Those expecting to find very old bindings in libraries should think again. In public libraries, books are handled, read, and leafed through far more often than in private collections. And when books are read, leafed through, or even photocopied, bindings naturally wear out and can break.
In libraries, the most frequently handled books are rebound more often, which is why very old bindings are rarely found. Although the oldest book in the University of Coimbra General Library (BGUC) dates from the 12th century, the oldest surviving binding appears to date no earlier than the early 16th century. This volume is a beautiful example of a binding from the time of King Manuel I.