Hej Laura,

One of my books from my bibliography class (back when...), Philip Gaskell's A NEW INTRODUCTION TO BIBLIOGRAPHY (Oxford: Clarendon, 1985), pp. 52-53 has a term that might cover what you are looking for.

He calls it a 'preliminary leaf' - it can be a blank leaf, but it can also include the title page, the author's (or publisher's) prefatory matter, and sometimes a table of contents. In other words, what we more commonly call front matter, but less specific (I guess).

Bill's phrase might be equally applicable - Gaskell has that as a binder-specific term - as blank leaves designed to give additional protection to the end pages of the bound book.

The OED has fly-leaf as "a blank leaf at the beginning or end, but esp. at the beginning, of a book; the blank leaf of a circular, etc." . . . 1888 Burgon, Lives 12 Gd. Men I. i. 26. On the fly-leaf of the first volume...is found the following memorandum."

Best, and thanks for a good question,

Christian

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