What does it mean when something 'makes it into the books'?

does it mean that it is part of the collective knowledge of a region, or is it just part of the written literal books

The Lord Humungus.2017-12-10T09:29:16Z

I've never heard this phrase.

I've heard "this is one for the record books" and various phrases implying you're being kept track of in a ledger or on a list of people to kill, but I've never heard this phrase.

Marli2017-12-09T22:06:41Z

Or into the Guinness book of world records.

If that "something" was a financial transaction in the age before the computer, the sale (or the bet if you were a Recency beau and belonged to a gentleman's club) would be entered into journals, registers, and account books (or the club's betting book).

vincent2017-12-09T18:18:15Z

Makes it into the "history books".