signbooks

Signbooks is a term used to describe books or digital records designed to collect signatures, messages, or autographs from visitors, participants, or customers. The concept is widely used at events, exhibitions, stores, religious or civic institutions, and public venues to create a lasting record of attendance and engagement. Signbooks can take physical form as traditional guestbooks or autograph albums, with blank pages for signatures, dates, and messages. In digital environments, signbooks function as online guestbooks, sign-in widgets, or signature capture tools that record user information and optional comments.

Historically, autograph or signature books circulated in Europe from the 17th through the 19th centuries, allowing friends and acquaintances to exchange signed pages, short verses, or personal notes. This practice influenced later guestbook traditions at weddings, hotels, schools, and cultural sites.

Common features of signbooks include entry fields for name, date, and message; optional email or contact data; privacy controls and consent notices; moderation or approval workflows; export or archival options; and integration with event registration, ticketing, or content management systems.

In contemporary use, signbooks may also refer to brand names or services offering digital guestbook solutions, including cloud-based archives, analytics, or social sharing. They are related to autograph books, guestbooks, visitor registries, and performance art or installation contexts.

See also: autograph book, guestbook, visitor registry, signature capture.