Book Collecting

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book collecting, acquisition of books, not only as texts but also as objects desirable for such qualities as their age, scarcity, historical significance, value, beauty, and evidence of association with some important person. Exercising knowledge, taste, and critical judgment, the book collector forms a special kind of library, intended not only for reference, current reading, or entertainment but also for comprehensiveness and quality within the areas it covers. Although such a library may (and often does) exist simply for the collector’s own pleasure, the very private and personal activity of book collecting may have significant public benefits.