt and skirt as two English words descended from For the babyfood see Beech-Nut. Beech ( Fagus) is a genus of ten Species of Deciduous Trees in the [1] Similarly, in Slavic languages (e. The Slavic languages (also called Slavonic languages) a group of closely related Languages of the Slavic peoples and a subgroup of Indo-European languages g. Russian and Bulgarian "буква" (bukva)—"letter") is cognate to "beech". Russian ( transliteration:,) is the most geographically widespread language of Eurasia, the most widely spoken of the Slavic languages Bulgarian (български език IPA: ɛzˈik is an Indo-European language, a member of the Slavic linguistic group It is thus conjectured that the earliest Indo-European writings may have been carved on beech wood. For the babyfood see Beech-Nut. Beech ( Fagus) is a genus of ten Species of Deciduous Trees in the [2]

Blook, a recent neologism, is either an object manufactured to imitate a bound book, such as an on-line book published via a blog, or a printed book that contains or is based on content from a blog. Not to be confused with the card game Bluke. A blook can refer to either an object manufactured to imitate a bound Book, an online An on-line book is an Ebook that is available online through the Internet, whether or not distributed free A blog (a contraction of the term " Web log " is a Web site, usually maintained by an individual with regular entries of commentary descriptions of

Book structure

Main article: Book design

The common structural parts of a book include:

• Front cover: hardbound or softcover (paperback); the spine is the binding that joins the front and rear covers where the pages hinge
• Front endpaper
• Flyleaf

• Front matter
  • Frontispiece
  • Title page
  • Copyright page: typically verso of title page: shows copyright owner/date, credits, edition/printing, cataloguing details
  • Table of contents
  • List of figures
  • List of tables
  • Dedication
  • Acknowledgments
  • Foreword
  • Preface
  • Introduction

• Body: the text or contents, the pages often collected or folded into signatures; the pages are usually numbered sequentially, and often divided into chapters. Book design is the art of incorporating the content style, format, Design, and sequence of the various components of a Book into a coherent The endpapers of a Book are the leaves of paper before the title page and after the text A book cover is a protective covering used to bind together the pages of a Book. A book cover is a protective covering used to bind together the pages of a Book. Bookbinding is the process of physically assembling a Book from a number of folded or unfolded sheets of Paper or other material The endpapers of a Book are the leaves of paper before the title page and after the text Book design is the art of incorporating the content style, format, Design, and sequence of the various components of a Book into a coherent A frontispiece is an elaborate decorative Illustration that appears facing the Title page of the book The title page or (which is no longer synonymous with frontispiece in modern usage of a Book, Thesis or other written work is the page at or near the front Copyright is a legal concept enacted by Governments, giving the creator of an original work of authorship Exclusive rights to control its distribution usually for A table of contents usually headed simply "Contents" is a list of the parts of a book or Document (including Acts of Parliaments) organized in the order A foreword is a (usually short piece of writing often found at the beginning of a book or other piece of Literature, before the introduction, and written by someone In an Essay, article, or Book, an introduction (also known as a prolegomenon) is a beginning section which states the purpose and goals of the A signature (from Latin signare, " Sign " is a handwritten (and sometimes stylized depiction of someone's name nickname or even a simple A chapter is one of the main divisions of a piece of writing of relative length such as a Book.

• Back matter
  • Appendix
  • Glossary
  • Index
  • Notes
  • Bibliography
  • Colophon
• Flyleaf
• Rear endpaper
• Rear cover

A thin marker, commonly made of paper or card, used to keep one's place in a book is a bookmark. Book design is the art of incorporating the content style, format, Design, and sequence of the various components of a Book into a coherent See also List of glossaries A glossary is a list of terms in a particular domain of knowledge with the definitions for those terms An index is a list of words or phrases ('headings' and associated pointers ('locators' to where useful material relating to that heading can be found in a document Bibliography (from Greek grc βιβλιογραφία bibliographia, literally "book writing" as a practice is the academic study of Books A colophon in publishing can refer to A brief description usually located at the end of a book describing production notes relevant to the edition A printer's The endpapers of a Book are the leaves of paper before the title page and after the text A book cover is a protective covering used to bind together the pages of a Book. A bookmark is a thin marker commonly made of Paper or Card, used to keep one's place in a Book and so be able to return to it with ease Bookmarks were used throughout the medieval period,^[1] consisting usually of a small parchment strip attached to the edge of folio (or a piece of cord attached to headband). Bookmarks in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries were narrow silk ribbons bound into the book and become widespread in the 1850's. They were usually made from silk, embroidered fabrics or leather. Not until the 1880's, did paper and other materials become more common.

Sizes

Main article: Book size

The size of a modern book is based on the printing area of a common flatbed press. A facsimile (From Latin fac simile, "make like" is a copy or reproduction of an old Book, Manuscript, Map, The Codex Gigas (Giant Book is the largest extant medieval Manuscript in the world The world's largest book stands upright set in stone in the grounds of the Kuthodaw (literally - royal merit Pagoda at the foot of Mandalay Hill in The size of a specific Book is measured from the head to tail of the spine and from edge to edge across the covers The pages of type were arranged and clamped in a frame, so that when printed on a sheet of paper the full size of the press, the pages would be right side up and in order when the sheet was folded, and the folded edges trimmed.

The most common book sizes are:

• Quarto (4to): the sheet of paper is folded twice, forming four leaves (eight pages) approximately 11-13 inches (ca 30 cm) tall
• Octavo (8vo): the most common size for current hardcover books. The sheet is folded three times into eight leaves (16 pages) up to 9 ¾" (ca 23 cm) tall.
• DuoDecimo (12mo): a size between 8vo and 16mo, up to 7 ¾" (ca 18 cm) tall
• Sextodecimo (16mo): the sheet is folded four times, forming sixteen leaves (32 pages) up to 6 ¾" (ca 15 cm) tall

Sizes smaller than 16mo are:

• 24mo: up to 5 ¾" (ca 13 cm) tall.
• 32mo: up to 5" (ca 12 cm) tall.
• 48mo: up to 4" (ca 10 cm) tall.
• 64mo: up to 3" (ca 8 cm) tall.

Small books can be called booklets.

Sizes larger than quarto are:

• Folio: up to 15" (ca 38 cm) tall.
• Elephant Folio: up to 23" (ca 58 cm) tall.
• Atlas Folio: up to 25" (ca 63 cm) tall.
• Double Elephant Folio: up to 50" (ca 127 cm) tall.

