Bookseller News

The ABAA's Pacific Northwest Chapter is pleased to announce that it will be sponsoring a Rare Booksellers' Seminar on Digital Tools and Tricks for the Bookselling Trade. The seminar will be held in Seattle on Thursday, June 28 from 9am-4pm. ABAA members and booksellers in the Pacific Northwest region are invited to attend this free event, but space is limited and pre-registration is required. Digital Tools and Tricks for the Bookselling Trade Featuring via Skype: * Joel Silver, Associate Director and Curator of Books, The Lilly Library, Indiana University: My Favorite Reference Sources for Researching Rare Books * Dan Gregory from Between the Covers Rare Books: Rare Book Photography for the Busy Book Professional * Luke Lozier, from Bibliopolis: Don't Trust the Cloud: Maintaining Control over your Digital Assets * Joachim Koch, from Books Tell You Why: The Ins/Outs and Importance of Social Media for the Rare Bookseller: Twitter, Blogs, Facebook, et al. Thursday, June 28th: 9am to 4 pm Reception courtesy of the PNW Chapter to follow. Seattle Public Library, Level 4, Conference Room 2 (also known as the Howard S. Wright Family and Janet W. Ketchum Conference Room) For directions and parking information: http://www.spl.org/locations/central-library/cen-getting-there-and-parking To register for the seminar, please contact Priscilla Lowry-Gregor at rarebooks@lowryjames.com. Remember, space is limited, so register now! [more Seattle Rare Booksellers' Seminar, 6/28/12]

Member Bob Topp of Hermitage Book Shop was recently named a 7Everyday Hero by ABC Denver for his volunteer work with children. For the past eighteen years, Bob has been visiting Bergen Valley Elementary School to read to children, grades 3-5. He began volunteering when his own children attended the school, but he enjoyed encouraging children to read so much that he continues to do so to this day. "I cannot describe it," Bob says. "Everybody says how much the kids enjoy it. It doesn't hold a candle to how much I enjoy it." The children Bob reads to are equally delighted by his visits. "A lot of schools don't get it, so we're really cool that we get him to come to our school," says Lily Urban, 3rd grade. "When he reads a story he always picks out a book almost as if he has a kid's mind." Congratulations on the award, Bob, and thank you for inspiring future generations of readers! Volunteer Shares Love Of Books In The Classroom [more Member in the News: Bob Topp, Hermitage Book Shop]

Looking for exciting opportunities this summer? Apply for a scholarship to Rare Book School from the Elisabeth Woodburn Fund! Scholarships are open to full and associate members of the ABAA and employees of members. Applicants for the scholarship should submit an essay of not more than 500 words describing how attending RBS would benefit them as booksellers, what courses each applicant finds particularly appealing in relation to his or her specialties, and why he or she deserves a scholarship. Please submit your application by March 31, 2012 to hq@abaa.org. Recipients will be notified by the second week of April. For information about Rare Book School, including additional scholarship opportunities, course schedules and accommodations, please visit http://www.rarebookschool.org/. Please be advised that final class rosters are determined by the instructors. [more Exciting Opportunity: Rare Book School Scholarship]

Every four years the International League of Antiquarian Booksellers (ILAB) awards the $10,000 Breslauer Prize for Bibliography to the author(s) of the most original and outstanding work on the history of the book. From the ILAB website: Its purpose is to draw attention to the best academic work being done in the field, to reward and honor it in appropriate terms, and to publicize the League's support for the original scholarship on which the book trade so much depends. The first ILAB Prize for Bibliography was awarded in 1967 to Jean Peeters-Fontainas, followed by famous scholars like Claus Nissen, Wytze Hellinga, I. C. Koeman, Francois Weil, Gerhard Dünnhaupt, Anthony Hobson, and Lucas Heinrich Wüthrich. The next prizewinner will be announced in 2014, and submissions of bibliographies or books about books will be accepted until April 2013. They may be written in any language, but must be have been published between 2009 and 2012. You may submit your work by sending a single copy to the Prize Secretary Arnoud Gerits (Distelvlinderweg 37 d, 1113 LA Diemen, Netherlands). Any aspect of bibliography (e.g. enumerative, textual, history of the book, design, binding, book trade, etc.) is admitted. Manuscripts, catalogues of books intended for sale and translations of works appearing in another language are not eligible. Any book submitted to the Prize must be a published book and available for sale. For more information, including current submissions, visit the official website w... [more $10,000 Prize for ILAB Breslauer Prize for Bibliography]

