Ex Libris: Explore 300+Bookplates

Explore more than 300 bookplates in Raynor Library's Ex Libris digital collection. Satisfying visually and tactile-wise, bookplates are also catnip for those who relish puzzling out who might once have owned a book in hand.

Common in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, these squares of paper were glued inside a book's front cover. They displayed the owner’s name and, often, decorative illustrations. Many of the secondhand books in Raynor Library's collections are peppered with fascinating bookplates, and a digital collection curated by Raynor's Kerry Olivetti, Ex Libris, is bringing these modest gems to light.

Since its inception in 2023, the Ex Libris collection has grown to more than 300 digitized bookplates. The collection now evidences an impressive breadth of styles, from fanciful illustrations by professional artists like Arthur Rackham to no-humble lending-library boilerplate. 

• Explore the collection: Ex Libris: Bookplates from the Raynor Library Collections
• Visit the library lobby to view a small in-person display of Raynor's unique bookplates.