The largest extant medieval manuscript in the world is Codex Gigas 92 × 50 × 22 cm. The Codex Gigas (Giant Book is the largest extant medieval Manuscript in the world The world's largest book made of stone is in Kuthodaw Pagoda (Myanmar). The world's largest book stands upright set in stone in the grounds of the Kuthodaw (literally - royal merit Pagoda at the foot of Mandalay Hill in Kuthodaw Pagoda (ကုသိုလ်တော်‌ဘုရား literally Royal Merit and formally titled Mahalawka Marazein) is a Buddhist Stupa, located Burma, officially the Union of Myanmar ( pjìdàunzṵ mjàmmà nàinŋàndɔ̀ is the largest country by geographical area in mainland Southeast Asia.

Types of books

Types of books according to their contents

A common separation by content are fiction and non-fictional books. A novel (from Italian novella, Spanish novela, French nouvelle for "new" "news" or "short story Poland (Polska officially the Republic of Poland Fiction is the telling of stories which are not real More specifically fiction is an imaginative form of Narrative, one of the four basic Rhetorical modes. Non-fiction is an account or representation of a subject which is presented as Fact. By no means are books limited to this classification, but it is a separation that can be found in most collections, libraries, and bookstores. A Museum is distinguished by a collection of often unique objects that forms the core of its activities for exhibitions Education, Research A library is a collection of information sources resources and services and the structure in which it is housed it is organized for use and maintained by a public body an institution

Fiction

Many of the books published today are fictitious stories. They are in-part or completely untrue or fantasy. Fantasy is a Genre that uses magic and other Supernatural forms as a primary element of plot, theme, and/or setting Historically, paper production was expensive; too expensive to be used for entertainment. See also Entertainment (disambiguation and The Entertainer (disambiguation Entertainment is an activity designed to give people An increase in global literacy and print technology led to the increased publication of books for the purpose of entertainment, and allegorical social commentary. traditional definition of literacy is considered to be the ability to read and write or the ability to use Language to read, write, listen, Printing is a process for reproducing text and image typically with ink on Paper using a printing press Social commentary is the act of rebelling against a government by means of rhetorical propaganda Most fiction is additionally categorized by genre. A genre (ˈʒɑːnrə also /ˈdʒɑːnrə/ from French "kind" or "sort" from Latin: genus (stem gener-) is a loose set

The novel is the most common form of fictional book. A novel (from Italian novella, Spanish novela, French nouvelle for "new" "news" or "short story Novels are stories that typical feature a plot, setting, themes and characters. Stories and narrative are not restricted to any topic; a novel can be whimsical, serious or controversial. A controversy or dispute is a commencement of a conflict between statements of accepted fact and a new or unaccepted proposal that disagrees with argues against The novel has had a tremendous impact on entertainment and publishing markets. Publishing is the process of production and dissemination of Literature or Information &ndash the activity of making information available for public view Sao Paulo Stock Exchangejpg|thumb| Virtual market arena where buyer and seller are not present and trade via intemediates and electronical information ^[2]

Comic books or graphic novels are books in which the story is told or illustrated with pictures. A comic book (often shortened to simply comic and sometimes called a comic paper or comic magazine) is a Magazine or Book of narrative A An image (from Latin imago) or picture is an artifact usually two-dimensional that has a similar appearance to some subject &mdashusually

Non-fiction

In a library, a general type of non-fiction book which provides information as opposed to telling a story, essay, commentary, or otherwise supporting a point of view, is often referred to as a reference book. A dictionary is a book of alphabetically listed Words in a specific language with definitions etymologies pronunciations and other information or a book of alphabetically An encyclopedia (or '''encyclopædia''') is a comprehensive written Compendium that contains Information on either all branches of Knowledge This article is about a kind of publication Reference work may also refer to the work that librarians perform at a Library reference desk. A very general reference book, usually one-volume, with lists of data and information on many topics is called an almanac. ALMANAC is the name of a major Breast cancer trial The Acronym stands for "Axillary Lymphatic Mapping Against Nodal Axillary Clearance An encyclopedia is a book or set of books designed to have more in-depth articles on many topics. An encyclopedia (or '''encyclopædia''') is a comprehensive written Compendium that contains Information on either all branches of Knowledge A book listing words, their etymology, meanings, etc. A word is a unit of Language that carries meaning and consists of one or more Morphemes which are linked more or less tightly together and has a Phonetic Etymology is the study of the History of Words &mdash when they entered a language from what source and how their form and meaning have changed over time is called a dictionary. A dictionary is a book of alphabetically listed Words in a specific language with definitions etymologies pronunciations and other information or a book of alphabetically A book which is a collection of maps is an atlas. A map is a visual representation of an area—a symbolic depiction highlighting relationships between elements of that space such as objects, Regions, and Themes An atlas is a collection of Maps typically of Earth or a region of Earth but there are atlases of the other planets (and their satellites in the solar system A more specific reference book with tables or lists of data and information about a certain topic, often intended for professional use, is often called a handbook. A handbook is a type of Reference work, or other collection of instructions that is intended to provide ready reference Books which try to list references and abstracts in a certain broad area may be called an index, such as Engineering Index, or abstracts such as Chemical Abstracts, Biological Abstracts, etc. An abstract is a brief summary of a research article Thesis, review conference proceeding or any in-depth analysis of a particular subject or discipline

Books with technical information on how to do something or how to use some equipment are called instruction manuals. An atlas is a collection of Maps typically of Earth or a region of Earth but there are atlases of the other planets (and their satellites in the solar system Other popular how-to books include cookbooks and home improvement books. A how-to or a how to is an informal often short description of how to accomplish some specific task A cookbook is a Book that contains information on Cooking, and/or a list of Recipes It may also contain information on ingredient origin freshness Home improvement or home renovation is the process of renovating or making additions to one's home

Students typically store and carry textbooks and schoolbooks for study purposes. A textbook is a manual of instruction or a standard book in any branch of study A textbook is a manual of instruction or a standard book in any branch of study Elementary school pupils often use workbooks which are published with spaces or blanks to be filled by them for study or homework. See also Primary education An elementary school is an institution where children receive the first stage of Compulsory education known as elementary Workbooks in the American education system are cheap Paperback Textbooks, issued to students Homework, or homework assignment, refers to tasks assigned to Students by their Teachers to be completed mostly outside of class, and In higher education, is it common for a student to take an exam requiring a bluebook. Higher education is Education that is provided by universities, vocational universities, Community colleges Liberal arts colleges The Bluebook A Uniform System of Citation, a Style guide, prescribes the most widely used Legal citation system in the United States.

