Former president of the ABAA Robert D. Fleck died yesterday. Fleck founded Oak Knoll Books in 1976, and Oak Knoll Press two years later. The publishing operation was intended to fill a need he saw for books about book collecting, design, and bibliography. Fleck was extremely well-known and respected throughout the international antiquarian community, serving as president of both the ABAA and the ILAB during his long career. Just last year, he was awarded the ILAB Medal “in recognition of services rendered to the International League of Antiquarian Booksellers.” His son, Rob Fleck, posted this announcement on the Oak Knoll Books website: It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of my father, Robert D. Fleck, Jr., proprietor of Oak Knoll Books & Press. He was our helmsman – our captain – our leader in this world of books-about-books. Having founded Oak Knoll Books in 1976, Dad's legacy is anything but short, and heavily decorated with awards, honors, and leadership positions. His love for his family & friends, local history, and (of course) books was unsurpassed. His determination and poise under pressure, no matter how severe, was something that we should all aspire to. He was an important man in the field of bookselling, but I'll always know him as the loving father that he always was. Books were his life, and his life was books. He will be greatly missed. Love you Dad, Rob Fleck Memorial Service A memorial service will be held Tuesday, September 27, 2016... [more In Memoriam: Robert D. Fleck]

The ABAA has recently approved several new members, all of whom have successfully proven themselves to be, in the words of the ABAA Guarantee, "established, knowledgeable, and of excellent reputation." These new members were sponsored by existing members, and have undergone a rigorous screening process. We welcome the newest members of the Antiquarian Booksellers' Association of America. Full Members Nick Aretakis, Nick Aretakis Rare Books Nick Aretakis was born and raised in California, and attended the University of California, at Berkeley, where he received a B.A. in American History. He also has an M.A. in International Relations from the George Washington University, and spent a year in the American History Ph.D. program at the University of Virginia. In the mid-1990s he helped launch the “BookTV” series at C-SPAN television, after which he gravitated toward the world of rare and antiquarian books. In the late 1990s Nick worked part-time for Bartleby's Books of Chevy Chase, Maryland, after which he moved to New Haven, Connecticut, where for fourteen years he was an associate in the Americana Department of the William Reese Company. Nick and his family moved back to California in 2014 and he began his own firm, specializing in books, manuscripts, maps, prints, and photographs in American history. He deals in Americana of all regions and all periods, with an emphasis on Western Americana and the frontier, politics, law, social history, and diplomacy. Zhenya Dzhavgova, ... [more New Members]

The Lilly Library, Indiana University, has announced its summer exhibition. “Eat Your Vegetables! Five Centuries of Vegetarianism and the Printed Word” will survey the history and impact of vegetarian movements on society, and it will also contain a variety of cookbooks that emphasize vegetarian cuisine. The materials in this exhibition are drawn from many of the Lilly Library's collections, most notably the collection of books, pamphlets, and other materials on the history of vegetarianism formed by ABAA-member William Dailey (William Dailey Rare Books Ltd), as well as the Dr. and Mrs. John Talbot Gernon Cookbook Collection. The exhibition will be on view in the Main Gallery of the Lilly Library from July 21 to September 10, 2016. The Library will formally open the exhibition on July 21 at 5:30 p.m., with a talk by William Dailey entitled “Pythagoras to Gypsy Boots: Collecting Vegetarian Literature, 1547 to 1967.” Mr. Dailey's presentation will be followed by a reception featuring a variety of tempting vegetarian food. William Dailey, a native of Evansville, Indiana, is a noted antiquarian bookseller and collector, and his gift to the Lilly Library of materials from his collection provided the inspiration for this exhibition. Learn more about the exhibition... [more William Dailey on Collecting Vegetarian Literature]

