Ex Libris Anonymous

Ex Libris Anonymous creates beautiful, practical,and inexpensive journals using upcycled hardcover books from the halcyon days of book design. Each handcrafted book is lovingly constructed in our studio overlooking the Willamette river in downtown Portland, Oregon. A collection of carefully cultivated books is maintained. These books are then deconstructed and a selection of the contents preserved for later use. (( Including illustrations, errata, library ephemera and classroom doodles. )) Blank paper is cut to the appropriate dimensions for the source book and the whole is then rebound into a new product for the people to enjoy.

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Good afternoon, beautiful tigers! I've been very badly remiss in posting to Instagram lately. Forgive me. (( my phone still functions but the forward-facing camera does not. And nobody wants selfies of me at this point in the game. )) Anyway! Here's a photo-essay about MY day. It was another book-buying day (( EXCITING! EXCITING! )) but I couldn't book a rental van and had to burden my old Volvo instead. (( I try NOT to carry so many books in her anymore. She's nearly as old as I am and I know I'm tired of carrying books. Though the Volvo is Swedish and I'm.....Oregonian so maybe I should have more faith in her. )) These photos demonstrate that it's possible to cram 1600 carefully curated hardcover books into a Volvo station wagon. Driving back down here to Eugene on the Five I caught two people taking pictures of my and my load of pretty books. Cute! Okay, time to unload/move this beautiful mess. Love, me (at Ex Libris Anonymous)

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Well? It’s that time again: (Slightly) damaged but still perfectly useful JOURNAL SALE! As time passes I accumulate random journals that just kinda get damaged during production, or shelf-worn, or aren’t quite up to snuff for whatever reason. They’re still pretty things that are useful for a wide variety of uses. Also? They’re CHEAP AS CHIPS!  FIVE random journals shipped to your door, or your friends’ door, or ANY door in the United States for $25 measly dollars. I have a couple hundred of them so, effectively, there are no limits to this offer. Just type your email address in the comments area and I’ll send you an invoice AND inquire about your shipping address. Help me clean up this studio in preparation for the “holidays” Love and Light, Jacob (at Ex Libris Anonymous)

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I just found this cool collection of #vintagepostcards featuring pretty birdies in a book. Who wants a postcard? Direct message me your name and mailing address and I'll send one to you. Love, Jacob.

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More #fourleafclover found in books. I really should have been collecting these throughout the years. Oh, well. They're too dry and fragile to survive a trip through the USPS, probably, or I'd offer to send them to anyone that wants to get lucky! (at Ex Libris Anonymous)

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#terrifyingclown #illustration found in a #vintagereader while making the #recycledbookjournals at the #bookfort (at Ex Libris Anonymous)

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My lovely view from the #bookfort this morning. It's been a blazing hot, blast furnace of a weekend here in the Willamette valley. I'm struggling to keep the tomatoes adequately hydrated....but I can't complain about their growth rate! Also? Though I fastidiously DON'T smoke marijuana (( it was never my thing. )) I thought I'd attempt growing it this year since that's become legal in Oregon. (( and it's a comely, interesting-looking, and astonishingly fast growing plant! )) anyway: good morning, beautiful doves. I hope you're all staying very well. Love, Jacob (at Ex Libris Anonymous)

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#badger (?) #illustration found in a super-cool Chinese (( ?? Sorry. A little help? )) #vintagebook this afternoon while making the #bookjournals (at Ex Libris Anonymous)

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Some kind of #pressedflower found in a #vintagebook this afternoon while making the #recycledbookjournals at the #bookfort Any suggestions of type? It looks like a clover. (at Ex Libris Anonymous)

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Yesterday was an incredibly productive day for Nancy Drew mysteries at the BookMines. Sheesh! I've never had so many Nancy's! Do you need 300 handmade, vintage Nancy Drew book journals for your convention/retreat/wedding/event? I've got you covered! (( Also? We can further customize the journals by binding in an insert with your personal information/details any time. )) Love and Light to all today. Jacob (at Ex Libris Anonymous)

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#catoftheday #lionillustration #foundinbooks #illustration #ohmy! (at Ex Libris Anonymous)

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Good morning, prettiest. The little camera on my phone decided to stop working last week so I’ve been accumulating #imagesfoundinbooks all week. Here’s the first (( just the first in the little pile )) #catoftheday #Catstagram #lovercats found in an ancient grammar book. Love and Light to all of you today. Jacob (at Ex Libris Anonymous)

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Here’s an #illustration of a #sleepingboy that I thought was attractive because it has a cute/spooky/evocative illustration of a #magnifyingglass hovering above his blanket, highlighting the fibre. I’m not sure why but I just think it’s spooky. Probably because I’m listening to an audiobook about rabies today while making the #bookjournals at the #exLibrisAnonymous #bookfort Love and Light to all, all the time. Jacob (at Ex Libris Anonymous)

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Here’s my “daily favorite” for May 25th, 2017. “Anatomy for Children” I was SO EXCITED when I encountered this particular book while at the book mines this last time that I put it aside so that I could share it here. Everything about this book is exciting: These kids are dressed exceedingly well, there’s a heart just sitting out on the table, a giant model ear in the background and what looks like an EYEBALL on the floor behind them. Do you remember taking anatomy? I don’t. Maybe it’s some kind of special waspy thing that happens back east? Also? The entire book is filled with lovely line-illustrations of the human body/ systems. It’s great. If you want this particular book you are very welcome. I’ve added it to the website, right at the “top” of the site. I hope everything is perfect in your life-brain today. Love and Light, Jacob (at Ex Libris Anonymous)

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I love imagining the scenario of some people dressed up in #puritan drag marching out into the woods for a photo session. This image was found in a #vintagebook this afternoon while making the #bookJournals at the #bookFort and I just wanted to share it. I especially like his cute little #pageboyhaircut  That's a pageboy haircut, right? Love, Jacob (at Ex Libris Anonymous)

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“ #deviance #reality and #change a #vintagebook about #DeviantBehavior it’s full of lurid prose about such OUTRAGEOUS topics as #bisexuality (( Of my goodness! Blushing! )) I DO love this era of textbooks, though. Both the hard science and the soft in the 1970’s were imbued with a loving liberalism/ humanism that just always makes me feel nice. Anyway, here’s a journal made from one of the books that I especially liked this morning. If you want this just comment with your email address and I’ll send you a whopping $15 dollar invoice through Square. Also? Everything that you do and everything that you are is totally alright. Love, Jacob #bookjournals #recycledbookjournals (at Ex Libris Anonymous)

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I found this amazing #illustration in a #vintagebook this afternoon, just this instant, actually. Look at this #sciencedog #scientistillustration #scientistdog Cutie! #bookjournals (at Ex Libris Anonymous)