Glossary

A glossary of terms used in early printed books cataloguing

Cancel/cancellation

A cancel is a part of a book (e.g. a page or a leaf) that replaces what has been printed, usually to correct an error in printing. The replacement leaf is called the cancel or cancellans (plural cancellantia) and the original leaf is called the cancelled leaf, the uncancelled leaf (if it is still present), the cancelland, or the cancellandum (plural cancellanda).

For more information see C is for cancel (Manuscripts and more: Special Collections and Archives at the University of Liverpool Library, 2018).

Signatures

A signature is the letters printed at the bottom of the first leaf in each gathering or section of the book. These letters (or sometimes other marks) were used as guides to help binders assemble books correctly.

For more information on signatures and how to formulate a signature statement, see Deciphering signature marks (Sarah Werner, 2012).

External resources

ABC for book collectors / John Carter and Nicholas Barker (2004)

Glossary / Antiquarian Booksellers of America