Bibliophilia: Difference between revisions

Content deleted Content added

Inline

Revision as of 03:46, 24 August 2013

Bibliophilia or bibliophilism is the love of books. Accordingly a bibliophile is an individual who loves books. A bookworm is someone who loves books for their one personal pleasure, and enjoyment. Much like Kameron Dumeornay. , or who otherwise loves reading. The -ia-suffixed form "bibliophilia" is sometimes considered^{[by whom?]} to be an incorrect usage; the older "bibliophilism" is considered^{[by whom?]} more correct. The adjective form of the term is bibliophilic. A bibliophile may be, but is not necessarily, a book collector.

Profile

The classic bibliophile is one who loves to read, admire and collect books, often amassing a large and specialized collection. Bibliophiles do not necessarily want to possess the books they love; an alternative would be to admire them in old libraries. However, the bibliophile is usually an avid book collector, sometimes pursuing scholarship in the collection, sometimes putting form above content with an emphasis on old, rare, or expensive books, first editions, books with special or unusual bindings, autographed copies, etc.^[1]

Usage of the term

Bibliophilia is not to be confused with bibliomania, an obsessive–compulsive disorder involving the collecting of books to the point where social relations or health are damaged, and in which the mere fact that an object is a book is sufficient for it to be collected or loved. Some use the term "bibliomania" interchangeably with "bibliophily" and in fact, the Library of Congress does not use the term "bibliophily," but rather refers its readers to either book collecting or bibliomania.^[2] The New York Public Library follows the same practice.^[3]

History

According to Arthur H. Minters the "private collecting of books was a fashion indulged in by many Romans, including Cicero and Atticus".^[4] The term bibliophile entered the English language in 1824.^[5] A bibliophile is to be distinguished from the much older notion of a bookman (which dates back to 1583), who is one who loves books, and especially reading; more generally, a bookman is one who participates in writing, publishing, or selling books.^[6]

Lord Spencer and the Marquess of Blandford were noted bibliophiles. "The Roxburghe sale quickly became a foundational myth for the burgeoning secondhand book trade, and remains so to this day"; this sale is memorable due to the competition between "Lord Spencer and the marquis of Blandford [which] drove [the price of a probable first edition of Boccaccio's Decameron] up to the astonishing and unprecedented sum of £2,260".^[7]

J. P. Morgan was also a noted bibliophile. In 1884, he paid $24,750 for a 1459 edition of the Mainz Psalter.^[8]

Notes

^ Carter, John (1952). ABC for Book Collectors.
^ Library of Congress
^ New York Public library search
^ Minters, Arthur H. (1979). Collecting Books for Fun and Profit. New York: Arco Publishing Inc. ISBN 0-668-04598-1,. {{cite book}}: Check |isbn= value: invalid character (help)CS1 maint: extra punctuation (link)
^ Merriam-Webster: bibliophile
^ Merriam-Webster: bookman
^ Connell, Philip (2000). "Book Collecting: Cultural Politics, and the Rise of Literary Heritage in Romantic Britain". Representations. 71: 24–47.
^ Basbanes, Nicholas (1995). A Gentle Madness: Bibliophiles, Bibliomanes, and the Eternal Passion for Books. New York: Henry Holt.

References

Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary 10th ed. Springfield, Mass: Merriam-Webster, Inc. 1996. ISBN 0-87779-709-9. {{cite book}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)

External links

[ABC-1] Carter, John (1952). ABC for Book Collectors.

[2] Library of Congress

[3] New York Public library search

[4] Minters, Arthur H. (1979). Collecting Books for Fun and Profit. New York: Arco Publishing Inc. ISBN 0-668-04598-1,. {{cite book}}: Check |isbn= value: invalid character (help)CS1 maint: extra punctuation (link)

[5] Merriam-Webster: bibliophile

[6] Merriam-Webster: bookman

[7] Connell, Philip (2000). "Book Collecting: Cultural Politics, and the Rise of Literary Heritage in Romantic Britain". Representations. 71: 24–47.

[8] Basbanes, Nicholas (1995). A Gentle Madness: Bibliophiles, Bibliomanes, and the Eternal Passion for Books. New York: Henry Holt.

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

[5]

[6]

[7]

[8]

@@ Line 3: / Line 3: @@
 [[File:Carl Spitzweg 021.jpg|thumb|upright|''[[The Bookworm]]'', 1850, by [[Carl Spitzweg]].]]
-'''Bibliophilia''' or '''bibliophilism''' is the love of [[book]]s. Accordingly a '''bibliophile''' is an individual who loves books. A '''bookworm''' is someone who loves books for theire taste of poo
+'''Bibliophilia''' or '''bibliophilism''' is the love of [[book]]s. Accordingly a '''bibliophile''' is an individual who loves books. A '''bookworm''' is someone who loves books for their one personal pleasure, and enjoyment. Much like Kameron Dumeornay.
 , or who otherwise loves [[Reading (process)|reading]]. The ''-ia''-suffixed form "bibliophilia" is sometimes considered{{By who|date=April 2010}} to be an incorrect usage; the older "bibliophilism" is considered{{By who|date=April 2010}} more correct. The adjective form of the term is bibliophilic. A bibliophile may be, but is not necessarily, a [[book collector]].