As I mentioned in my previous post, there was some extra buzz at this year's NY Antiquarian Book Fair due to a number of celebrity sightings. I know there were a number of important and influential scholars, authors, curators, etc. in attendance and I'm sorry that I didn't recognize more! I was, however, all over the pop-culture 'heavy hitters'. Below are my top five celeb sightings from the fair. 5. John Larroquette John Larroquette was the first familiar face I saw early on Friday (his face is etched in my mind from watching Night Court as a kid). Mr. Laroquette is a known collector and was also present at last year's fair. He spent quite a bit of time wandering the aisles but I'm unsure if he left with any purchases. He is currently starring in a Broadway revival of Gore Vidal's The Best Man. 4. Lucy Liu Lucy Liu enjoyed the fair two days in a row, attending on both Friday and Saturday, and spent quite a bit of time on the show floor on both occasions. Many will recognize Ms. Liu from her past roles in Kill Bill and Charlie's Angels or from her current work on the tv drama Southland, but people may be surprised to hear about her work outside of Hollywood. A native New Yorker, Ms. Liu attended Stuyvesant High School and later majored in Asian Languages and Cultures at the University of Michigan. In addition to acting, Ms. Liu is also an artist and a singer. She has been a U.S. ambassador for UNICEF since 2005 and has done much work to raise awareness about the plight of chi... [more Top 5 Celebrity Sightings at the NY Book Fair]

This past weekend's NY Antiquarian Book Fair was a great success, with high attendance, eager buyers, and, most importantly, fantastic inventory from over 200 exhibitors from around the world. This was our largest NY Fair to datethere were so many enthusiastic dealers that the show floor was slightly expanded to accomodate the absolute maximum number of exhibitorsand dealers did not disappoint with the marvelous offerings they brought along. The weather was spectacularI heard it again and again throughout the fair and there truly is nothing like springtime in NYCbut that didn't stop people from exploring the cavernous space of the Armory all weekend long. There were also multiple celebrity sightings (more on that later) which only infused the show floor with additional excitement. As an employee of the ABAA, I spend most of my time during the fairs in the ABAA booth handing out literature about the organization and fielding questions from attendees and exhibitors. I enjoy the opportunity to speak with both attendees and dealers about the fair, and I'm particularly fond of the gusto book fair virgins have, the wonder and excitement they express at their discovery of the rare book world. This isn't to say that time in the booth doesn't drag on a bit at times. It does, but mostly because I get frustrated that I'm not exploring every nook and cranny in each booth. Preview night at the NY Fair allows me the chance to explore, and it's one of the many reasons I love this fair i... [more Springtime in NY + Antiquarian Book Fair = Success, Great Time Had By All]

For many readers of this blog, the answer is obvious, but based on the responses I occasionally receive when I tell people who I work for or about one of our fairs (blank stares and sometimes an "antiquari-what?), it's very clear to me that not everyone is 'in the know'. The most evident reasonto buy rare bookscan be easily deduced, but it overlooks the pure pleasure of attending, whether you leave with books in hand or not, and what I consider to be the true spirit of the show: a celebration of books, history, and intellect. I attended my first antiquarian book fair here in New York two years ago, before I had any idea what the ABAA was. Literature has always played a central role in my life, both academically and personally, so when my aunt, also a bibliophile and minor collector, invited my boyfriend and I to attend the show with her we accepted eagerly. We were unsure of what to expect, but figured that if there were lots of books involved then it couldn't be that bad. Armed with no real expectations, I was staggered to arrive on the show floor and behold the immensity of the Armory and its current inhabitantsfirst editions of every classic I had ever read, texts from the Renaissance, maps and prints I had only seen the likes of in galleries and institutions. I was overwhelmed, albeit in a good way, and before I had even begun to look around I realized that I wanted to spend more time there than I had allowed for that evening. I wandered through the aisles in silent wo... [more Why Visit an Antiquarian Book Fair?]

There are only two days left before the NY Antiquarian Book Fair opens to the public! In addition to the more than 200 exhibitors coming in from all parts of the country and the world, collectors and book lovers will be coming to NYC for the fair. Refreshments will be offered on the show floor, but below are a few recommendations for a variety of nearby restaurants. Bon appetit! For a nice meal&.. Daniel 60 E 65th St New York, NY 10065 (212) 288-0033 Menus * Yelp Reviews JoJo 160 E 64th St New York, NY 10021 (212) 223-5656 Menus * Yelp Reviews Bistro Chat Noir 22 E 66th St New York, NY 10065 (212) 794-2428 Menus * Yelp Reviews Uva 1486 2nd Ave New York, NY 10021 (212) 472-4552 Menus * Yelp Reviews The Modern 9 W 53rd St New York, NY 10019 (212) 333-1220 Menus * Yelp Reviews David Burke Townhouse 133 E 61st St New York, NY 10065 (212) 813-2121 Menus * Yelp Reviews Sushi of Gari 402 E 78th St New York, NY 10021 (212) 517-5340 Menus * Yelp Reviews A quick bite&.. Luke's Lobster 242 E 81st St New York, NY 10028 (212) 249-4241 Menu * Yelp Reviews Shake Shack 154 E 86th St New York, NY 10128 (646) 237-5035 Menu * Yelp Reviews The Candle Cafe (good for vegetarians and vegans) 1307 3rd Ave New York, NY 10021 (212) 472-0970 Menu * Yelp Reviews Pret A Manger 400 Park Avenue New York, NY 10022 212-207-4101 Menu If you have little ones with you&.. Alice's Tea Cup (Chapter II) 156 E 64th St New York, NY 10021 (212) 486-9200 Menus * Yelp Reviews Serendipity 3 225 E 60th St New York, NY 100... [more NY Book Fair: Where to Eat]

