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A bookend is an object tall, sturdy, and heavy enough that is placed at either end of a row of upright books to support or buttress them. Heavy bookends?made of wood , bronze , marble , and even large geodes ?have been used in libraries, stores, and homes for centuries; the simple sheetmetal bookend (originally patented in 1877 by William Stebbins Barnard) ^[1] uses the weight of the books standing on its foot to clamp the bookend's tall brace against the last book's back; in libraries, simple metal brackets are often used to support the end of a row of books. Elaborate and decorative bookends are common as elements in home decor .

The word "bookend" is also used metaphorically to refer to any pair of items which frame and define a significant or noteworthy event or place. For example, regarding the practice in the United States whereby Memorial Day and Labor Day demarcate the traditional beginning and end of summer , those two holidays could be referred to as bookends. Bookends are usually made of metal and plastic.

See also [ edit ]

• Bookend terrace , a bookend effect in the design of terraced houses.

References [ edit ]

External links [ edit ]

Look up bookend in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Bookends .

• Bookend sizes
• The History of Bookends