Types

By content
Novels in a Polish bookstore
A common separation by content are fiction and non-fiction books. This simple separation can be
found in most collections, libraries, and bookstores.
Fiction
Many of the books published today are fiction, meaning that they are in-part or completely untrue.
Historically, paper production as considered too e!pensive to be used forentertainment. An
increase in global literacy and print technology led to the increased publication of books for the
purpose of entertainment, and allegorical social commentary. Most fiction is additionally categori"ed
by genre.
The novel is the most common form of fiction book. Novels are stories that typically feature
a plot, setting, themes and characters. #tories and narrative are not restricted to any topic$ a novel
can be himsical, serious or controversial. The novel has had a tremendous impact on
entertainment and publishing markets.
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A novella is a term sometimes used for
fictionprose typically beteen )*,'++ and ,+,+++ ords, and a novelette beteen *,'++ and )*,'++.
A #hort story may be any length up to )+,+++ ords, but these ord lengths vary.
Comic books or graphic novels are books in hich the story is illustrated. The characters and
narrators use speech or thought bubbles to e!press verbal language.
Non-fiction
A page from a dictionary
-n a library, a reference book is a general type of non-fiction book hich provides information as
opposed to telling a story, essay, commentary, or otherise supporting a point of vie.
An almanac is a very general reference book, usually one-volume, ith lists of data and information
on many topics. An encyclopedia is a book or set of books designed to have more in-depth articles
on many topics. A book listing ords, their etymology, meanings, and other information is called
a dictionary. A book hich is a collection of maps is an atlas. A more specific reference book ith
tables or lists of data and information about a certain topic, often intended for professional use, is
often called ahandbook. .ooks hich try to list references and abstracts in a certain broad area may
be called an inde!, such as Engineering Index, or abstracts such as chemical abstracts and
biological abstracts.
An atlas
.ooks ith technical information on ho to do something or ho to use some e/uipment are
called instruction manuals. 0ther popular ho-tobooks include cookbooks and home
improvement books.
#tudents typically store and carry te!tbooks and schoolbooks for study purposes. 1lementary
school pupils often use orkbooks, hich are published ith spaces or blanks to be filled by them
for study or homeork. -n 2# higher education, it is common for a student to take an e!am using
a blue book.
A page from a notebookused as hand ritten diary
There is a large set of books that are made only to rite private ideas, notes, and accounts. These
books are rarely published and are typically destroyed or remain private. Notebooks are blank
papers to be ritten in by the user. #tudents and riters commonly use them for taking
notes.#cientists and other researchers use lab notebooks to record their notes. They often feature
spiral coil bindings at the edge so that pages may easily be torn out.
A Telephone 3irectory, ith business and residence listings.
Address books, phone books, and calendar4appointment books are commonly used on a daily basis
for recording appointments, meetings and personal contact information.
.ooks for recording periodic entries by the user, such as daily information about a 5ourney, are
called logbooks or simply logs. A similar book for riting the oner6s daily private personal events,
information, and ideas is called a diary or personal 5ournal.
.usinesses use accounting books such as 5ournals and ledgers to record financial data in a practice
called bookkeeping.
Other types
There are several other types of books hich are not commonly found under this
system. Albums are books for holding a group of items belonging to a particular theme, such as a
set of photographs, card collections, and memorabilia. 0ne common e!ample is stamp albums,
hich are used by many hobbyists to protect and organi"e their collections of postage stamps. #uch
albums are often made using removable plastic pages held inside in a ringed binder or other similar
smolder. Picture books are books for children ith little te!t and pictures on every page.
Hymnals are books ith collections of musical hymns that can typically be found
in churches. Prayerbooks or missals are books that contain ritten prayers and are commonly
carried by monks, nuns, and other devoted folloers or clergy.
By physical format
Hardcover books
Paperback books
Hardcover books have a stiff binding. Paperback books have cheaper, fle!ible covers hich tend to
be less durable. An alternative to paperback is the glossy cover, otherise knon as a dust cover,
found on maga"ines, and comic books. #piral-bound books are bound by spirals made of metal or
plastic. 1!amples of spiral-bound books include7 teachers6 manuals and pu""le
books 8crossords, sudoku9.
Publishing is a process for producing pre-printed books, maga"ines, and nespapers for the
reader4user to buy.
Publishers may produce lo-cost, pre-publication copies knon as galleys or 6bound proofs6 for
promotional purposes, such as generating revies in advance of publication. :alleys are usually
made as cheaply as possible, since they are not intended for sale.
Libraries
Main article: Library
;elsus <ibrary as built in )=' A3 and could house around )&,+++ scrolls.
