Bookbreaking

The term is not usually used to refer to outright theft, where the bookbreaker does not own the book in question.

There have been many cases of theft of illustrations—again, especially maps—from rare books in libraries.

Bookbreaking is most often motivated by a market situation in which the maps or illustrations in a book will have more value sold separately than the value of the intact book.

This widespread practice probably peaked in the 1970s or 1980s, because the price for old engravings and especially for old maps was outstripping that of rare books.

Book collectors have also become more sophisticated in understanding minor condition problems.