There is a large set of books that are made only to write private ideas, notes, and accounts. A notebook (also notepad, writing pad, drawing pad, legal pad, etc For other uses of the term 'diary' see Diary (disambiguation. These type of books are rarely published and typically are destroyed or remain private. Notebooks are blank books to be written in by the user. A notebook (also notepad, writing pad, drawing pad, legal pad, etc Students and writers commonly use them for taking notes. The word student is etymologically derived through Middle English from the Latin second-type conjugation Verb "studēre" A writer is anyone who creates a written work although the word usually designates those who write creatively or professionally as well as those who have written in many different forms Scientists and other researchers use lab notebooks to record their work. A scientist, in the broadest sense refers to any person that engages in a systematic activity to acquire Knowledge or an individual that engages in such practices A lab notebook is a primary record of Research. Researchers use a lab notebook to document their hypotheses, Experiments and initial analysis or interpretation They often feature spiral coil bindings at the edge so that pages may easily be torn out.

Address books, phone books, and calendar/appointment books are commonly used on a daily basis for recording appointments, meetings and personal contact information. In a meeting, two or more people come together for the purpose of discussing a (usually predetermined topic such as business or community event planning often in a formal setting

Books for recording periodic entries by the user, such as daily information about a journey, are called logbooks or simply logs. A Logbook was originally a book for recording readings from the log, and is used to determine the distance a ship traveled within a certain amount of time A Logbook was originally a book for recording readings from the log, and is used to determine the distance a ship traveled within a certain amount of time A similar book for writing daily the owner's private personal events, information, and ideas is called a diary or personal journal. For other uses of the term 'diary' see Diary (disambiguation. For other uses of the term 'diary' see Diary (disambiguation.

Businesses use accounting books such as journals and ledgers to record financial data in a practice called bookkeeping. A business (also called firm or an enterprise) is a legally recognized organizational entity designed to provide goods and/or services to Accountancy or accounting is the measurement statement or provision of assurance about financial information primarily used by Lenders managers, A ledger or lieger (from the English dialect forms liggen or leggen, to lie or lay in sense adapted from the Dutch substantive Bookkeeping (also book-keeping or book keeping) is the recording of all Financial transactions undertaken by an individual or Organization (including

Other

Some examples of books not commonly found under this system include:

Albums are books for holding collections of memorabilia, pictures or photographs. A photographic album, or photo album, is a collection of a series of Photographs generally in a Book. A photograph (often shortened to photo) is an Image created by Light falling on a light-sensitive surface usually Photographic film or an electronic They are often made so that the pages are removable. Stamp albums hold collections of stamps. A stamp Album is a book often loose-leafed (to allow for expansion in which a collection of Postage stamps may be stored and displayed A postage stamp is an adhesive paper evidence of pre-paying a fee for postal services

Hymnals are books with collections of musical hymns, typically found in churches. A hymn is a type of Song, usually religious specifically written for the purpose of praise adoration or Prayer, and typically addressed to a deity/deities Music is an Art form in which the medium is Sound organized in Time. A hymn is a type of Song, usually religious specifically written for the purpose of praise adoration or Prayer, and typically addressed to a deity/deities Prayerbooks or missals are books containing written prayers. A missal is a Liturgical book containing all instructions and texts necessary for the celebration of Mass throughout the year Prayer is the act of attempting to communicate with a Deity or spirit Commonly carried by monks, nuns, and other devoted followers or clergy. MONK is a Monte Carlo software package for simulating nuclear processes particularly for the purpose of determining the neutron multiplication factor or k-effective A Nun is a Woman who has taken special vows committing her to a religious life Clergy is the generic term used to describe the formal religious leadership within a given Religion.

Types of books according to their binding or cover

Hardcover books have a stiff binding. A hardcover (or hardback or hardbound) is a Book bound with rigid protective covers (typically of cardboard covered with Cloth Paperback, softback, or softcover describe and refer to a Book by the nature of its binding. A hardcover (or hardback or hardbound) is a Book bound with rigid protective covers (typically of cardboard covered with Cloth Paperback books have cheaper, flexible covers which tend to be less durable. Paperback, softback, or softcover describe and refer to a Book by the nature of its binding. An alternative to paperback is the glossy cover, otherwise known as a dust cover, found on magazines, and comic books. Spiral bound books are bound by spirals often made of metal. Examples of spiral bound books include: teachers manuals, and puzzle books (crosswords, sudoku). A puzzle is a Problem or Enigma that challenges Ingenuity. In a basic puzzle one is intended to piece together objects in a logical way in order to is a Logic -based number-placement Puzzle. The objective is to fill a 9×9 grid so that each column each row and each of the nine 3×3 boxes (also called blocks

Publishing is a process for producing books, magazines, newspapers, etc. Publishing is the process of production and dissemination of Literature or Information &ndash the activity of making information available for public view pre-printed for the reader/user to buy, usually in large numbers by a publishing company. Such books can be categorized as fiction (made-up stories) or non-fiction (information written as fact). Fiction is the telling of stories which are not real More specifically fiction is an imaginative form of Narrative, one of the four basic Rhetorical modes. A book-length fiction story is called a novel. A novel (from Italian novella, Spanish novela, French nouvelle for "new" "news" or "short story

Publishers may produce low-cost, pre-publication copies known as galleys or 'bound proofs' for promotional purposes, such as generating reviews in advance of publication. Galleys redirects here For other uses see Galley (disambiguation. Galleys are usually made as cheaply as possible, since they are not intended for sale.

