National Book Lovers’ Day

Observed each year on August 9, (and sometimes on the first Saturday in November) bibliophiles get to celebrate on National Book Lovers Day!

A day for all those who love to read, National Book Lovers Day encourages you to find your favorite reading place, a good book (whether it be fiction or non-fiction) and read the day away.

Bibliophile – a person who has a great appreciation for or collects books.

Let’s step back in time for a minute:

• The very first books used parchment or vellum (calf skin) for the book pages.
• The book covers were made of wood and often covered with leather.
• The books were fitted with clasps or straps.
• Public libraries appeared in the Middle Ages.
• Books in public libraries were often chained to a bookshelf or a desk to prevent theft.

Moving forward:

Book manufacturing’s recent development included digital printing.  Book pages are printed using toner rather than ink.  Digital printing opens up the possibility of print-on-demand,  where no books are printed until after an order is received from a customer.

E-books are rapidly increasing in popularity.  E-book (electronic book) refers to a book-length publication in digital form.  They are usually available through the internet. However, can also be found on CD-ROM and other forms.  E-books are read either by computer or via a portable book display device known as an e-book reader, such as a Reader, Nook or Kindle.