The NY Antiquarian Book Fair is only 9 days away (!) and the eager anticipation is palpable. The Americana Exchange calls the Fair "the signal event for book, maps, manuscripts and ephemera collectors in America" as it "attracts the most important dealers, institutions and collectors from across the United States and around the world." AE couldn't be more right on—the NY Fair should not be missed by any lovers of books, art, history, music, popular culture…there's truly something there for everybody! Click here for a few exhibitor highlights. NY Antiquarian Book Fair April 12-15 Park Avenue Armory Fair Hours: Preview: Thursday April 12, 5-9 pm Friday, April 13: 12-8 pm Saturday, April 14: 12-7 pm Sunday, April 15: 12-5 pm [more NY Book Fair Countdown: 9 Days]

We are pleased to announce that this year online ticketing is available for our flagship NY Antiquarian Book Fair, which will be held April 12-15 at the Park Avenue Armory. Click on this link to purchase your tickets now! Fair Hours Preview: Thursday April 12, 5-9 pm Friday, April 13: 12-8 pm Saturday, April 14: 12-7 pm Sunday, April 15: 12-5 pm [more Get Your NY Book Fair Tickets Now!]

Pssst! We're less than a month away from the incredible NY Antiquarian Book Fair (April 12-15), held annually at the historic Park Avenue Armory, and we have a small preview of just a few of the exciting items that will be offered for sale. Click here for a sneak peak! [more NY Book Fair Sneak Peak]

The Antiquarian Booksellers' Association of America is delighted to announce that Sid Lapidus and Jay and Jean Kislak have been awarded the ABAA and ILAB Patron of Honor. The ABAA feels these individuals demonstrate how the printed word materially affects history, scholarship, and cultural intelligence and the importance of collections to institutions and the public. A ceremony and celebration will take place at the ABAA's annual meeting on April 14, 2012 at 10am at the Park Avenue Armory's Tiffany Room. All are welcome to attend, but should RSVP to hq@abaa.org. Sid Lapidus has generously given his time and support to numerous charitable pursuits, including the American Antiquarian Society, of which he is currently chairman. An alumnus of Princeton University, Mr. Lapidus has donated and exhibited materials, including pamphlets, books, and broadsides from his collection on Liberty and American Revolution, at his alma mater. Jay and Jean Kislak have built a collection which is composed of rare maps and books, including a comprehensive collection on early Florida, the Caribbean, and Mesoamerica. They have kindly donated the collection to the Library of Congress. The Kislaks also created the Jay I. Kislak Foundation for the purpose of preserving and advancing knowledge of past cultures, civilizations, and explorations. The Antiquarian Booksellers' Association of America was founded in 1949 to foster and encourage interest in rare books and manuscripts and to maintain the highest... [more ABAA and ILAB Patrons of Honor Announced]

One of the very cool special exhibits at the 45th International California Antiquarian Book Fair was hands-on demonstration of how a colonial era printing press worked, courtesy of The International Printing Museum. Below is a very brief video from the fair demonstrating how the press works. Thanks to AbeBooks for posting this video in their blog. And a personal thanks to another special exhibit by the Society for Calligraphy, Southern California, which had two representatives making beautiful gratis bookmarks for anyone interested. (And you didn't even have to waityou could drop-off your name and return when you were done at the fair!) Here's mine: [more Colonial Era Printing Press]

This past weekend's 45th California International Book Fair in Pasadena was an overwhelming success! It was our first year holding our biannual LA Book Fair in Pasadena (every other year it is held in San Francisco) and we couldn't have been happier with the location. The venue, the Pasadena Civic Center, was a beautiful space, equipped with wide aisles and excellent lighting (an exhibitor's dream!), and Pasadena was a lovely destination, with plenty of great restaurants and things to do. We had record attendance and our exhibitors' offerings made it well worth the visit (as did the various seminars and special exhibits). Thank you so much to all our exhibitors and to Winslow & Associates for putting together an amazing show. Lastly, a big thank you to all who attendedyour energy and enthusiasm truly made the fair! Please click here to read an exhibitor's (Greg Gibson, Ten Pound Island Book Company) review of the fair. [more LA Book Fair a Great Success!]