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Table of Contents From the Editor: Tim Doyle From the Incoming IOBA President: Joan White Book Blogging: Don’t Do What I Do: Rachel Jagareski Serendipity in Bookselling: Tim Doyle Bibliofile: Tim Doyle Embracing the Unexpected: Joe Perlman

Table of Contents Competitive Altruism in Book Selling (CABS) IOBA Scholarship Contest Description 2016 CABS Report: Paul Shelley, Churchill Book Collector CABS Report: Mike Brenner, Brenner Books CABS Report: Edward Markiewicz, Montgomery Rare Books & Manuscripts On the Importance of Antiquarian Book Fairs Shop Cat – Philadelphia Rare Books & Manuscripts Company

What is the name of your business and when was it started? John Howell for Books started on January 1, 2005. Where are you located? Los Angeles, California. We live in a National Historical Landmark Property called the Village Green. If one were traveling West on the 10 Freeway from downtown, one would take the La Brea South Exit. East of Culver City and North of Baldwin Hills. People living Downtown, Hollywood, or points north and east think of the area as “On the way to LAX.” Size of stock? Generally speaking, my on-line listings hover in the 950 to 1,100 range. Currently I do not have my own web-site, so 900 are probably tired listings languishing on Amazon, ABE, Alibris, and the like. This of course does not take into account the thousands of books languishing in storage, which anyone in the So Cal area who would like to pick up some raw inventory on the cheap are welcome to inquire about. When did you join IOBA? Early 2010. I had known about it for about a year or two before I applied. It has been a very positive experience because for the previous few years I had been pretty much focusing on getting my on-line operations going and running smoothly, but having wider contacts in the trade is very important and productive. What is your professional background? How did you come to the book business? I have degrees in History from California State University, Fullerton and UCLA. European Church History and US Colonial History, respectively. When it became apparent in the early 1990s that I would be an ABD (all but the dissertation), I started casting about for work. My first job was with Barnes and Noble. My second job was for an ABAA rare book dealer, writing catalogs. That evolved into an 8-year gig, and when it was over I began buying and selling books on my own account. Describe your business. For example, do you have any specialties? Employees/partners? Open shop? By appt.? Basically, I work out of my home, which is a small (under 1,000 square foot apartment converted into a condominium complex in the 1970s) so currently no partners or employees. I have been working with California fine press materials, and miniature books; my first printed catalog, May 2011, included 113 items issued by the Book Club of California. Because this type of material is not a particularly hot seller on the third party venues I have been selling through, I have been doing more book fairs. I will be exhibiting at the LA Printer’s Fair on October 1st and then one week later at the Seattle Antiquarian Book Fair on October 8th and 9th. Tell us about an interesting item you currently have in stock. Currently I have a presentation copy of Victorien Sardou and Emile de Najac’s Divorcons! Comedie en Trois Actes, Paris, 1883. Sardou was an important writer for the French stage in the late nineteenth century. This play was a send-up of French divorce laws which were then under revision. The copy I have was one of 30 copies printed on Holland paper, but is unique since it is illustrated by hand with watercolors throughout the text. Even the parchment-covered boards are illustrated by hand. What was your best find as a book dealer? How and where did you come across it? Perhaps my best find as a book dealer was an edition of William Blake’s Poetical Sketches published in London by the Vale Press in 1899 on vellum. Of a total edition of 210 copies, there were only 8 printed on vellum; the copy I had was bound by the Dove’s Bindery. This was one of a lot of books I purchased from an estate sale in Los Angeles. Also among the books was a first edition of Robert Browning’s The Agamemnon of Aeschylus, London, 1877, with a manuscript letter signed by Elizabeth Barrett Browning. I’m still weeding through this collection, but perhaps I have already found the highlights. What are the best and worst aspects of selling online? I used to think that the worst aspect of selling online were the commissions paid to online venues like Amazon and ABE, and a concurrent loss of autonomy to the same players. But, it takes time to build up a clientele that one can call one’s own. As I branch out and make more contacts within the trade, I am finding that the 15% to the online venues feels comfortable compared to the 20% expected by colleagues. But one has to keep these things in perspective; since it has long been the case that most book sellers make most of their sales to other book sellers, and one needs to keep churning one’s inventory, the challenge for me right now is merely maintaining the cash flow to sustain myself in the trade. Biggest challenge currently facing the trade? I’m not sure I am able to speak for “the trade” as a whole, but I suspect that a challenge all used book sellers are facing has to do with new media, online and electronic texts of varying stripes, and the transition we are in with the world wide web becoming an ever growing part of peoples lives and more and more of the cultural heritage being available electronically. I’m just an observer. I have no idea how and if the ball will ever come to rest. But it’s fun to watch!

