ABSTRACT
Once a book has left the printer, each copy undertakes its own individual journey, which is characterized by the environments in which it moves, the acts and habits of book owners, and the social and cultural space it inhabits. Using book inscriptions, it is possible to build a general understanding of the ways in which and reasons why Edwardian books have survived to this day. In this chapter, I use inscriptive evidence to explore the different ways that Edwardian books have survived to the present day as heirlooms, second-hand items or institutional objects, died, or been reborn. Having emphasized the importance of human beings to book survival, I propose a model of book survival that shows the ways in which books are defined by the people who create, distribute, and use them.
