| Early books didn't have titles
or authors or anything printed on the covers? Books
used to be shelved "backwards" with the spine facing the back of the shelf
and the fore-edge facing out?
Books used to be chained to the bookshelves in libraries?
Books were sold unbound in quires (gatherings of printed
sheets or signatures). If you wanted a bound book you had to buy the quires
from the publisher and take them to your favorite bookbinder for binding in
your choice of material.
There are over 50,000 books published each year in the US
alone?
Want to know more?
The Book On The Book Shelf by Henry Petroski
c1999 is a fascinating look at the history of the book and the bookshelf. It
is highly recommended to anyone interested in books. |
