It is possible to have more than one ex libris
Most people who own an ex libris keep the same stamp throughout their lives. Their ex libris becomes a unique and personal signature. But nothing prevents you from having more than one tampon. In fact, there are many reasons to have more than one ex-libris: bibliophiles, collectors, lovers of ex-libris will find you a thousand. The ex-libris, for example, is an interesting solution to classify books in collections. Another example is that some people like to renew their ex-libris to mark important milestones in their life.
For beginners in ex libris
Obviously, book and ex-libris lovers don't need to think too hard to find a good reason to acquire new ex-libris. Some people collect them. You can create an ex-libris collection with your name on it just as you can create a collection of old ex-libris that belonged to other people. Ex-libris is a world apart within bibliophilia. For people interested in the history of ex-libris, I recommend these two books L'ex-libris by Germaine Meyer-Noirel and Ex libris de la propietat dels llibres by Francesc Orenes.
An ex libris for every collection
In the article Where does the word ex-libris come from?, we saw that the term ex-libris could be used to indicate the origin of the books in a library. And that it can be declined in ex hereditate, ex praemio, ex dono, ex biblioteca. We also saw that variations of the term could be used to designate the subjects of book collections, such as ex musicis, ex eroticis, ex numismaticis, ex poeticis, ex philosophicis or ex comicis, etc. An idea to consider for individuals or institutions wishing to mark the provenance and classification of their books.
For people who read in several languages, you may also choose to use terms other than ex-libris depending on the language of your collection. In English, the most common inscription is Bookplate or My book, in German Buchzeichen or Mein Buch, in Dutch Boekmerken and in Hungarian Könyve.
Change your ex-libris at each new period of your life
We can also have a new ex-libris for each new stage of our life. In What are ex-libris used for?, we saw that an ex-libris stamp could be a great gift idea to mark an important stage in the reader's life, such as professional success, passing an exam, the birth of a child... The ex-libris is a noble object that refers to the identity of its owner. It is for that reason that the owner may want to give as much information as possible when marking his personal library. If you think it might be a good time to get a new ex-libris, order your custom bookplate on our website.
