Edit: You can view a recording of this event here: ---- Please join the ABAA Gender Equity Initiative on Zoom on February 14th, 2024, at 2 PM ET for a Brown Bag Lunch Series with Alexandra (Allie) Alvis, Curator of Special Collections, Winterthur Museum, Garden & Library. Rare books and manuscripts are more than historical objects, they are potent – and elastic – symbols. Shifting cultural values emphasize (and de-emphasize) parts of history to suit their goals, with books frequently being caught up in the mix, but rarely a focal point. Despite being relegated to supporting roles, the material forms of books in popular culture specifically tell us a great deal not only about how non-specialists conceptualize historical periods, but of how they understand book history in general. Enter Pop Bibliography. The most common place people encounter book history is not in the library, but through popular media. Pop Bibliography is the study of the production and reception of bibliography through this media lens, to reverse-engineer the popular concept(s) of the "Old Book" in Western pop culture. This talk will delve into the origins of some of the historical sources of these concepts, and address how they speak to the fetishization of the book as an object in the digital age. February 14th @ 2pm Alexandra (Allie) Alvis - Winterthur Museum, Garden & Library Pop Bibliography: Finding Book History in Popular Media Allie Alvis (she/they) is the Curator of Special Collections at the Wi... [more Brown Bag Series: Allie Alvis]

Save the date for the ABAA Virtual Book Fair: Winter Edition! March 7-9, 2024 www.abaa.org/vbf Explore the finest rare books, manuscripts, maps, prints, and ephemera at our next virtual book fair. The doors will open at 12pm ET on Thursday, March 7 and remain open continuously until 7pm ET on Saturday, March 9. We invite you to shop the virtual booths of leading antiquarian booksellers from around the world and discover their latest acquisitions and rare finds. View participating dealers here... For more information visit: www.abaa.org/vbf... [more Virtual Book Fair: Winter Edition]

The 56th California International Antiquarian Book Fair is returning to San Francisco next month. The fair, sponsored by the Antiquarian Booksellers' Association of America (ABAA), takes place February 9-11, 2024, at Pier 27 (cruise ship terminal). Widely recognized as one of the world's largest exhibitions of antiquarian books for sale, more than 100 exhibitors from around the world will present rare books, maps, illustrations, historical documents, and ephemera on a vast array of subjects and genres. “Post-pandemic, we are seeing resurgent demand for in-person fairs, where a global community of the top dealers offers the most sought-after collections of books, maps, illustrations, and ephemera. The experience of attending in person is like no other – it's a real-life treasure hunt.” -- Julie Roper, Director of the 56th California International Antiquarian Book Fair The fair boasts offerings in every conceivable genre including the first-ever catalog on the history of artificial intelligence (AI) from Novato book dealer and ABAA member Jeremy Norman. Part of this timely collection is an extremely rare, first edition pamphlet published in 1832 by Russian statistician and inventor Semyon Korsakov on what is believed to be one of the first machine-learning devices. Korsakov was a pioneer in the concept of “mechanized thought,” or artificial intelligence. The nearly 200-year-old AI print ephemera will be on exhibit and offered at the purchase price of $35,000. This ext... [more California Book Fair 2024]

The Antiquarian Booksellers' Association of America's Diversity Initiative Committee is proud to announce a paid summer internship program co-sponsored by AbeBooks. We invite you to apply and share this opportunity with qualified applicants at your institution and beyond. This 10-week paid, hands-on, learning-oriented program seeks to provide an opportunity for entry to historically underrepresented individuals in the trade—Black, Indigenous, people of color, and/or LGBTQ+, by offering tools, experiences, and exposures necessary to pursue a career in the antiquarian book trade. The intern will gain experience in research, cataloging, customer relations, and more with an ABAA member as host. Application Requirements Self-identify as Black, Indigenous, person of color, and/or LGBTQ+. Minimum requirement of a high school diploma, OR be a currently enrolled student in any degree program, OR be a recent graduate (< 1-year post-grad). Must be detail-oriented, have independent research experience, strong writing skills and time management, and be comfortable working on solo and collaborative projects. Prior experience working in a bookstore, library, or customer service setting is a plus. Ability to secure summer housing independently and ability to coordinate commute if necessary. The application is a 2 stage process. Stage 1 application can be found here. Stage 2 of the application can be found here. The application deadline for Stage 1 and Stage 2 is April 30, 2024. Please note... [more 2024 ABAA x AbeBooks Internship]

In partnership with the Antiquarian Booksellers' Association of America (ABAA) and the GLBT Historical Society Museum and Archives, renowned queer historian and book dealer Gerard Koskovich joins acclaimed archivist and collector Lisbet Tellefsen to discuss the importance of rare and historic LGBTQ+ archives, books, periodicals, posters and ephemera. They'll share materials from their personal holdings and offer helpful tips for individuals and institutions looking to start or enrich their own collections. Representatives from ABAA members Bolerium Books and Mark Funke, Bookseller will showcase materials for sale at the upcoming California International Antiquarian Book Fair. One of the items will be the original cover art for the groundbreaking LGBTQ+ science fiction novel The Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula K. Le Guin! (Read a recent article about this item here...) The evening will prepare participants to discover their own treasures at the ABAA California International Antiquarian Book Fair coming up February 9–11 at Pier 27 in San Francisco. More details available here... Event date: Jan 25, 2024, 6:30 PM – 8:30 PM Location: The Academy, 2166 Market St, San Francisco, CA 94114 Tickets: $20 General Public / Academy members free Reserve your general admission spot for this limited-capacity indoor event here... Panelists: Gerard Koskovich Gerard Koskovich is a San Francisco–based public historian, curator, and book dealer. He has published widely in English and French... [more Collecting Queer—An Inside Look at the World of LGBTQ+ Rare Books, Archives and Ephemera]