Private or personal libraries made up of non-fiction and fiction books, 8as opposed to the state or
institutional records kept in archives9 first appeared in classical :reece. -n ancient orld the
maintaining of a library as usually 8but not e!clusively9 the privilege of a ealthy individual. These
libraries could have been either private or public, i.e. for people ho ere interested in using them.
The difference from a modern public library lies in the fact that they ere usually not funded from
public sources. -t is estimated that in the city of >ome at the end of the =rd century there ere
around =+ public libraries. Public libraries also e!isted in other cities of the ancient Mediterranean
region 8for e!ample, <ibrary of Ale!andria9.
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<ater, in the Middle Ages, monasteries and universities
had also libraries that could be accessible to general public. Typically not the hole collection as
available to public, the books could not be borroed and often ere chained to reading stands to
prevent theft.
The beginning of modern public library begins around )'th century hen individuals started to
donate books to tons.
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The groth of a public library system in the 2nited #tates started in the
late )@th century and as much helped by donations from Andre ;arnegie. This reflected classes
in a society7 The poor or the middle class had to access most books through a public library or by
other means hile the rich could afford to have a private library built in their homes. -n the 2nited
#tates the .oston Public <ibrary )A'& Report of the Trustees established the 5ustification for the
public library as a ta!-supported institution intended to e!tend educational opportunity and provide
for general culture.
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The advent of paperback books in the &+th century led to an e!plosion of popular publishing.
Paperback books made oning books affordable for many people. Paperback books often included
orks from genres that had previously been published mostly in pulp maga"ines. As a result of the
lo cost of such books and the spread of bookstores filled ith them 8in addition to the creation of a
smaller market of e!tremely cheap used paperbacks9 oning a private library ceased to be a status
symbol for the rich.
-n library and booksellers6 catalogues, it is common to include an abbreviation such as B;ron AvoB
to indicate the paper si"e from hich the book is made.
Chen ros of books are lined on a book holder, bookends are sometimes needed to keep them
from slanting.
Identification and classification
3uring the &+th century, librarians ere concerned about keeping track of the many books being
added yearly to the :utenberg :ala!y. Through a global society called the-nternational Dederation
of <ibrary Associations and -nstitutions 8-D<A9, they devised a series of tools including
the -nternational #tandard .ibliographic 3escription 8-#.39.
-#.N ith barcode
1ach book is specified by an -nternational #tandard .ook Number, or -#.N, hich is uni/ue to every
edition of every book produced by participating publishers, orld ide. -t is managed by the -#.N
#ociety. An -#.N has four parts7 the first part is the country code, the second the publisher code,
and the third the title code. The last part is a check digit, and can take values from +E@ and F 8)+9.
The 1AN .arcodes numbers for books are derived from the -#.N by prefi!ing @*A, for .ookland,
and calculating a ne check digit.
;ommercial publishers in industriali"ed countries generally assign -#.Ns to their books, so buyers
may presume that the -#.N is part of a total international system, ith no e!ceptions. Hoever,
many government publishers, in industrial as ell as developing countries, do not participate fully in
the -#.N system, and publish books hich do not have -#.Ns.
A large or public collection re/uires a catalogue. ;odes called Bcall numbersB relate the books to the
catalogue, and determine their locations on the shelves. ;all numbers are based on a <ibrary
classification system. The call number is placed on the spine of the book, normally a short distance
before the bottom, and inside.
-nstitutional or national standards, such as AN#-4N-#0 G=@.,) - )@@*, establish the correct ay to
place information 8such as the title, or the name of the author9 on book spines, and on BshelvableB
book-like ob5ects, such as containers for 3H3s, video tapes and softare.
.ooks on library shelves ithbookends, and call numbers visible on the spines
0ne of the earliest and most idely knon systems of cataloguing books is the 3eey 3ecimal
#ystem. Another idely knon system is the <ibrary of ;ongress ;lassificationsystem. .oth
systems are biased toards sub5ects hich ere ell represented in 2# libraries hen they ere
developed, and hence have problems handling ne sub5ects, such as computing, or sub5ects
relating to other cultures.
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-nformation about books and authors can be stored in databases like online general-interest book
databases.
Metadata about a book may include its -#.N or other classification number 8see above9, the names
of contributors 8author, editor, illustrator9 and publisher, its date and si"e, and the language of the
te!t.
