Commonplace books (or commonplaces) were a way to compile knowledge in the days before digital memories . . . Essentially these were journals or more acuurately perhaps scrapbooks filled with the daily findings of their authors whether quotes, letters, poems, tables of weights and measures, proverbs, prayers, legal formulas or whatnot. Commonplaces were used as an aid for remembering useful concepts or facts learned. Each commonplace book therfore was unique to its creator's particular interests.
They became significant in Europe during the 15th through 18th centuries.
"Commonplace" comes from Latin: locus communis i.e., "a theme or argument of general application" Basically something to keep and that could be possibly useful someday.
This is my commonplace then . . .
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