Zhenya Dzhavgova, proprietor of Zh Books, is a promising young bookseller who recently attended an ABAA Northern California Chapter meeting as a guest of member Vic Zoschak. Last summer, Zhenya attended the Colorado Rare Book Seminar on a scholarship from the ABAA and it cemented her aspirations as an antiquarian dealer and her desire to join the ABAA (you can read about Zhenya's experience at CABS here). Below are her impressions of her very first ABAA meeting. We look forward to seeing her at more in the future! Considering my desire to join the ABAA in a few years, Vic Zoschak's invitation to the NCC ABAA luncheon is a big deal for me. The meeting is at a landmark San Francisco restaurant, which makes it that much more special. I am the youngest one in the group. I see a few familiar faces ­ people I have met last month at the San Francisco Antiquarian Book Fair while working for Lorne Bair. In fact, a dealer and I shake hands so enthusiastically we break a glass. Broken glass brings luck, people say, and I hope so, I really do ­ for my sake and that of everybody else in a profession some are convinced is slowly dying out. Before lunch is served, Vic introduces me to the colleagues I do not personally know. They seem to genuinely take an interest in me asking me for a business card and talking about my specialty. In the meantime, I try to simultaneously listen to several different conversations clashing over my head. Everything is interesting ­ inquiries about other mem... [more Young Bookseller's Insights on the ABAA]

ABAA member Sunday Steinkirchner of B & B Rare Books in Manhattan is the newest contributor for Forbes.com! Her new blog is called 'Home Office' and it will detail Sunday's entrepreneurial life as a rare bookseller. The blog just launched yesterday, so click here to read the first post. Congratulations, Sunday! You can follow Sunday's blog by clicking here. Entrepreneurial Life: Tales of a Young Bookseller [more Member in the News: Sunday Steinkirchner]

ABAA member Vic Zoschak of Tavistock Books has generously offered a scholarship to any antiquarian bookseller interested in taking Joel Silver's course, "Reference Sources for Researching Rare Books". Vic attended Rare Book School in the past, and considers it to be an invaluable resource in addition to a highly enjoyable experience. He decided to endow a scholarship as a way of 'paying it forward' to other antiquarian booksellers. Additional details are below, courtesy of the Rare Book School website. The Tavistock Books Educational Scholarship is a full-tuition scholarship opportunity that is available to all antiquarian booksellers interested in taking Joel Silver's course, "Reference Sources for Researching Rare Books" (L-25), 23-27 July 2012. One Tavistock Scholarship will be awarded in 2012. Preference will be given to individuals in the early stages of their careers, and to those who would not otherwise be able to attend RBS without scholarship assistance. To apply for the Tavistock scholarship, please submit a 2012 summer application to RBS no later than 16 April 2012. In a cover letter, discuss your reasons for applying for the scholarship to attend “Reference Sources for Researching Rare Books”; please include a brief description of your work in the antiquarian book trade, financial needs, and other relevant information. While not required, a recommendation letter from an ABAA member to accompany the application would be beneficial. Scholarship applicants will b... [more Tavistock Books Offers Educational Scholarship to Rare Book School Course]



Sad News: Don Reisler

By Susan Benne

I'm very sad to report that longtime bookseller and ABAA member Don Reisler has passed away after a protracted battle with cancer. The service will be held at 11am tomorrow, Tuesday, March 13, gravesite at the National Memorial Park Cemetery, 7482 Lee Highway, Falls Church, Virginia (between section 7 and 8 of the King David Memorial Gardens). A lunch will be held afterwards at Bazin's on Church (111 Church Street, NW, Vienna, VA). In lieu of flowers, Don's family asks that donations be made to the Capital Caring Halquist Memorial Inpatient Center (4715 15th Street North, Arlington, VA 22205), the hospice where Don spent his last days. It's a sad day for the rare book trade. Our condolences go to Don's wife Jo Ann, daughter Kim, and grandson Sam, as well as the rest of his family and friends. [more Sad News: Don Reisler]



ABAA Informational Webinar

By Susan Benne

If you are already here reading this blog, then you are most likely aware that the ABAA is not a misspelled fanclub for disco era superstar group ABBA, but rather a trade association of the best rare booksellers in the US. You may not, however, be familiar with the application process and the benefits of membership in the ABAA. If you are an antiquarian bookseller and fall into this category, then our upcoming informational webinar is just for you! Geared toward prospective members and those otherwise interested in learning more about the Association, the approximate one hour session will begin with an overview of the Association, its history, goals and membership requirements, followed by a question and answer session between the webinar 'attendees' and a panel of ABAA members. The webinar will take place on March 7 at 2pm ET. If you are interested in attending, please RSVP to hq@abaa.org. [more ABAA Informational Webinar]

We can help you out! In addition to having a number of ABAA members in Southern California who perform qualified appraisals, there will be two events at the 45th California International Antiquarian Book Fair in Pasadena next weekend that are perfect for anyone looking to learn more about appraisals and/or to have their own books appraised. On Sunday at 12:15pm, ABAA members Sam Hessel and Sheryl Jaeger will be presenting a seminar entitled, Do You Need An Appraisal? It is aimed at book collectors or others with books of value and will answer the following questions: What is a formal appraisal? Who should get one for his/her collection? How do I go about the process? Following the seminar is Discovery Day, which is a feature of every ABAA fair and offers attendees the opportunity to receive free mini-appraisals on up to three books. This is the perfect opportunity to have a qualified professional take a look at your books! Click here to read about other seminars and events at the fair! 45th California International Antiquarian Book Fair [more In SoCal and need an appraisal?]