Classification systems
.liss bibliographic classification 8.;9
;hinese <ibrary ;lassification 8;<;9
;olon ;lassification
3eey 3ecimal ;lassification 833;9
Harvard-Ienching ;lassification
<ibrary of ;ongress ;lassification 8<;;9
Ne ;lassification #cheme for ;hinese <ibraries
2niversal 3ecimal ;lassification 823;9
Uses
Aside from the primary purpose of reading them, books are also used for other ends7
A book can be an artistic artifact, a piece of art$ this is sometimes knon as an artists6 book.
A book may be evaluated by a reader or professional riter to create a book revie.
A book may be read by a group of people to use as a spark for social or academic
discussion, as in a book club.
A book may be studied by students as the sub5ect of a riting and analysis e!ercise in the
form of a book report.
.ooks are sometimes used for their e!terior appearance to decorate a room, such as
a study.
Paper and conservation
Main articles: Paper Paper stability and Conservationrestoration
Halfbound book ith leather andmarbled paper.
Paper as first made in ;hina as early as &++ .;, and reached 1urope through Muslim territories.
At first made of rags, the industrial revolution changed paper-making practices, alloing for paper to
be made out of ood pulp. papermaking in 1urope began in the ))th century, although vellum as
also common there as page material up until the beginning of )?th century, vellum being the more
e!pensive and durable option. Printers or publishers ould often issue the same publication on both
materials, to cater to more than one market.
Paper made from ood pulp became popular in the early &+th century, because it as cheaper
than linen or abaca cloth-based papers. Pulp-based paper made books less e!pensive to the
general public. This paved the ay for huge leaps in the rate of literacy in industrialised nations, and
enabled the spread of information during the #econd -ndustrial >evolution.
Hoever pulp paper contained acid, that eventually destroys the paper from ithin. 1arlier
techni/ues for making paper used limestone rollers, hich neutrali"ed the acid in the pulp. .ooks
printed beteen )A'+ and )@'+ are at risk$ more recent books are often printed on acid-free
or alkaline paper. <ibraries today have to consider mass deacidification of their older collections.
#tability of the climate is critical to the long-term preservation of paper and book material.
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:ood air
circulation is important to keep fluctuation in climate stable. The HHA; system should be up to date
and functioning efficiently. <ight is detrimental to collections. Therefore, care should be given to the
collections by implementing light control. :eneral housekeeping issues can be addressed,
including pest control. -n addition to these helpful solutions, a library must also make an effort to be
prepared if a disaster occurs, one that they cannot control. Time and effort should be given to create
a concise and effective disaster plan to counteract any damage incurred through Bacts of godB
therefore an emergency management plan should be in place.
See also
Main article: !utline of boo"s
Artist6s book
Audiobook
.ook burning
<ists of books
.ibliodiversity
References
). Jump up ^ B.ooks of the orld, stand up and be countedJ All )&@,A?,,AA+ of you.B. -nside
:oogle .ooks. August ', &+)+. >etrieved &+)+-+A-)'. BAfter e e!clude serials, e can finally
count all the books in the orld. There are )&@,A?,,AA+ of them. At least until #unday.B
&. Jump up ^ B.ookB. 3ictionary.com. >etrieved &+)+-))-+?.
=. Jump up ^ Northvegr - Holy <anguage <e!icon7 . archived November =, &++A from the
original
%dead lin"(
,. Jump up ^ <eila Avrin. #cribes$ #cript and %oo"s, p. )*=.
'. Jump up ^ .ischoff, .ernhard 8)@@+9. Latin palaeography anti&uity and the Middle 'ges.
3KibhL M ;rMinin. ;ambridge7 ;ambridge 2niversity Press. p. )). -#.N +-'&)-=?,*=-?.
?. Jump up ^ Avrin, <eila 8)@@)9. #cribes$ script$ and boo"s: the boo" arts fro( anti&uity to
the Renaissance. Ne Iork, Ne Iork7 American <ibrary Association$ The .ritish <ibrary.
p. A=. -#.N @*A-+-A=A@-+'&&-*.
*. Jump up ^ 3ard Hunter. Paper(a"ing: )istory and Techni&ue of an 'ncient Craft *e+
ed, 3over Publications )@*A, p. )&.
A. Jump up ^ <eila Avrin. #cribes$ #cript and %oo"s, pp. ),,E),'.
@. Jump up ^ The ;ambridge History of 1arly ;hristian <iterature. 1dd. Drances Ioung,
<eis Ayres, Andre <outh, >on Chite. ;ambridge 2niversity Press &++,, pp. AE@.
)+. Jump up ^ <eila Avrin. #cribes$ #cript and %oo"s, pp. &+*E&+A.
)). Jump up ^ Theodore Maynard. #aint %enedict and )is Mon"s. #taples Press <td )@'?,
pp. *+E*).