Bookbinding

Main article: Bookbinding

The process of physically assembling a book from a number of folded or unfolded sheets of paper is bookbinding. Bookbinding is the process of physically assembling a Book from a number of folded or unfolded sheets of Paper or other material

History of books

Main article: History of the book

Antiquity

When writing systems were invented in ancient civilizations, nearly everything that could be written upon—stone, clay, tree bark, metal sheets—was used for writing. The history of writing encompasses the various Writing systems that evolved in the Early Bronze Age (late 4th millennium BC) Small tablets made out of clay were used from 5500 BC Tărtăria tablets and later from 4th millennium BC onwards as a writing medium in Sumerian Alphabetic writing emerged in Egypt around 1800 BC. The history of the Alphabet begins in Ancient Egypt, more than a millennium into the History of writing. This article is about the country of Egypt For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Egypt topics. At first the words were not separated from each other (scripta continua) and there was no punctuation. Texts were written from right to left, left to right, and even so that alternate lines read in opposite directions. The technical term for this type of writing is 'boustrophedon,' which means literally 'ox-turning' for the way a farmer drives an ox to plough his fields. Boustrophedon (ˌbustroʊˈfiːdən from Greek βουστροφηδόν "ox-turning"&mdashthat is turning like Oxen in Ploughing

Scroll

Main article: Scroll

Papyrus, a thick paper-like material made by weaving the stems of the papyrus plant, then pounding the woven sheet with a hammer-like tool, was used for writing in Ancient Egypt, perhaps as early as the First Dynasty, although the first evidence is from the account books of King Neferirkare Kakai of the Fifth Dynasty (about 2400 BC). Papyrus (/pəˈpaɪrəs/ (Rhymes -aɪrəs)is a thick paper-like material produced from the Pith of the papyrus plant Cyperus papyrus Paper is thin material mainly used for writing upon printing upon or packaging Ancient Egypt was an Ancient Civilization in eastern North Africa, concentrated along the lower reaches of the Nile River in what is now The first dynasty of Ancient Egypt is often combined with the second dynasty under the group title Early Dynastic Period of Egypt. Neferirkare Kakai was the third Pharaoh of Egypt during the Fifth dynasty. The Third Fourth Fifth and Sixth Dynasties of ancient Egypt are often combined under the group title Old Kingdom. ^[3] Papyrus sheets were glued together to form a scroll. A scroll is a roll of Papyrus, Parchment, or Paper which has been written drawn or painted upon for the purpose of transmitting information or using as Tree bark such as lime (Latin liber, from there also library) and other materials were also used. Tilia is a Genus of about 30 species of Trees native throughout most of the temperate Northern Hemisphere, in Asia (where the greatest A library is a collection of information sources resources and services and the structure in which it is housed it is organized for use and maintained by a public body an institution ^[4]

According to Herodotus (History 5:58), the Phoenicians brought writing and papyrus to Greece around the tenth or ninth century BC. Herodotus of Halicarnassus ( Greek: Hēródotos Halikarnāsseús) was a Greek Historian who lived in the 5th century BC ( 484 BC&ndash Phoenicia ( Phoenician: Phoenician nunsvg|12px|נ]]Phoenician nun The Greek word for papyrus as writing material (biblion) and book (biblos) come from the Phoenician port town Byblos, through which papyrus was exported to Greece. Byblos ( Βύβλος) is the Greek name of the Phoenician city Gebal (earlier Gubla) ^[5] From Greeks we have also the word tome (Greek: τόμος) which originally meant a slice or piece and from there it became to denote "a roll of papyrus". Greek (el ελληνική γλώσσα or simply el ελληνικά — "Hellenic" is an Indo-European language, spoken today by 15-22 million people mainly Tomus was used by the Latins with exactly the same meaning as volumen (see also below the explanation by Isidore of Seville).

Whether made from papyrus, parchment, or paper in East Asia, scrolls were the dominant form of book in the Hellenistic, Roman, Chinese and Hebrew cultures. Parchment is a thin material made from Calfskin, Sheepskin or goatskin. The more modern codex book format form took over the Roman world by late antiquity, but the scroll format persisted much longer in Asia. A codex ( Latin for block of wood, Book; plural codices) is a book in the format used for modern books with separate pages normally Late Antiquity (c 300-600 is a Periodization used by historians to describe the transitional centuries from Classical Antiquity to the Middle Ages, in

Codex

Main article: Codex

Papyrus scrolls were still dominant in the first century AD, as witnessed by the findings in Pompeii. Papyrus (/pəˈpaɪrəs/ (Rhymes -aɪrəs)is a thick paper-like material produced from the Pith of the papyrus plant Cyperus papyrus Pompeii is a ruined and partially buried Roman town-city near modern Naples and Caserta in the Italian region of Campania, in The first written mention of the codex as a form of book is from Martial, in his Apophoreta CLXXXIV at the end of the century, where he praises its compactness. Marcus Valerius Martialis (known in English as Martial) (March 1 40 AD - ca However the codex never gained much popularity in the pagan Hellenistic world, and only within the Christian community did it gain widespread use. ^[6] This change happened gradually during the third and fourth centuries, and the reasons for adopting the codex form of the book are several: the format is more economical, as both sides of the writing material can be used; and it is portable, searchable, and easy to conceal. The Christian authors may also have wanted to distinguish their writings from the pagan texts written on scrolls.

Wax tablets were the normal writing material in schools, in accounting, and for taking notes. Bamboo is a group of Woody perennial Evergreen Plants in the True grass family Poaceae, subfamily A wax tablet ( tabula) is a Tablet made of wood and covered with a layer of Wax. They had the advantage of being reusable: the wax could be melted, and reformed into a blank. The custom of binding several wax tablets together (Roman pugillares) is a possible precursor for modern books (i. e. codex). ^[7]The etymology of the word codex (block of wood) also suggests that it may have developed from wooden wax tablets. ^[8]

In the 5th century, Isidore of Seville explained the relation between codex, book and scroll in his Etymologiae (VI. Saint Isidore of Seville ( Spanish: es ''San Isidro'' or es ''San Isidoro de Sevilla'' Latin: latin ''Isidorus Hispalensis'' (c 13): "A codex is composed of many books; a book is of one scroll. It is called codex by way of metaphor from the trunks (codex) of trees or vines, as if it were a wooden stock, because it contains in itself a multitude of books, as it were of branches. "

Middle Ages

Manuscripts

Main article: Manuscript

The fall of the Roman Empire in the fifth century A. The Roman Empire was the post-Republican phase of the ancient Roman civilization, characterised by an autocratic form of government and large territorial D. saw the decline of the culture of ancient Rome. Endless such activities were also conducted in other cities under ancient Rome Papyrus became difficult to obtain, due to lack of contact with Egypt, and parchment, which had been used for centuries, began to be the main writing material. Parchment is a thin material made from Calfskin, Sheepskin or goatskin.

