On March 11th, the ABAA Women's Initiative hosted a panel discussion on Collecting and Women during the New York Antiquarian Book Fair at the Park Avenue Armory. Elizabeth Denlinger, Sarah Gordon, and Molly Schwartzburg discussed topics relating to representations of women in collections, women as collectors, and women-focused institutions as Nina Musinsky moderated. More than 100 men and women booksellers, librarians, and enthusiasts attended. If you missed it, we have a recording below. Since 2016, we have held networking receptions for women in conjunction with book fairs, and honored Carol Sandberg — a longtime bookseller who has championed women in the trade. This panel is our first foray into programming and we are thrilled to have so many of you here. Please do leave your business cards or add your name to our mailing list so we ... [more Women’s Initiative Hosts Panel on Collecting and Women]

You've no doubt heard the great news that Assembly Bill 228 has been introduced by California State Assembly Members Gloria and Chiu. If passed, this bill will provide significant relief from the most troubling and onerous provisions of AB 1570, California's new autograph law. The ABAA, IOBA, PBA Galleries, and The Comic Book Legal Defense Fund, The Manuscript Society, The Ephemera Society, The Professional Autograph Dealers Association, Horror Writers Association, The Grolier Club, Biblio and The Easton Press have formally expressed support for this pending legislation in the linked letters. The legislative process is long and complicated. Bills pass through policy committees in each house of the legislature and the process takes many months. What this bill needs to help ensure that it becomes law is your support. We encourage members an... [more Assembly Bill 228 Introduced to Address Consequences of California Autograph Law]

I'm thrilled to announce the winners of this year's National Collegiate Book Collecting Contest: 1st Place: Luke Kelly. Harvard Unversity. “A Collection of Eugene Walter, King of the Monkeys” 2nd Place: Megan Jones. University of Kansas. "The Life and Times of Sacco and Vanzetti" 3rd Place: Micaela Beigel. Goucher College. “Once We Were Dreamers: A Collection of Jewish Resistance During the Holocaust” Essay award: Samantha Flitter. Princeton University. “The Sand and the Sea: An Age of Sail Library in Rural New Mexico” The judges were impressed with the stories and thought that went into assembling these collections and wish to thank all who participated. The Awards Ceremony will take place at the Library of Congress on October 14th at 5:30pm. Our featured speaker is Toni Tipton-Martin. The event is free and open to public. Th... [more 2016 National Collegiate Book Collecting Contest Winners Announced]

Longtime Bay-area member Barney Rosenthal recently turned 94! (He was still buying and selling books up until very recently, too.) Here's the lovely card signed by his colleagues. Happy birthday, Barney! [more Barney Rosenthal Turns 94]

This item is still missing as of 6/13/2019. Missing in transit to Spain: WERNER, Abraham Gottlob. Von den Ausserlichen Kennzeichen der Fossilien. Leipzig: Siegfried Lebrecht, 1774. 8vo. With 8 folding plates. Contemporary half-calf over boards. Please contact Howard Rootenberg at blroot@rootenbergbooks.com if offered. [more Missing in transit to Spain: Von den Ausserlichen Kennzeichen der Fossilie]

Private company in Westport, Connecticut seeks a researcher with exceptional organizational skills for small, friendly, fast-paced office that specializes in historical documents, books, and artifacts. Auction expertise a plus. Must be able to work quickly and accurately in cooperation with other staff members in a variety of roles. Excellent written and verbal communication skills a must. Responsibilities include research of new acquisitions for database and website, coordination of in-house auctions, representation at prestigious shows and exhibitions. Proficiency in computer databases, internet, and social media skills are necessary. Bachelor's degree plus three years' experience. Salary range: $40,000-$60,000 yearly. Please send resume to: Loraine@universityarchives.com. [more Job Posting: Historical Documents Dealer in Westport, CT Seeks Researcher with 3+ Years’ Experience]

Since 1975 the William Reese Company has served a large international clientele of collectors and private and public institutions in the acquisition of rare books and manuscripts and in collection development. With a catalogue inventory of over forty thousand items and a general inventory of over sixty-five thousand items, we are among the leading specialists in the fields of Americana and world travel, and maintain a large and eclectic inventory of literary first editions and antiquarian books of the 18th through 21st centuries. Our offices are located in downtown New Haven, Connecticut and are open by appointment only. The William Reese Company is seeking to add a new team member to its Americana Department. This person needs to be detail oriented, personable and outgoing, and willing and able to lift reasonably large boxes of books. A ... [more Job Posting: William Reese Co. Seeks Rare Book Cataloguer in Americana Department]

Chapter News Mid-Atlantic The Cooperstown Antiquarian Book Fair was held June 24th, and a bookseller dinner and reception were sponsored by the Mid-Atlantic and New England Chapters. Willis Monie Books hosted the reception at their shop on Main Street, and the restaurant that hosted was (very appropriately) called Natty Bumppo's. Sunday Steinkirchner Midwest The Midwest Chapter, I believe, is the largest geographically; therefore it is harder for us to gather for social events. However, we do sponsor local book fairs. The Chicago Book Fair was held in mid-June and is put on by the Midwest Antiquarian Booksellers Association (MWABA). We have a table, prominently located, with the ABAA-branded table covering and ABAA directories and literature. A full box of directories was picked up by fair attendees. The evening before the fair there was... [more Chapter News & Committee Notes]

Join ABAA Member Stuart Bennett on Tuesday February 7th at 5:00pm ET, for an illustrated talk on the history and development of book production in England, especially bookbinding on novels, including how Jane Austen's novels were originally bound. The talk will start with the hand-press era and take us all the way to classic editions of Austen's novels in the nineteenth century to show the art and science of bookbinding. Presented under the auspices of Jane Austen & Co. Sign up for the Zoom webinar here. Donations are invited, but sign-up is free: simply enter "0" in the "Add a donation" box to attend for free. Image from Jane Austen & Co. [more WEBINAR Feb 7th: Bookbinding and the English Novel from Aphra Behn to Jane Austen]

Please join us on October 21st at 3pm ET to honor this year's prizewinners of the National Collegiate Book Collecting Contest's Susan Tane Prize for Student Book Collectors by Zoom. In addition to the awards, the Library of Congress' Chief of Rare Books and Special Collections Division, Mark Dimunation, will interview each winner. To attend, you must register for the Zoom meeting at this link. First Prize Daria Rose Evdokimova (Harvard University) "Ardis Publishers and the Immigrant Identity" Second Prize Francesca Mancino (Case Western Reserve University) “Reassessing Modernism: Women Writers and Publishers of the Lost Generation” Third Prize Austin Benson (University of Virginia) “The Little Office of Our Lady, 1599-1966: Online Book Collecting During the COVID-19 Pandemic.” Essay Prize Elizabeth Propst (Harvard University) “H... [more National Collegiate Book Collecting Contest Awards on October 21]