Laid in is a term used to describe a loose sheet of paper that has been placed inside a book. The purpose of a laid in sheet is two-fold. First, it can be used as a bookmark. Second, it can be used to provide additional information about the book that is not found elsewhere in the text.
Laid in sheets are usually made of thin paper and are usually brightly colored so that they are easily seen when flipping through the pages of a book. They are often printed on both sides, with one side containing the information about the book and the other side containing a graphic or design. Laid in sheets can be placed in a book by the publisher, by the author, or by the reader.
The term “laid in” is also used to describe other items that are placed inside a book, such as bookplates, bookmarks, and even photographs.
Laid in is a term used to describe a paper or other insert that is added to a book during the binding process. The object is literally “laid in” to the binding, usually along the spine. This is in contrast to an object that is bound in, meaning it is sewn or glued into the binding.
Laid in objects are not as secure as bound in objects, and can easily become loose or detached. For this reason, they are often used for items that do not need to be permanent, such as bookmarks, advertisements, or other ephemera.
Laid in objects can also be used to repair damaged pages. If a page is torn or otherwise damaged, a new page can be laid in to replace it. This is a less invasive way to repair a book than to bind in a new page, which would require the book to be disassembled and rebound.