Monasteries carried on the Latin writing tradition in the Western Roman Empire. Latin literature, the body of written works in the Latin language remains an enduring legacy of the culture of Ancient Rome. The Western Roman Empire refers to the western half of the Roman Empire, from its division by Diocletian in 285 the other half of the Roman Empire was the Eastern Cassiodorus, in the monastery of Vivarium (established around 540), stressed the importance of copying texts. Flavius Magnus Aurelius Cassiodorus Senator (c 485 - c 585 commonly known as Cassiodorus, was a Roman statesman and great writer serving in the administration ^[9] St. Benedict of Nursia, in his Regula Monachorum (completed around the middle of the 6th century) later also promoted reading. "Saint Benedict" redirects here This article is about the founder of Western monasticism for other saints named Benedict see Benedict. ^[10] The Rule of St. Benedict (Ch. XLVIII), which set aside certain times for reading, greatly influenced the monastic culture of the Middle Ages, and is one of the reasons why the clergy were the predominant readers of books. The tradition and style of the Roman Empire still dominated, but slowly the peculiar medieval book culture emerged.

Before the invention and adoption of the printing press, almost all books were copied by hand, making books expensive and comparatively rare. A printing press is a mechanical device for applying pressure to an inked surface resting upon a medium (such as paper or cloth thereby transferring an image Smaller monasteries usually had only some dozen books, medium sized perhaps a couple hundred. By the ninth century, larger collections held around 500 volumes; and even at the end of the Middle Ages, the papal library in Avignon and Paris library of Sorbonne held only around 2,000 volumes. Avignon (/aviɲɔ̃/ in French) ( Provençal: Avinhon in classical norm or Avignoun in Mistralian norm is a commune The historic University of Paris (Université de Paris first appeared in the second half of the 13th century ^[11]

The scriptorium of the monastery was usually located over the chapter house. Scriptorium, literally "a place for writing" is commonly used to refer to a room in medieval European Monasteries devoted to the copying of manuscripts by monastic A chapter house is a building or room attached to a Cathedral or Collegiate church in which meetings are held Artificial light was forbidden, for fear it may damage the manuscripts. There were five types of scribes:

• Copyists, who dealt with basic production and correspondence
• Calligraphers, who dealt in fine book production
• Correctors, who collated and compared a finished book with the manuscript from which it had been produced
• Rubricators, who painted in the red letters
• Illuminators, who painted illustrations

The bookmaking process was long and laborious. The parchment had to be prepared, then the unbound pages were planned and ruled with a blunt tool or lead, after which the text was written by the scribe, who usually left blank areas for illustration and rubrication. A scribe (or scrivener) is a person who writes books or documents by hand as a profession Rubrication was one of several steps in the Medieval process of Manuscript making Finally the book was bound by the bookbinder. Bookbinding is the process of physically assembling a Book from a number of folded or unfolded sheets of Paper or other material ^[12]

Different types of ink were known in antiquity, usually prepared from soot and gum, and later also from gall nuts and iron vitriol. Galls or plant galls are abnormal outgrowths of Plant tissues and can be caused by various Parasites from Fungi and bacteria, to Insects Iron(II sulfate or ferrous sulfate is the Chemical compound with the formula ( Fe[[Sulfur S]] O 4 This gave writing the typical brownish black color, but black or brown were not the only colors used. There are texts written in red or even gold, and different colors were used for illumination. Sometimes the whole parchment was colored purple, and the text was written on it with gold or silver (eg Codex Argenteus). The Codex Argenteus (or "Silver Bible" is a 6th century manuscript originally containing bishop Ulfilas 's 4th century translation of the Bible ^[13]

Irish monks introduced spacing between words in the seventh century. This facilitated reading, as these monks tended to be less familiar with Latin. However the use of spaces between words did not become commonplace before the 12th century. It has been argued,^[14] that the use of spacing between words shows the transition from semi-vocalized reading into silent reading.

The first books used parchment or vellum (calf skin) for the pages. Parchment is a thin material made from Calfskin, Sheepskin or goatskin. Vellum (from the Old French Vélin for "calfskin" is mammal skin prepared for writing or printing on single pages scrolls codices or books The book covers were made of wood and covered with leather. As dried parchment tends to assume the form before processing, the books were fitted with clasps or straps. During the later Middle Ages, when public libraries appeared, books were often chained to a bookshelf or a desk to prevent theft. A desk is a Furniture form and a class of table often used in a work or Office setting for reading or Writing on or using a Computer The so called libri catenati were used up to 18th century.

At first books were copied mostly in monasteries, one at a time. With the rise of universities in the 13th century, the Manuscript culture of the time lead to an increase in the demand for books, and a new system for copying books appeared. Manuscript culture refers to the development and use of the Manuscript as a means of storing and disseminating information until the age of Printing. The books were divided into unbound leaves (pecia), which were lent out to different copyists, so the speed of book production was considerably increased. The system was maintained by stationers guilds, which were secular, and produced both religious and non-religious material. Stationery has historically meant a wide gamut of materials Paper and Office supplies, Writing implements Greeting cards etc ^[15]

Wood block printing

In woodblock printing, a relief image of an entire page was carved into blocks of wood, inked, and used to print copies of that page. The Tang Dynasty ( Middle Chinese: dhɑng (June 18 618&ndashJune 4 907 was an imperial dynasty of China preceded by the Sui Dynasty and followed by China ( Wade-Giles ( Mandarin) Chung¹kuo² is a cultural region, an ancient Civilization, and depending on perspective a National The British Museum is a Museum of human history and culture in London. For the use of the technique in art see Woodcut on the technique and Old master print for the history in Europe and Woodblock printing in Japan. This method originated in China, in the Han dynasty (before 220AD), as a method of printing on textiles and later paper, and was widely used throughout East Asia. China ( Wade-Giles ( Mandarin) Chung¹kuo² is a cultural region, an ancient Civilization, and depending on perspective a National The Han Dynasty ( 206 BC–220 AD followed the Qin Dynasty and preceded the Three Kingdoms in China. Printing is a process for reproducing text and image typically with ink on Paper using a printing press A textile is a flexible material comprised of a network of natural or artificial Fibres often referred to as thread or Yarn. Paper is thin material mainly used for writing upon printing upon or packaging The oldest dated book printed by this method is The Diamond Sutra (868 AD). The Diamond Sutra is a short Mahayana Sutra of the Perfection of Wisdom genre which teaches the practice of the avoidance of abiding in extremes

