1. the practice of illustrating a book by inserting pictures, clippings, or other materials cut from other sources into its margins or blank pages
Usage: historical; named after James Granger, an 18th-century English clergyman

Examples

• Grangerism was a popular hobby among Victorian collectors who wanted to personalize their books.
• The practice of grangerism often involved cutting up other books to decorate a single volume.
• Libraries have had to restore many books damaged by grangerism over the centuries.
• Some book collectors view grangerism as a form of artistic expression, while others consider it destructive.
• The trend of grangerism peaked in the 19th century before falling out of favor.