)&. Jump up ^ Martin 3. Noachim. Historical Aspects of ;ataloguing and ;lassification.
Haorth Press &++=, p. ,'&.
)=. Jump up ^ 1dith 3iehl. %oo"binding: Its %ac"ground and Techni&ue. 3over Publications
)@A+, pp. ),E)?.
),. Jump up ^ .ernhard .ischoff. Latin Palaeography, pp. )?E)*.
)'. Jump up ^ Paul #aenger. #pace %et+een -ords: The !rigins of #ilent Reading.
#tanford 2niversity Press )@@*.
)?. Jump up ^ .ernhard .ischoff. Latin Palaeography, pp. ,&E,=.
)*. Jump up ^ C. 3urant, BThe Age of DaithB, Ne Iork )@'+, p. &=?
)A. Jump up ^ #.1. Al-35a"airi BThe :olden Age of -slamic ;ivili"ationB, Manchester &@@?, p.
&++
)@. Jump up ^ 1dmund .urke 8Nune &++@9. B-slam at the ;enter7 Technological ;omple!es
and the >oots of ModernityB. .ournal of -orld )istory82niversity of Haaii Press9 20 8&97 )?'E
)A? %,=(.doi7)+.)='=45h.+.++,'.
&+. Jump up ^ 1dmund .urke 8Nune &++@9. B-slam at the ;enter7 Technological ;omple!es
and the >oots of ModernityB. .ournal of -orld )istory82niversity of Haaii Press9 20 8&97 )?'E
)A? %,,(.doi7)+.)='=45h.+.++,'.
&). Jump up ^ Nohs. Pedersen, BThe Arabic .ookB, Princeton 2niversity Press, )@A,, p. '@
&&. Jump up ^ ;lapham, Michael, BPrintingB in ' )istory of Technology, Hol &./ro( the
Renaissance to the Industrial Revolution, edd. ;harles #inger et al, 80!ford )@'*9, p. =**. ;ited
from 1li"abeth <. 1isenstein, The Printing Press as an 'gent of Change 8;ambridge 2niversity,
)@A+9.
&=. Jump up ^ BAn 1-.ook is an electronic bookB AuthorO .ill .radley
&,. Jump up ^ .oker >eports Traditional 2.#. .ook Production Dlat in &++@
%dead lin"(
&'. Jump up ^ 1din Mcdoell 80ctober =+, )@A@9. BThe Media .usiness$ Publishers Corry
After Diction #ales CeakenB. *e+ 0or" Ti(es. >etrieved &++A-+)-&'.
&?. Jump up ^ Miriam A. 3rake, Encyclopedia of Library and Infor(ation #cience8Marcel
3ekker, &++=9, BPublic <ibraries, HistoryB.
&*. Jump up ^ Miriam A. 3rake, Encyclopedia of Library, BPublic <ibraries, HistoryB.
&A. Jump up ^ Mc;ook, Pathleen de la PeQa 8&+))9, Introduction to Public Librarianship, &nd
ed., p. &= Ne Iork, Neal-#chuman.
&@. Jump up ^ Patkus, .eth 8&++=9. 'ssessing Preservation *eeds$ ' #elf#urvey 1uide.
Andover7 Northeast 3ocument ;onservation ;enter.
External links
Dind more about Book at
Cikipedia6ssister pro5ects
3efinitions and
translations from Ciktionary
Media from ;ommons
Ruotations from Ciki/uote
#ource te!ts from Cikisource
Te!tbooks from Cikibooks
<earning resources from
Cikiversity
;entre for the History of the .ook
Manuscripts, .ooks, and Maps7 The Printing Press and a ;hanging Corld
#ociety for the History of Authorship, >eading and Publishing
!ld %oo"s$ )o+ to find infor(ation on publication history and value 8)@@A9 #mithsonian
-nstitution <ibraries
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Paper products
Containers
Box
Cardboard box
Cigarette pack
Coffee cup sleeve
Envelope
Oyster pail
Paper bag
Paper cup
Hygiene
acial tissue
!apkin
Paper to"el
Toilet paper
#et "ipe
Stationery
Continuous stationery
$reeting card
%ndex card
&etter
'anila folder
Postage sta(p
Postcard
Post)it note
Financial
Banknote
Business card
Coupon
Pay card
Passbook
Decorations
%ngrain "allpaper
#allpaper
Media
Book
!e"spaper
Pa(phlet
Recreation
Confetti
Paper craft
Paper toys
Playing card
Other
Beverage coaster
or(
*andpaper
*ecurity paper