The method (called Woodcut when used in art) arrived in Europe in the early 14th century. For the origins of the technique and non-artistic use see Woodblock printing; for the related technique invented in the 18th century see Wood engraving Books (known as block-books), as well as playing-cards and religious pictures, began to be produced by this method. For the use of the technique in art see Woodcut on the technique and Old master print for the history in Europe and Woodblock printing in Japan. A playing card is a piece of specially prepared heavy paper thin card or thin plastic figured with distinguishing motifs and used as one of a set for playing Card games An old master print is a work of art produced by a Printing process within the Western tradition (European or New World Creating an entire book was a painstaking process, requiring a hand-carved block for each page; and the wood blocks tended to crack, if stored for long.

Movable type and incunabula

Main articles: Movable type and Incunabulum

The Chinese inventor Pi Sheng made movable type of earthenware circa 1045, but there are no known surviving examples of his printing. Bì Shēng ( 990-1051 AD was the inventor of the first known Movable type Printing system Movable type is the system of Printing and Typography that uses movable components to reproduce the elements of a document (usually individual letters or punctuation Metal movable type was invented in Korea during the Goryeo Dynasty (around 1230), but was not widely used: one reason being the enormous Chinese character set. Korea is a geographic area composed of two sovereign countries a civilization and a former state situated on the Korean Peninsula in East Asia. The Goryeo Dynasty ( 918 - 1392) (also spelled Koryŏ was a Sovereign state established in 918 by Taejo Wang Kon. Written Chinese comprises the written symbols used to represent Spoken Chinese and the rules about how they are arranged and punctuated Around 1450, in what is commonly regarded as an independent invention, Johannes Gutenberg invented movable type in Europe, along with innovations in casting the type based on a matrix and hand mould. Johannes Gensfleisch zur Laden zum Gutenberg ( 1398 &ndash February 3, 1468) was a German Goldsmith and printer who is credited A Hand mould is a two-part mould used for Casting small metal objects that could be operated by hand This invention gradually made books less expensive to produce, and more widely available.

Early printed books, single sheets and images which were created before the year 1501 in Europe are known as incunabula. A man born in 1453, the year of the fall of Constantinople, could look back from his fiftieth year on a lifetime in which about eight million books had been printed, more perhaps than all the scribes of Europe had produced since Constantine founded his city in A. D. 330. ^[16]

Modern world

Steam-powered printing presses became popular in the early 1800s. These machines could print 1,100 sheets per hour, but workers could only set 2,000 letters per hour.

Monotype and linotype presses were introduced in the late 19th century. Monotyping is a type of Printmaking made by Drawing or Painting on a smooth non-absorbent surface They could set more than 6,000 letters per hour and an entire line of type at once.

The centuries after the 15th century were thus spent on improving both the printing press and the conditions for freedom of the press through the gradual relaxation of restrictive censorship laws. Freedom Constitutional or statutory protections pertaining to freedom of the press See also intellectual property, public domain, copyright. Intellectual property ( IP) is a legal field that refers to creations of the mind such as musical literary and artistic works inventions and symbols names The public domain is a range of abstract materials &ndash commonly referred to as Intellectual property &ndash which are not owned or controlled by anyone Copyright is a legal concept enacted by Governments, giving the creator of an original work of authorship Exclusive rights to control its distribution usually for In mid-20th century, Europe book production had risen to over 200,000 titles per year.

Transition to digital format

The term e-book is a contraction of "electronic book"; it refers to a digital version of a conventional print book. An e-book (for electronic book: also ebook) is the Digital media equivalent of a conventional printed Book. An e-book is usually made available through the internet, but also on CD-ROM and other forms. E-Books are read by means of a physical book display device known as an e-book reader, such as the Sony Reader or the Amazon Kindle. The Sony PRS-500 Reader is an E-book reader available in the United States since September 2006, in Canada since These devices attempt to mimic the experience of reading a print book.

Throughout the 20th century, libraries have faced an ever-increasing rate of publishing, sometimes called an information explosion. Information explosion is a term that describes the rapidly increasing amount of published information and the effects of this abundance of data The advent of electronic publishing and the Internet means that much new information is not printed in paper books, but is made available online through a digital library, on CD-ROM, or in the form of e-books. Electronic publishing includes the digital publication of E-books and Electronic articles and the development of digital libraries and catalogues The Internet is a global system of interconnected Computer networks A digital library is a Library in which collections are stored in digital formats (as opposed to print Microform, or other media and accessible by computers CD-ROM (an initialism of "Compact Disc Read-Only Memory " is a pre-pressed Compact Disc that contains data accessible to but not writable An on-line book is an e-book that is available online through the internet. An on-line book is an Ebook that is available online through the Internet, whether or not distributed free

Though many books are produced digitally, most digital versions are not available to the public, and there is no decline in the rate of paper publishing. There is an effort, however, to convert books that are in the public domain into a digital medium for unlimited redistribution and infinite availability. The public domain is a range of abstract materials &ndash commonly referred to as Intellectual property &ndash which are not owned or controlled by anyone This effort is spearheaded by Project Gutenberg combined with Distributed Proofreaders. Project Gutenberg, abbreviated as PG, is a volunteer effort to Digitize, archive and distribute Cultural works Distributed Proofreaders (commonly abbreviated as DP or PGDP) is a project to support the development of E-texts for Project Gutenberg.

There have also been new developments in the process of publishing books. Technologies such as print on demand, which make it possible to print as few as one book at a time, have made self-publishing much easier and more affordable. Print on demand (POD, sometimes called publish on demand, is a Printing technology and business process in which new copies of a book (or other document are not On-demand publishing has allowed publishers, by avoiding the high costs of warehousing, to keep low-selling books in print rather than declaring them out of print.

