Sender: Rare Books and Special Collections Forum <EXLIBRIS@RUTVM1.BITNET>
The discussion about the indication of printing on the verso of title pages
has been an interesting one. I wonder how many people realize that the present
format for these codes is an artifact of the printing of books by offset. With
a code such as "123456789 98 97 96 95 94 93" for example, it's quite easy for
the next printing either to mask the number you want to eliminate on the film,
or else I expect erase it from the printing plate as well, if the plates have
been stored. Which does not quite explain my copy of Brendan Gills Here at the
New York which bears the notation "98765
First Edition" This may me just arcane New
Yorker humor, however.
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+ Philip A. Metzger +
+ Linderman Library, 30 Library Drive +
+ Lehigh University, Bethlehem, PA 18015-3067 +
+ Special Collections (215) 758-4506 +
+ Lehigh University Press (215) 758-3933 +
+ Fax for both (215) 974-6471 +
+ Internet pam5@lehigh.edu +
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