ex libris comes from the latin for 'of books' or 'from the books of.' it has been used extensively as a phrase of introduction for the personalized name plates of scholars, book lovers, and libraries for over a millenia. when a book was purchased and added to a collection, a premade stamp or piece of parchment would be applied to the inside cover of the book stating: ex libris (owner's name). the artwork, styling, and rendering of this further personalized the book's owner. over time, these name plates came to be known simply as "ex libris."