Collections of books

Main article: Library

Private or personal libraries made up of non-fiction and fiction books, (as opposed to the state or institutional records kept in archives) first appeared in classical Greece. A library is a collection of information sources resources and services and the structure in which it is housed it is organized for use and maintained by a public body an institution An archive refers to a collection of historical records and also refers to the location in which these records are kept In the context of the art architecture and culture of Ancient Greece, the classical period corresponds to most of the 5th and 4th centuries In ancient world the maintaining of a library was usually (but not exclusively) the privilege of a wealthy individual. A library is a collection of information sources resources and services and the structure in which it is housed it is organized for use and maintained by a public body an institution These libraries could have been either private or public, i. e. for individuals that were interested in using them. The difference from a modern public library lies in the fact that they were usually not funded from public sources. A public library (also called circulating library) is a Library which is accessible by the Public and is generally funded from public sources (such It is estimated that in the city of Rome at the end of the third century there were around 30 public libraries, public libraries also existed in other cities of the ancient Mediterranean region (e. The history of the Mediterranean region is the History of the interaction of the cultures and peoples of the lands surrounding the Mediterranean Sea g. Library of Alexandria). The Royal Library of Alexandria or Ancient Library of Alexandria in Alexandria, Egypt, was once the largest library in the ancient world ^[17] Later, in the Middle Ages, monasteries and universities had also libraries that could be accessible to general public. Typically not the whole collection was available to public, the books could not be borrowed and often were chained to reading stands to prevent theft.

The beginning of modern public library begins around 15th century when individuals started to donate books to towns. ^[18] The growth of a public library system in the United States started in the late 19th century and was much helped by donations from Andrew Carnegie. A public library (also called circulating library) is a Library which is accessible by the Public and is generally funded from public sources (such Andrew Carnegie (properly kɑrˈneɪgi but commonly /ˈkɑrnɨgi/ or /kɑrˈnɛgi/ (25 November 1835 – 11 August 1919 was a Scottish -born American Industrialist This reflected classes in a society: The poor or the middle class had to access most books through a public library or by other means while the rich could afford to have a private library built in their homes. A private library is a Library under the care of private ownership as compared to that of a public institution and is usually only established for the use of a small number

The advent of paperback books in the 20th century led to an explosion of popular publishing. Paperback, softback, or softcover describe and refer to a Book by the nature of its binding. Paperback books made owning books affordable for many people. Paperback books often included works from genres that had previously been published mostly in pulp magazines. Pulp magazines (or pulp fiction; often referred to as "the pulps" were inexpensive Fiction magazines As a result of the low cost of such books and the spread of bookstores filled with them (in addition to the creation of a smaller market of extremely cheap used paperbacks) owning a private library ceased to be a status symbol for the rich.

In library and booksellers' catalogues, it is common to include an abbreviation such as "Crown 8vo" to indicate the paper size from which the book is made. There have been many standard sizes of Paper at different times and in different countries but today there are two widespread systems in use the international standard (A4

When rows of books are lined on a bookshelf, bookends are sometimes needed to keep them from slanting. A bookend is an object that is designed to Buttress, or support an upright row of Books It is placed on either end to prevent books from falling over such as

Identification and classification

During the 20th century, librarians were concerned about keeping track of the many books being added yearly to the Gutenberg Galaxy. A librarian is an information Professional trained in Library and information science, which is the organization and management of information services or materials The format of the book—a mosaic The book is unusual in its design Through a global society called the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA), they devised a series of tools including the International Standard Bibliographic Description (ISBD). The International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA is the leading international body representing the interests of library The International Standard Bibliographic Description or ISBD is a set of rules produced by the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA to describe

Each book is specified by an International Standard Book Number, or ISBN, which is unique to every edition of every book produced by participating publishers, world wide. It is managed by the ISBN Society. An ISBN has four parts: the first part is the country code, the second the publisher code, and the third the title code. Publishing is the process of production and dissemination of Literature or Information &ndash the activity of making information available for public view The last part is a check digit, and can take values from 0–9 and X (10). The EAN Barcodes numbers for books are derived from the ISBN by prefixing 978, for Bookland, and calculating a new check digit. A European Article Number ( EAN) is a barcoding standard which is a Superset of the original 12-digit Universal Product Code (UPC system A bar code (also barcode) is an optical Machine-readable representation of data Bookland is an imaginary place created in the 1980s in order to reserve an EAN Country Code for books regardless of country of origin so that the EAN space can catalog books

Commercial publishers in industrialized countries generally assign ISBNs to their books, so buyers may presume that the ISBN is part of a total international system, with no exceptions. However many government publishers, in industrial as well as developing countries, do not participate fully in the ISBN system, and publish books which do not have ISBNs.

A large or public collection requires a catalogue. A bookend is an object that is designed to Buttress, or support an upright row of Books It is placed on either end to prevent books from falling over such as A library catalog (or library catalogue) is a register of all bibliographic items found in a Library or group of libraries such as a network of libraries Codes called "call numbers" relate the books to the catalogue, and determine their locations on the shelves. Call numbers are based on a Library classification system. Library classification forms part of the field of Library and information science. The call number is placed on the spine of the book, normally a short distance before the bottom, and inside.

Institutional or national standards, such as ANSI/NISO Z39. The National Information Standards Organization (NISO is a United States non-profit Standards organization that develops maintains and publishes technical standards 41 - 1997, establish the correct way to place information (such as the title, or the name of the author) on book spines, and on "shelvable" book-like objects, such as containers for DVDs, video tapes and software. DVD (also known as " Digital Versatile Disc " or " Digital Video Disc " - see Etymology)is Videotape is a means of recording images and sound onto Magnetic tape as opposed to movie film.

One of the earliest and most widely known systems of cataloguing books is the Dewey Decimal System. The Dewey Decimal Classification ( DDC, also called the Dewey Decimal System) is a Proprietary system of Library classification developed This system has fallen out of use in some places, mainly because of a Eurocentric bias and other difficulties applying the system to modern libraries. However, it is still used by most public libraries in America. The Library of Congress Classification system is more popular in university libraries. The Library of Congress Classification ( LCC) is a system of Library classification developed by the Library of Congress.

Information about books and authors can be stored in databases like online general-interest book databases. An author is defined both as "the person who originates or gives existence to anything" and that authorship determines responsibility for what is created

Classification systems

• Dewey Decimal Classification (DDC)
• Library of Congress Classification (LCC)
• Chinese Library Classification (CLC)
• Universal Decimal Classification (UDC)
• Harvard-Yenching Classification
• Colon Classification
• Bliss bibliographic classification (BC)

Paper and conservation issues

Main article: Paper

Though papermaking in Europe had begun around the 11th century, up until the beginning of 16th century vellum and paper were produced congruent to one another, vellum being the more expensive and durable option. Paper is thin material mainly used for writing upon printing upon or packaging Paper is thin material mainly used for writing upon printing upon or packaging Printers or publishers would often issue the same publication on both materials, to cater to more than one market.

