Bibliophilia

Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
"Bookworm" redirects here. For insects that bore through books, see Bookworm (insect). For the KCRW interview program, see Bookworm (radio show).
Not to be confused with bibliomania.
The Bookworm, 1850, by Carl Spitzweg

Bibliophilia or bibliophilism is the love of books. A bibliophile or bookworm is an individual who loves and frequently reads or collects books.

Bibliophiles may have large, specialized book collections. They may highly value old editions,

J.P. Morgan
, who were known for their extensive book collections.

Profile

The classic bibliophile loves to read, admire and collect books,[A] often amassing a large and specialized collection. Bibliophiles usually possess books they love or that hold special value, as well as old editions with unusual bindings, autographed, or illustrated copies. [3] "Bibliophile" is an appropriate term for a minority of those who are book collectors.[4]

Usage of the term

Bibliophilia is not to be confused with bibliomania, a potential symptom of obsessive–compulsive disorder involving the collecting of books to the extent that interpersonal relations or health may be negatively affected, and in which the mere fact that a physical object is a book is sufficient for it to be collected or beloved. Some use the term "bibliomania" interchangeably with "bibliophily", and in fact, the Library of Congress does not use the term "bibliophily," but rather refers to its readers as either book collectors or bibliomaniacs.[5][verification needed]

History

According to Arthur H. Minters, the "private collecting of books was a fashion indulged in by many

reading; more generally, a bookman is one who participates in writing, publishing, or selling books.[8]

Decameron up to the astonishing and unprecedented sum of £2,260".[9] J. P. Morgan was also a noted bibliophile. In 1884, he paid $24,750 ($772,130.92, adjusted for inflation for 2021)[10] for a 1459 edition of the Mainz Psalter.[11]
Many bibliophiles such as Jay I. Kislak, donate their collections to libraries.

See also

The Bibliophile Society of Boston art from a limited edition book by Henry David Thoreau
Similar terms
  • Audiophilia
  • Cinephilia
  • Comicphilia
  • Telephilia
  • Videophilia

References

Notes

  1. bibliophile. In its earliest iterations, it had a negative connotation—that is, it denoted an idler who read rather than worked. Over the years its meaning has drifted in a more positive direction.[1] Another meaning of the word is "a person who pays more attention to formal rules and book learning than they merit."[2]

Citations

  1. Merriam Webster
    . Retrieved June 18, 2019.
  2. ^ "Bookworm". synonyms. Retrieved June 19, 2019.
  3. ^ Holzenberg, Eric. "The Bibliophile as Bibliographer". The papers of the Bibliographical Society of America. 104.4 (2010): 421–431.
  4. ^ Carter, John, Nicolas Barker and Simran Thadani. 2016. John Carter's ABC for Book Collectors, p.45. Ninth ed. New Castle Delaware: Oak Knoll Press.
  5. ^ "Home | Library of Congress". Library of Congress. Archived from the original on Dec 25, 2023.
  6. ISBN 0-668-04598-1
    .
  7. ^ "bibliophile". Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary. Retrieved 2022-07-01.
  8. ^ "bookman". Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary. Retrieved 2022-07-01.
  9. doi:10.1525/rep.2000.71.1.01p00764
    .
  10. ^ "The Inflation Calculator". westegg.com. Retrieved 2022-06-20.
  11. A Gentle Madness: Bibliophiles, Bibliomanes, and the Eternal Passion for Books
    . New York: Henry Holt.

Further reading

External videos
video icon Booknotes interview with Nicholas Basbanes on A Gentle Madness, October 15, 1995, C-SPAN

External links

  • Media related to Bibliophilia at Wikimedia Commons
  • The dictionary definition of bibliophilia at Wiktionary
  • Forbes article on bibliomania, by Finn-Olaf Jones, December 12, 2005] (archived 14 September 2007)
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