What does bookplate mean?
A bookplate is a decorative label pasted inside the front cover of a book, typically bearing the owner's name and often the Latin phrase "Ex Libris," meaning "from the books of." Its purpose is practical — marking ownership and aiding the return of lent volumes — but over centuries it has evolved into a minor art form. Bookplates range from plain printed name labels to finely engraved designs commissioned from notable artists, frequently incorporating heraldic crests, mottos, or personal imagery. Because they record successive owners, bookplates are valuable to historians and collectors as evidence of a book's provenance, or chain of custody. The hobby of collecting them, known as ex libris collecting, flourished particularly in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, inspiring dedicated societies across Europe and America. Today the word appears mainly in bibliophilic, antiquarian, and literary circles, though personalized bookplates remain popular gifts for book lovers. The term carries a refined, slightly old-world connotation associated with private libraries and the pleasures of print culture.
nounA bookplate is a decorative label, often printed or engraved with the owner's name and sometimes a motto or design, pasted inside the front cover of a book to indicate ownership.
- A printed or decorative label bearing an owner's name (often with 'Ex Libris'), pasted inside a book to mark ownership.
"The rare first edition still bore its original owner's ornate bookplate on the flyleaf."
"She commissioned a local artist to design an elegant bookplate featuring her family crest."
"Secondhand booksellers often find old bookplates that trace a volume's provenance through several generations of owners."
Regular plural; used when discussing multiple labels or collections of plates.
"The auction included dozens of antique bookplates dating back to the eighteenth century."
Bookplate collecting — ex libris hunting — became so popular in the late 19th century that dedicated societies formed to trade these tiny artworks, some of which were designed by famous artists like Aubrey Beardsley.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of bookplate
The word bookplate is an English compound of 'book' (Old English bōc) and 'plate' (from Old French plate/plat, ultimately Greek platys meaning flat), referring to the flat printed sheet itself. Bookplates as physical objects emerged in Germany in the mid-15th century shortly after the invention of printing, with early examples such as the plate of Johannes Knabensberg (c. 1450) among the earliest known. The practice spread throughout Europe, and the accompanying Latin phrase 'Ex Libris' became the traditional inscription. Cognate compounds appear in other Germanic languages, such as German Buchplakette/Bucheignerzeichen, reflecting the shared compound-building pattern of the source languages.
How bookplate is actually used
The term is most common in bibliophilic, antiquarian, and library contexts. The Latin phrase 'Ex Libris' ('from the books of') traditionally appears on bookplates and is sometimes used interchangeably with the word itself. Bookplates range from simple printed labels to elaborate engraved designs, making them collectible objects in their own right.
Easily confused with bookplate
A bookmark is a temporary marker placed between pages to hold one's place, whereas a bookplate is a permanent label affixed inside a book's cover to identify its owner.