Join us for an in-person Bibliography Week Showcase at the French Institute: Alliance Française, Monday, January 22, 2024. Opening Hours: 10:30am-4pm The Showcase features 30 dealers displaying printed and manuscript material from the Middle Ages to the present day. Admission is free! Browse exhibiting dealers here… Location: French Institute: Alliance Française 60th Street between Park and Madison, NYC. The Bibliography Week Showcase is hosted with the Bibliographical Society of America and the Grolier Club and is part of Bibliography Week 2024. Learn more... [more Bibliography Week Showcase 2024]

Items from the collection of James Strand began appearing on the open market in August, seemingly pillaged from Strand's Portland-area residence after he passed away early in the year. Strand was known to collect comics, as well as first editions in horror and science fiction genres, including Stephen King and H.P. Lovecraft. Among the known missing items is illustration art, including that of H.P. Lovecraft's horror novella, The Shadow Over Innsmouth, by Frank Utpatel. Anyone offered items they suspect stolen from this collection should contact the FBI Portland Field office: (503) 224-4181 or 1-800-CALL-FBI or tips.fbi.gov. [more Missing: Multi-Million Dollar Collection of Comics, Horror, and Science Fiction]

Edit: You can view a recording of this event here: -- -- The Brown Bag Lunch Series, presented by the ABAA Gender Equity Initiative, is a series of short virtual talks covering various topics, from crash courses in areas of expertise to best business practices. Please join the Gender Equity Initiative on Zoom on December 13th, 2023, at 2 PM ET for a Brown Bag Lunch Series with Megumi Hill and Mårten Söderblom Saarela from Jonathan A. Hill, Bookseller Inc. December 13th @ 2pm Megumi Hill & Mårten Söderblom Saarela - Jonathan A. Hill, Bookseller Inc. Manchu Books and Japanese Books CLICK HERE TO REGISTER Dive into a survey of Manchu Books and Japanese Books by two experts from Jonathan A. Hill Bookseller, Inc. Megumi Hill will present the survey of Japanese Books. The survey of Manchu Books will be delivered by Mårten Söderblom Saarela, a newly joined expert in Chinese and Korean Books and MSS at the firm. Megumi K. Hill Megumi is a graduate of Rikkyo University in Tokyo with a major in early Japanese literature. Mårten Söderblom Saarela Mårten received his PhD from Princeton University and has worked at the Institute of Modern History, Academia Sinica, Taiwan, for the past four years, most recently as an associate research fellow. His research centered on the cultural and intellectual history of language in late imperial China. Previously, he was a postdoctoral fellow at the Max Planck Institute for the History of Science in Berlin and was trained in Sweden, France, t... [more Brown Bag Series: Manchu Books and Japanese Books]

The Raab Collection is looking for a Medieval Manuscript Specialist. See below the job description. Medieval Manuscript Specialist at The Raab Collection Rare opportunity to help build and develop a medieval manuscript department from the ground up, joining an established firm in the historical document field, The Raab Collection. Main Responsibilities – Acquire and catalog inventory, following dealer and auction sites – Liaise and be a point of contact for buyers and sellers – Write blog posts and other pieces that aid promotion – Maintain relevant sections of the website using WordPress content management system (no coding required) – Support public relations efforts Requirements: – Self-starter, multi-tasker, well-organized – Existing network of contacts within the collecting community – Background in Medieval art history or paleography, particularly English - Minimum 3 years industry experience - Salary commensurate with experience. Full-time position Starting date: ASAP Location: this is a remote position; no location requirement. Occasional visits to Philadelphia. Interested applicants should contact nathan@raabcollection.com, attaching their resume. [more Job Opening: Medieval Manuscript Specialist at The Raab Collection]

Edit: You can view a recording of this event here: -- -- The Brown Bag Lunch Series, presented by the ABAA Gender Equity Initiative, is a series of short virtual talks covering various topics, from crash courses in areas of expertise to best business practices. Please join the Gender Equity Initiative on Zoom on November 8th, 2023, at 2 PM ET for a Brown Bag Lunch Series with Joyce Kosofsky from Brattle Book Shop. November 8th @ 2pm Joyce Kosofsky - Brattle Book Shop "How to keep a used bookstore running—It's a business." People always say that they'd love to run a bookstore. Joyce has been doing that (along with her husband, Ken Gloss) since 1978. There's not a lot of sitting around and reading (if any). It's a lot of work. Physical and mental. There's stocking stock (books are heavy), dealing with customers and other dealers, and poop in the lot. There's the physical aspect of the building's upkeep and the emotional toll when it all burns down (literally) and starts all over from scratch. What Joyce would like to share is a brief timeline of the past 45 years of running a used bookshop with all its faults. Joyce Kosofsky grew up in Boston and attended UMass/Amherst, graduating with a BA in Journalism. She worked as a cub reporter for a local daily newspaper, then at an advertising trade journal, and then at the Boston Phoenix newspaper. Joyce decided she did not like journalism, so she took a break. Ken (her husband) asked her to help out at the bookshop. That was in 1978... [more Brown Bag Lunch Series: Joyce Kosofsky]