A commonplace book is a way to compile knowledge, typically by writing information into books. They became significant in Early Modern Europe, though similar methods were used in antiquity. Commonplace books are essentially personal knowledge repositories, and they serve as a way of remembering useful concepts or facts the person has learned. The purpose of the practice was to record and organize these gems of wisdom for future reflection and to share with others. In essence, a commonplace book contains a collection of noteworthy passages from different sources on various topics, but it can also include comments, drawings, and other types of personal notes. They are often used as a method for managing information and were particularly popular during the Renaissance and early modern period. The term "commonplace" is a translation of the Latin phrase "locus communis" which means "a theme or argument of general application", such as a statement of proverbial wisdom. In this original sense, commonplace books were collections of such sayings. People kept commonplace books for a variety of reasons. They were used by readers, writers, students, and scholars as an aid for remembering useful concepts or facts they had learned. Each commonplace book was unique to its creator's particular interests but they almost always included passages found important, extracts of texts, anecdotes, observations and ideas. The creation of a commonplace book was a common assignment in the schools and universities of Europe for hundreds of years. Many significant historical figures kept commonplace books, including [[Thomas Jefferson]] and Isaac Newton. With the advent of digital tools, the idea of commonplace books has seen a resurgence under the new guise of digital note-taking and personal knowledge management systems. However, it's important to note that a traditional commonplace book is more than just a repository of quotations. It's a tool for reflection and a workshop for thought. The act of writing, organizing, and revising the entries leads to deeper thinking and learning.