A book of office may refer either to a record of the conduct of affairs within an organization, particularly a religious organization like a church, or to a body of writing establishing the guiding philosophy of an organization like a political party.

Practical Books of Office

Religious organizations, including individual churches and parishes, may record the acts of their leaders in a book of office. This practice has also been used to record the dealings of secular organizations like courts. The infrequency of reference to these books in modern use may point to a decline in their use.

Philosophical Books of Office

A political party may refer to a work as a "book of office" if it represents the philosophical foundation of the party. John Stuart Mill

John Stuart Mill

John Stuart Mill was a British philosopher, economist and civil servant. An influential contributor to social theory, political theory, and political economy, his conception of liberty justified the freedom of the individual in opposition to unlimited state control. He was a proponent of...

's On Liberty

On Liberty

On Liberty is a philosophical work by British philosopher John Stuart Mill. It was a radical work to the Victorian readers of the time because it supported individuals' moral and economic freedom from the state....

is described as the book of office for the Liberal Democrats

Liberal Democrats

The Liberal Democrats are a social liberal political party in the United Kingdom which supports constitutional and electoral reform, progressive taxation, wealth taxation, human rights laws, cultural liberalism, banking reform and civil liberties .The party was formed in 1988 by a merger of the...

of the United Kingdom.