Glossary of Book Terms - Letter S

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SA - Svenska Antivariatforeningen, Swedish Antiquarian Booksellers Association.

Saddle stitching - The process of securing and binding the pages of a publication through the center fold with wire staples. The term "saddle" derives from the saddle of the binding machine.

Salesman sample - volume made for door-to-door sales of a forth-coming title, usually has examples of several binding styles, the title page, a few pages of text and some illustrations (if any) and often a few ruled leaves bound in the back to be used to record the sales transaction including the name and address of those ordering the book.

SC or sc - Soft cover, synonymous with paperback, a book with a limp cover or a flexible cover.

Scarce - Traditionally, a "scarce" publication isn't as hard to find as a rare publication, but might take a few years to locate.

Scuffed - Refers to condition; the binding or cover has been scraped and might look rough or slightly frayed in places.

Self-wrappers - the wrappers of a pamphlet consist of the first leaf of the first signature and the final leaf of the last signature; i.e. no special or distinct paper wrappers have been added; often government pamphlets and almanacs have self-wrappers.

Self-Wraps - Wrappers which have vestigial flaps that imitate a dust jacket. Series - A group of volumes with a common theme issued in succession by a single publisher.

Serialization - A work of fiction that is printed in successive parts first in a magazine and then in book form, or is printed as a book and then printed in successive parts in a magazine.

Series author - An author whose work consists of series titles. Kevin J. Anderson, author of Star Wars; Young Jedi Knights, is an example.

Series title - A collective title for a successive group of publications with a common theme or subject, which are usually published by the same publisher but not necessarily by the same author. Star Wars, Sweet Valley High, and Goosebumps are examples of series titles.

Set - A group of publications with a common theme that are released at the same time, or over time, by one publisher. The Complete Works of William Shakespeare a 12 Volume Set by Charlotte Porter and Helen A. Clarke is an example.

Sewn - A pamphlet that has been sewn together and was not originally bound with boards. Offprints are typically sewn.

Sewn-as-issued - A pamphlet which has been sewn together and exists in its original state relative to binding; normally a pamphlet with self-wrappers.

Sextodecimo - A small book, approximately four inches wide and six inches tall. To make it, each sheet of paper is folded four times, forming sixteen leaves which makes 32 pages. Also known as 16mo.

Sgd - Signed

Shaken - An adjective describing a book whose pages are beginning to come loose from the binding.

Sheep - A common leather binding material from sheep hides; used like calf for a less expensive binding than morocco, appears to have been frequently used for text books and law books in the 19th century.

Sheet - The piece of paper on which the printer prints. The sheet is folded one or more times to form the leaves of the book.

Sheet music - Compositions printed on unbound paper.

Shelf Wear - The wear that occurs as a book is placed onto and removed from a shelf. It may be to the tail (bottom) edge of the covers as they rub against the shelf, to the dust jacket or exterior of the covers (when no dust jacket is present) as the book rubs against its neighbours, or to the head of the spine which some use to pull the book from the shelf. Also known as shelf worn.

Shelf worn - The wear that occurs as a book is placed onto and removed from a shelf. It may be to the tail (bottom) edge of the covers as they rub against the shelf, to the dust jacket or exterior of the covers (when no dust jacket is present) as the book rubs against its neighbours, or to the head of the spine which some use to pull the book from the shelf. Also known as shelf wear.

Shelfback - Another term for spine or backstrip.

Sig - Signature

Signature - A group of folded pages that, when bound and trimmed with other signatures, form a book or pamphlet. Also known as gathering. Also refers to a person's handwritten name or autograph signature.

Signed - A book which the author has autographed. Also known as inscribed.

SL or sl - Slight

SLAM - Syndicat National de la Librarie Ancienne et Moderne the French Booksellers Association.

Slip Case or slipcase - A cardboard case covered in paper, cloth or leather which holds a book with only the spine exposed.

SM or sm - Small

Soft cover - Typically is synonymous with paperback, but it can also describe a book with a limp cover or a flex-cover.

Soiled - A book or dust jacket that is discolored by the presence of a foreign substance such as dust or dirt.

Solander case - A box used to preserve books; the back is hinged so the front falls down and is kept closed by a latch. It was invented by an assistant librarian, Daniel Charles Solander (1732-1782), for the preservation of botanical specimens in the British Museum.

SP or sp - Spine, the part of the book opposite of the opening, which is visible when the book is shelved. Also known as back, backstrip, and shelfback.

Spine - The part of the book opposite of the opening, which is visible when the book is shelved. Also known as back, backstrip, and shelfback.

Spine lean - Refers to the condition of a book; the spine is no longer straight and appears crooked or twisted. Also known as spine lean. Also known as cocked.

Spine - the back portion of a book's binding which is visible when a book is shelved in a bookcase; the portion which is attached at the joints to the front and rear covers.

Spiralbound - An inexpensive type of binding utilizing wire or plastic coils as the spine. It is an increasingly popular way for small publishers to publish a work or for an author to quickly self-publish. Known also as comb or coil bound.

Sprung - Refers to condition; the text block is separate from its binding.

SQ or sq - Square

Stamping - An impressed mark, decoration, or lettering, not coloured or gilded, usually appearing on the binding. One way that the Book Clubs have marked their editions when they are otherwise identical to trade editions is to use a small square, round, or sometimes leaf-shaped blind stamp in the bottom right corner of the rear board. Also known as blind stamp.

Stapled - A binding method that uses metal staples to secure the pages, typically for binding magazines and pamphlets. Also known as saddle stitching.

Started - Refers to condition; a portion of the pages are protruding beyond the fore-edge of the book. The pages are coming loose from the binding but are still attached. Not as loose as shaken. The most common use is to describe a condition that is "starting" to happen.

State - Closely allied to the definition of Issue. State generally refers to a change other than a correction of a misprint.

STC - Short-Title Catalog

Stitched binding - Sewing, through the center fold by means of thread, was done to secure the signatures and to bind the publication.

STNS or stns - Stains

Straight grain morocco - Morocco leather with an artificial straight-line pattern, which is usually used in more expensive bindings.

Stub - a narrow strip of paper on the inside margin, between leaves of a book. Usually evidence that a plate or other matter has been removed or that there is an illustration attached into the binding.

Subtitle - A secondary and explanatory title used to explain more about the book.

Sunned - Faded from exposure to light or direct sunlight.

Suppressed - A part of a book that was held back after being published; i.e, a chapter that existed in the first printing, does not appear in the second. It also can describe an entire publication withdrawn from circulation, because of various reasons including political, legal, or perhaps the belated regrets of the author.

SWD or swd - Sewed

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