Bibliographical Society of America's Bibliography Week (January 22-28, 2024)

BIBLIOGRAPHY WEEK happens each year at the end of January when several  national organizations devoted to book scholarship and the book arts –  the Bibliographical Society of America (BSA), the American Printing History Association (APHA), and the Grolier Club – host their annual meetings. Many museums and bookish institutions have exhibitions open during this time as well. The BSA offers a blend of virtual, hybrid, and in-person events that are free  and open to the public with registration. The BSA traditionally holds  its annual meeting on the Friday of Bibliography Week. Most, but not all  other events are free and open to the public, and some are accessible  online. To get a sense of what you can expect during Bibliography Week, consult last year's calendar.

Independent Online Booksellers Association (IOBA) supports the Bibliographical Society of America endeavours.    

Registration 

Registration is required for all BSA events, unless noted otherwise.  The BSA Office is hard at work building registration pages for the  various events coming up in January: links will be posted here as soon  as they are available. To receive a notification, subscribe to the BSA newsletter.

Covid Safety 

The BSA takes community health and safety seriously. Since the  Society does not have its own gathering space for bibliographers, we  organize events with other organizations and therefore must abide by  individual hosts’ Covid policies. You can read about our hosts Covid  safety policies at the links below.

• The Center for Book Arts
• The New York Society Library
• Convene, 530 Fifth Avenue

In alignment with governmental guidelines, masking is strongly  encouraged but not required at in-person BSA events during Bibliography  Week.

Professional Conduct

Creating and sustaining a diverse and inclusive community of  bibliographical researchers that encourages participation by all those  interested in bibliographical studies is a fundamental value of the  BSA.  We expect members to treat others with respect and trust and to  conduct research with integrity – for example, citing sources and  recognizing the contributions of others.

As a learned society, the BSA expects appropriate professional  conduct of its members and participants when they convene at Annual  Meetings and events sponsored or co-sponsored throughout the year and as  they exchange scholarly research in BSA publications.

All Bibliography Week events are covered by the BSA’s Events Code of Conduct.

Monday, January 22 January 22, 2024, 4pm Eastern – Bibliography Week Orientation | ONLINE | Register

What is Bibliography Week, anyway? Join BSA members Charlotte Priddle  and William P. Stoneman and Executive Director Erin McGuirl for an  overview of this mainstay in the book world, taking place at the end of  January each year. During this Zoom meeting, hosts will provide an  overview of the program and help attendees prepare for a week of  bibliographical events in New York City. We’ll cover the week’s events  (virtual, hybrid, and in-person only) and NYC travel basics like weather  and local transportation and leave plenty of time for your questions.

Tuesday, January 23 BIPOC, LGBTQ+, Disabled, &  Spanish-speaking Bibliographers: Bibliography Week Meet-Up | Tuesday,  January 23 at 5:30pm Eastern | ONLINE | Register

This event provides an opportunity to connect with people like you  who are interested in bibliography. Check this page again soon for  details about the hosts of this year’s event.

This will be a Zoom meeting, with breakout rooms provided for  individual groups. Captioning will be provided in the main Zoom room and  one breakout room.

This event is open to BSA members and non-members alike. It is  intended for members of the Black, LGBTQ+, Indigenous, disability, and  Spanish-speaking communities. If you do not identify with one of those  groups, don’t worry! There is plenty of space for you to connect with  fellow bibliographers at other BSA Bibliography Week events, in person  and online. Scroll through the listings above and below, and  register  to join us for as many events as you like.

Wednesday, January 24 Chinese Book Culture in Art-Historical Context | Wednesday, January 24, 1-2:30pm Eastern | ONLINE | Register

Art historians Ruiying Gao and Amy McNair will introduce and explore two types of books with ancient roots in Chinese culture: materia medica and seal catalogs. Materia medica convey the healing properties of the natural world. Focusing on  illustrated manuscripts, Professor Gao will reconstruct the historical  roots of Chinese materia medica, which proliferated from the 7th century. Chinese seals have long been prized for their historical and  artistic qualities. Professor McNair will address seal catalogues,  attested since the 12th century, and their utility to collectors, artists, and patrons. Bibliographer and book historian Devin Fitzgerald will provide remarks following the presentations.

Beyond Educational: Book Arts as Research Method with Breanne  Weber, Dylan Lewis, and Kadin Henningsen | Wednesday, January 24,  5:30-7pm Eastern | In person at the Center for Book Arts | Register

Teaching bibliography and book  history through making physical books is a current trend at all levels  of the educational system. But what impact does making books or other  book related objects have on the scholarly record? Or bibliographical  practice more generally? This panel will explore how three scholars have  used their book arts experience to enhance their scholarship as well as  their bibliographical practice in different contexts, from publicly  available makerspaces to artist’s books.

The panel will be followed by a reception: bring your friends! Come for the brilliance, stay for the wine and snacks!

Thursday, January 25 5:30pm Eastern – Members & Friends Mixer | In Person @ the New York Society Library | Register

Join us at the New York Society Library for a gathering in the  Members’ Room. This is an opportunity to meet your fellow members of  both the BSA and the Society Library, learn more about our organizations  and the many resources we have to offer to the broad community of book  people.

