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Bookend Beginnings

Bookends are first and foremost an itemThe advantage that books had over
of function. A bookend's only reason toscrolls was that individual pages made
exist is to be placed at the end of aaccess to information easier by
row of books to keep it from fallingindexing, which eventually made books
over. While it is a simple concept, themore popular. Hand written on fine
history of bookends is wrapped withinparchment or vellum, hand bound in fine
the very history of written languageleather and sometimes highly decorated
itself.outside and in, these early books were
Before books, knowledge and informationworks of art in themselves. They were of
was passed by word of mouth. The moresuch high value that books were actually
the knowledge base of humans increased,chained to the shelves they were stored
the more the need for some way ofon to prevent theft. They took so long
keeping a record of things. Among theto produce at such great expense that a
first 'books' known are clay tabletslibrary with as few as 25 volumes was
with marks made into the wet clay whichworth a fortune. These were stored in
was then fired in an oven like pottery.piles, or singly on slanted boards where
This was the first known writtenthey were read.
language, called Cuneiform Script,The development of movable type for
developed over 6,000 years ago. Asprinting them slowly made them more
innovative as these first writings were,affordable and numerous. With so many
it was not the most practical way tomore books available, shelving systems
record information, and carrying largeholding books vertically to save space,
clay tablets around was definitely notwith the spines facing outward for ease
convenient. The next innovation in theof identification were developed to
written word came with the introductioncategorize and store them for ready use.
of the scroll, approximately 5,000 yearsThe problems of a half-row of them
ago. The first scrolls were made fromconstantly falling over, sometimes off
animal skins or papyrus.the shelf, was solved by the use of
The scroll held many advantages over thebookends in these Renaissance libraries.
clay tablet. They weren't as cumbersome,Bookends have been with us ever since.
could hold much more information as theFrom plain metal bookends to highly
scroll could be made as long as wasornate bookends, their function remains
needed, and offered opportunities ofthe same. They are a part of the
editing text that were not possible withevolution of the written word that began
clay tablets once they had been fired.with those cuneiform tablets over 6,000
The ancient Judeans used the scroll toyears ago. That there was ever a need
transmit their holy texts, beginning afor such an item speaks volumes about
tradition that is still practiced inthe ingenuity, creativity and
modern Judaism with Torah scrolls.practicality of the human mind.



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