Some friends and I were talking about bookplates (see link below to definition). My friend’s father had one, full of personal symbolism, on a few very old and noble books.
We then discussed how bookplates might seem a bit hollow in this day of paperbacks or hardcovers that come and go.
True, I said, books have a very different value these days compared to only 50 years ago where books were revered and kept in a family for a long time. But, then again, these bookplates could be made smaller, into sort of travel stickers. Then wherever the book went (for I think books should not be sitting on bookshelves, but need to be read and loved) people could put their own logo-sticker-coats of arms of the book to indicate a traveling book.
Kinda gives the book a life of their own (analog spime, anyone?).
Link Bookplate – Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia:
A bookplate, also known as ex-librīs [Latin, "from the books of…"], is usually a small print or decorative label pasted into a book, often on the inside front cover, to indicate its owner. Simple typographical bookplates are termed ‘booklabels’.
My dad’s writes his name and the date he bought it inside every book, and sometimes stamps a little ink stamp in there too.
And it’s always interesting when you read a dedication inside a book in a second hand shop.
I’ve seen some of those huge ‘n’ hefty family bibles in Finland, that include an illustrated family tree or two inside the first few pages.
And how about BookCrossing stickers for travelling books?
http://www.bookcrossing.com/labels
http://www.bookcrossing.com/hunt/21/3963/41239/travel_-Finland-Uusimaa-Helsinki