ABAA-member Jennifer Johnson of The Book Shop in Covina, CA, has been awarded a Young Antiquarian Scholarship by the Hungarian Antiquarian Booksellers' Association to attend the International League of Antiquarian Booksellers' (ILAB) Congress in Budapest in September, 2016. ABAA-President Mary Gilliam writes of Johnson that “Ever since joining the Association, Jen has been very supportive of, as well as involved in, Association activities, e.g, serving on the Southern California Book Fair committee, and organizing the now ever-popular Poker Tournament, which has raised ~ $15,000 for the ABAA Woodburn Educational Fund." "Jen represents the next generation of booksellers, and epitomizes the type of bookseller to whom we wish to entrust our beloved trade; e.g., along with , they broke new ground in terms of identifying and compiling archives, one example of which is their Heavy Metal catalogue of 2014, the first of its kind, which sold en masse to an institution who also recognized their vision of documenting a modern day musical movement." Johnson said she is “honored and proud to be selected and can't wait to share my experiences with everyone." A native of Nebraska and a graduate of Pepperdine University, Johnson is a former newspaper reporter and public relations executive. She became an associate member of the ABAA in 2010 and a full member in 2016. The ILAB Congress takes place in Budapest, Hungary from September 21 to 23, 2016. [more Johnson Awarded Young Antiquarian Scholarship]

Friday, May 20th will see the premiere of my new opera with composer Stella Sung, a “rare book” opera, if you will, called The Book Collector, in which two men vie for possession of an exceedingly rare book. Why a rare book opera, you may ask? In truth, the opera is driven by the forces that have defined opera since its earliest days: jealousy and love, vengeance and mercy, the clash of social classes, free will bound by fate, and tragic, sometimes deadly misunderstandings. The auction floor, the bookseller's shop, the private library, and the book itself really serve as settings and props for the larger human ambitions that animate the characters. The “rare book” aspect of the opera was Stella's. She's long been fascinated by my day job at Bauman Rare Books. In fact, the first time we met in person was at the Florida Antiquarian Book Fair, the Florida Antiquarian Booksellers' Association's show held in St. Petersburg's Historic Coliseum (my friend Dana Gioia, former chair of the National Endowment for the Arts, first introduced the two of us as collaborative partners, but our work up to that point was done long-distance). Before we began work on The Book Collector, I had already worked with Stella as a librettist but, as the Dayton Daily News explains, my background situated me ideally—as both librettist and rare book dealer, perhaps a unique combination—“to fashion a plausible scenario for this particular opera.” Having worked at Bauman Rare Books for nearly... [more An Opera for Antiquarians]

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]

Michael Hackenberg, on behalf of the the Northern California Chapter of the Antiquarian Booksellers' Association of America is pleased to announce that the winner of the 2016 Kane Memorial Scholarship is Kyna Mallery of Back of Beyond Books in Moab, Utah. She will be using the $1500 scholarship to attend this summer's Colorado Antiquarian Book Seminar. Our congratulations to her! [more Kyna Mallery winner of 2016 Kane Memorial Scholarship]

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]

ABAA-members George Koppelman and Daniel Wechsler were featured on CBS Sunday Morning this past weekend. The booksellers belief is that they may have identified Shakespeare's personal copy of John Baret's Alvearie; or Quadruple Dictionarie, and they have published a book detailing their exhaustive investigation. We previously wrote about Koppelman and Wechsler's ground-breaking work in 2014... [more CBS News: Shakespeare’s Beehive]

Dr. Samuel J. Hessel died last September of pancreatic cancer. A radiologist by training, he gradually turned an interest in rare books into a second career as an antiquarian book dealer after his retirement from the medical profession in the mid-1990s. He later served on the ABAA board of directors as treasurer. Several ABAA members offered remembrances of Samuel Hessel: Michael Thompson writes: Dear fellow booksellers and all friends of Sam Hessel, I feel that I must write a letter, but it is too hard. I still hurt too much. I am envious of the ability of the writers of so many letters; They describe Sam so perfectly and give him so much praise and tribute that I can't imagine doing better. I too knew Sam for many years, practically from the beginning of his partnership with Jim Manwarren. Not traveling to Phoenix all that much, most of my experiences were at book fairs and over the phone. He was truly a very warm, giving man who seemed to have unlimited interest and compassion for other people. I never called him where he didn't inquire very genuinely, very seriously about my wife Kathleen and our partner, Carol. He truly cared. I am jealous of those who knew him more and had the pleasure of traveling with him. Our experiences were always shorter. I first nominated Sam for membership on the Board and encouraged him when he doubted his right to be there. Of course he was perfect for any such position, and I know he served the ABAA very well, although I understand that he wa... [more In Memoriam: Dr. Samuel J. Hessel, 1945-2015]