Paper was first made in China, as early as 200 B. C. , and reached Europe through Muslim territories. Muslim history began in Arabia with the Muhammad 's first recitations of the Qur'an in the 7th century At first made of rags, the industrial revolution changed paper-making practices, allowing for paper to be made out of wood pulp. The Industrial Revolution was a period in the late 18th and early 19th centuries when major changes in agriculture manufacturing and transportation had a profound effect on the

Paper made from wood pulp was introduced in the early-19th century, because it was cheaper than linen or abaca cloth-based papers. Wood pulp is a dry fibrous material prepared by chemically or mechanically separating the fibers which make up Wood. Linen is a Textile made from the Fibers of the Flax plant Linum usitatissimum. Abacá, from Spanish "abacá" (ɑbəˈkɑ] "ah buh KAH") or Musa textilis is a species of Banana native to the Philippines Pulp-based paper made books less expensive to the general public. This paved the way for huge leaps in the rate of literacy in industrialised nations, and enabled the spread of information during the Second Industrial Revolution. The Second Industrial Revolution, typically dated between 1870 and 1914 was a second phase of the Industrial Revolution, involving several developments within the chemical

However pulp paper contained acid, that eventually destroys the paper from within. Earlier techniques for making paper used limestone rollers, which neutralized the acid in the pulp. Books printed between 1850 and 1950 are at risk; more recent books are often printed on acid-free or alkaline paper. In Chemistry, an alkali (from Arabic: Al-Qaly القلي القالي) is a basic, ionic salt of an Alkali metal Libraries today have to consider mass deacidification of their older collections. Mass deacidification is a term used in Library and Information Science for one possible measure against the degradation of Paper in old Books (the so-called

Stability of the climate is critical to the long-term preservation of paper and book material. ^[19] Good air circulation is important to keep fluctuation in climate stable. The HVAC system should be up to date and functioning efficiently. HVAC (pronounced either "H-V-A-C" or occasionally " H-vak " is an Initialism or Acronym that stands for " Heating Light reacts negatively to collections therefore care can be given to the collection by implement light control. General housekeeping issues can be addressed including pest control. Pest control refers to the regulation or management of a Species defined as a pest, usually because it is perceived to be detrimental to a person's Health In addition to these helpful solutions, a library must also make an effort to be prepared if a disaster occurs, one that they cannot control. Time and effort should be given to create a concise and effective disaster plan to counteract any damage incurred through “acts of god” therefore a emergency management plan should be in place. Emergency management (or disaster management) is the discipline of dealing with and avoiding risks

The proper care of books takes into account the possibility of physical and chemical damage to the cover and text. Books are best stored out of direct sunlight, in reduced lighting, at cool temperatures, and at moderate humidity. They need the support of surrounding volumes to maintain their shape, so it is desirable to shelve them by size.

Uses for books

Literature
Major forms
Epic · Romance · Novel Tragedy · Comedy · Drama · Satire
Media
Performance · Book
Techniques
Prose · Poetry
History and lists
Basic topics · Literary terms History · Modern history Books · Writers Literary awards · Poetry awards
Discussion
Criticism · Theory · Magazines

Aside from the primary purpose of reading them, books are also used for other ends:

• A book may be studied by students as the subject of a writing and analysis exercise in the form of a book report. Literature is the Art of written works Literally translated the word means "acquaintance with letters" (from Latin littera letter An epic is a lengthy Narrative poem, ordinarily concerning a serious subject containing details of heroic deeds and events significant to a culture or nation As a Literary genre of High culture, romance or chivalric romance refers to a style of heroic Prose and verse Narrative A novel (from Italian novella, Spanish novela, French nouvelle for "new" "news" or "short story Comedy (from the Greek κωμωδίαkomodia has a popular meaning (any discourse generally intended to amuse especially in Television, Film, and Drama is the specific mode of Fiction represented in Performance. Satire is often strictly defined as a literary genre or form; although in practice it is also found in the graphic and Performing arts In satire human A performance, in Performing arts, generally comprises an event in which one group of people (the performer or performers behave in a particular way for another group of people For the Wikipedia guideline regarding editing articles see WikipediaManual of Style. The following is a list of literary terms; that is those words used in discussion classification criticism and analysis of Literature. The history of literature is the historical development of Writings in Prose or Poetry which attempt to provide Entertainment, enlightenment The History of literature in the Modern period in Europe begins with the Age of Enlightenment and the conclusion of the Baroque period in the 18th century This is a list of lists of Books in Wikipedia General lists List of anonymously published works List of books The following are lists of Writers: By name A &ndash B &ndash Y &ndash Z By type of writing This is a list of literary awards from around the world Worldwide in scope Nobel Prize in Literature Neustadt International Prize This is a list of awards that are or have been given out to writers of Poetry, either for a specific poem collection of poems or body of work Literary criticism is the study discussion evaluation and interpretation of Literature. Literary theory in a strict sense is the systematic study of the nature of Literature and of the methods for analyzing literature A literary magazine is a Periodical devoted to Literature in a broad sense A book report (or Book review) is an exposition giving a short summary of a book and a reaction to it
• A book may be evaluated by a reader or professional writer to create a book review. For book reviews in academia see also Academic Journal - Book reviews For the Looney Tunes cartoon see Book Revue.
• A book may be read by a group of people to use as a spark for social or academic discussion, as in a book club. A book discussion club is a group of people who meet to discuss a book or books that they have read and express their opinions likes dislikes etc
• Books are sometimes used for their exterior appearance to decorate a room, such as a study.
• A book can be an artistic artifact; this is sometimes known as an artists' book. Artists' books are works of art realized in the form of a book

See also

• Lists of books
• Book burning
• Audiobook

Notes and references

External links

• Old Books, How to find information on publication history and value (1998) Smithsonian Institution Libraries
• Centre for the History of the Book
• Society for the History of Authorship, Reading and Publishing
• History of Bookmarks
• Manuscripts, Books, and Maps: The Printing Press and a Changing World

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