Members of the Grolier Club: many Club members attend both events  this evening! Attend in black tie with Executive Director Erin McGuirl,  Membership Committee Chair Charlotte Priddle, and other BSA-Grolier  members who will carpool to the Metropolitan Club in time for the start  of cocktail hour.

Friday, January 26 The 2024 Annual Meeting & New Scholars Program | Convene, 75 Rockefeller Plaza & live online via YouTube | Register

The 2023 Annual Meeting and New Scholars Program will be held  in-person and live-streamed to our virtual audience starting at 1pm  Eastern with New Scholars’ papers and a group question and answer  session. Following a 30-minute break (snacks and beverages will be  available at Convene for our in-person audience), the 2024 Annual  Meeting will begin at 3pm Eastern. The entire program will be  live-streamed for a virtual audience on the BSA YouTube Channel.

Registration  Registration is required for in-person attendance by January 22.  All attending the live program in New York must register by January 22,  2024 at 9am Eastern. Seating is limited, so register now.

Virtual attendees need not register but are welcome to do so.

 1-2:15pm Eastern – The 2024 New Scholars Program 

The Bibliographical Society of America’s New Scholars Program  promotes the work of scholars new to bibliography, broadly defined to  include the creation, production, publication, distribution, reception,  transmission, and subsequent history of all textual artifacts. This  includes manuscript, print, and digital media, from clay and stone to  laptops and iPads.

 3pm Eastern – The 2024 Annual Meeting & Keynote Lecture 

Dr. Daniela Bleichmar will give the 2024 Keynote lecture, entitled, “Rethinking the Aztec Past, Rethinking the Codex Mendoza”

This talk will discuss the production, circulation, reproduction, and  changing interpretations of a remarkable early-colonial Mexican  manuscript known as the Codex Mendoza.  Created by Nahua painter-scribes and Spanish interpreters and scribes  only a few decades after the Spanish conquest, the manuscript presents  one of the richest and most detailed accounts of the Aztec empire from  an Indigenous perspective. The codex was sent to Europe and moved from  one notable owner to another for about a hundred years, before entering  the Bodleian Library at Oxford University in 1659. As the only Mexican  Indigenous manuscript that Europeans found legible for more than three  hundred years, it became the most studied, used, and reproduced  non-European manuscript in early modern Europe, and a central source for  the interpretations of Indigenous books and Indigenous societies. Over  the centuries, many notable scholars reproduced the manuscript and  offered wide-ranging interpretations, rethinking the Aztec past through  them. As we continue to rethink this manuscript today, what are the  implications for our understanding of Indigenous manuscripts?

 

The 2024 BSA Annual Meeting Reception 

Come raise a glass and celebrate the 2024 New Scholars, newly elected  Officers and Council members, and spend some quality time with your  friends from the bibliographical community!

Covid safety protocols

• Read about Convene’s Covid standards and safety protocols.
• Masking is encouraged but not required.
• In alignment with our host venue’s policy, we strongly recommend  staying up to date on vaccinations at all times. Proof of vaccination  will not be required for entry.

Getting to Convene & Accessibility

Convene at 75 Rockefeller Plaza is located between 5th and 6th  Avenue, near the B, D, F, M; E; 1; and N, R, W subway lines. The  location is wheelchair accessible. For more information about access,  including parking recommendations, visit Convene’s website and scroll down to the “Location” Heading.

Local Arrangements in NYC

Coming to New York for Bibliography Week?  Hotel rates tend to be very reasonable in late January, the lowest point  in the NYC tourist season. If you are uncertain about attending, check  hotel cancellation policies: you can book reservations early to secure  the best rates and cancel if necessary at no cost.

Executive Director Erin McGuirl suggests the hotels below based on  strong online reviews and affordable nightly rates, but not on personal  experience.

• Pod 51: 230 E 51st  St, between 2nd & 3rd Avenues. Well-located and extremely  affordable! ADA accessible rooms are available, but there may be some  aspects of the property that are not fully accessible. Check with the  property to confirm before booking.
• The Arlo Midtown:  351 West 38th betw. 7th & 8th. For folks that don’t mind the west  side this hotel is well reviewed on Expedia. ADA Accessible rooms are  available.
• The Blakely: 126 W. 55th betw. 6th & 7th. Booking.com has this at $113/night!  Reviews are good overall but it looks like there’s no breakfast in the  hotel. Nevertheless, in NYC breakfast and coffee are never far away.
• The Westin Grand Central: This hotel is next door to Grand Central Station. Booking right now at $146/night.
• The Hyatt Grand Central: Same as above. Booking right now at $156/night.

Note:  These events are listed as a courtesy to IOBA book buyers and sellers.  Every effort is made to post accurate information, but that the most reliable information will be found at the link the promoters website:  https://bibsocamer.org/programs/bibliography-week/bib-week-2024/

IOBA Point of Contact:  Doug Nelson of Nelson Rare Books serves as the IOBA Liaison to the Bibliographical Society of America.