A lucky bibliophile is one who also has discovered the love of, the art of the bookplate. Bookplates can be intensely personal (as personal as the taste of the owner's library itself). They may incorporate monograms, figures or symbols that are important to the bibliophile, mottos or any element that is deemed shorthand for the owner's life. There are some fine, mass-produced bookplates out there that are tasetefully done and recall the classic woodblock print approach to the genre. There are also nice examples that are semi-custom, ordered from printers with one's name, etc. incorporated into a pre-existing design template (much like ordering custom stationery). There's also the wonderful adventure of having a bookplate designed specifically -- image and text -- for oneself.