Traditionally, newly elected IOBA Presidents started out the year with a message to the members. I was going to do that in this issue, but instead, I wound up writing an article on collecting which I think will be a lot more entertaining to read (I certainly enjoyed writing it!). I will keep this brief, and try to avoid platitudes: As a long time promoter of IOBA, I have been asked many times “why does IOBA even exist?” More to the point, why do I think it is so important that I am willing to volunteer a lot of my time to the Association? Here are just two reasons: Recently I received a “want match” from AbeBooks. We have all become inured to the far-too- common “may have underlining” in what passes for a book description, but this one had a phrase that caught my attention: “Damaged. . . . may contain excessive writing, cover wear, staining, mold or torn pages.” This is not what online bookselling should be! No responsible bookseller should be sending out books which “may have mold” — books which could endanger the health of anyone who handles them. IOBA, thankfully, exists to stand up against this blatant disregard for best bookselling practices, and for the rights of customers. IOBA’s members cover the entire spectrum of online bookselling, but they are unified in their belief that buyers are entitled to an honest description of what they are purchasing sight unseen, and in their concern for the future of bookselling itself. And I’m proud to be part of an organization that supports such sellers — not just by helping them say “here is the Code of Ethics I go by,” but also through providing education, scholarships, a discussion forum, and a supportive community to which they they can turn for help when needed. The second reason: not long ago, a bookstore owner in Ohio lost virtually his entire inventory when a pipe broke in the floor above his store. An IOBA member posted the story of this catastrophe on the IOBA Discuss list, and members from all over the world came together to contribute books and money, to help this bookseller — not an IOBA member himself, by the way — recover from his disaster. Quite simply, it made me proud to be an IOBAn, and reminded me what a great group this can be. As IOBA continues to grow, the more effective we will be in upholding “traditional standards” even as we adapt to the constant changes of the Internet and adopt new technologies, and the better able we will be to help one another when the need arises. I am fortunate this year in having a great team on the Board, but what really matters to IOBA are its members. Without them, IOBA is nothing. With all of us working together, we can become an organization that will be a real force in online bookselling. Christine Volk & Shep Iiams, Booksellers Bookfever.com P.O. Box 696, Ione CA 95640

Mary C. Jane, children’s author. I certainly never heard of her before. Ms. Jane is a little difficult to Google up because the name is so common, but eventually we find the trail in a Maine Writers Index. “Mary Childs Jane (18 September 1909 – 26 July 1991). Children’s mystery writer Mary Childs Jane was born in Needham, Massachusetts, and graduated from Bridgewater State Teachers College (Mass.) in 1931. Before her marriage to William Jane in 1937, w[ith] whom she had two sons, she taught in Pippapon, Kentucky (1931-1932), Chester, Massachusetts (1932-1935), and Needham, Massachusetts (1935-1937). She was a long-time resident of Newcastle, Maine. Jane’s specialty was writing mysteries for middle school age children. She knew, from her teaching experience, that many reluctant readers can be lead to reading with mysteries.” And then there’s this from the rear panel of a Jane jacket. “To teach, to write, and to have a family of her own-these are cherished dreams come true for Mary C. Jane. This is why we believe she is particularly well qualified to write children’s books, and we are proud to publish her mystery stories. A graduate of Bridgewater State Teachers’ College in Massachusetts, Mrs. Jane began her teaching career at the Caney Creek Community Center in Kentucky. After several years in Massachusetts schools she married and moved to Newcastle, Maine, where she is the fifth generation of her family to live in the same neighborhood. Here she became an enthusiastic member of creative writing groups and for several years was president of the Poetry Fellowship of Maine. Her feature stories and poetry have appeared in many journals and newspapers, among them the Lewiston Journal, the Portland Sunday Telegram and the Christian Science Monitor. Reading aloud to her two sons sparked an interest in children’s literature that was fanned later by her experiences working with fifth and sixth graders when she returned to teaching.” Two years ago I came upon a pile of these at a country auction. Various full tables of books around the hall were going for one money each, and this particular lot was way over near the office and out of view. Snagging it required careful previewing and absolute attention to the auctioneer, as evidenced by the general confusion of the audience by the time the hammer fell. That haul included fifteen out of sixteen available Janes, lacking only her premier effortMystery in Old Quebec. They are all first editions, in dustjackets, in very good condition, and signed and inscribed by the author to her brother-in-law Donald! I found some other Donald Jane stuff that day, such as a photo of him lying languidly on top of a baby grand piano looking a bit like Cole Porter, and lots of theatrical materials, so we can perhaps assume that the books came from his unclaimed estate. I knew this was a great find, and after some research priced them at an average of $325.00, which is actually a bit low in today’s market all things considered. Although Mary C. Jane works are quite rare in this state, I don’t believe the author is all that collectible, and I was hoping they would all go to one appreciative buyer. There was a damaged copy of her penultimate, The Rocking-Chair Ghost from 1969, that I sent up as a trial balloon on eBay, but it was quickly deflated there, so I resolved to market the rest in a more traditional manner, where they sat for two years with only one nibble. I am moved to document the collection now, however, because a savvy buyer has come forward to claim the prize. She grew up in Maine and was given many of the early volumes by her grandmother, who claimed Mary Jane as a distant relative. She came back from college to find them all gone. After some pleasant negotiations we arrived at a discount price of nearly 25% off for the entire lot. -The Ghost Rock Mystery (1956). A small blurb over the front inside flap title and description reads, “Weird hoofbeats and sinister visitors disturb a Maine vacation.” The inscription reads, “For Brother Don, with love from Mary.” Lippincott letterhead stationary pencil dated 9/19/1956 is laid in. “The exciting pattern set by Mary C. Jane in her first book is carried on in this new action-packed thriller for young readers.” Two paragraphs of plot line follow. “Mrs. Jane has further justified the interest she aroused with her excellent first story, ‘Mystery in Old Quebec.’ THE GHOST ROCK MYSTERY is available at your local bookstores, and the price is $2.25.” The rear inside flap promotes Mystery in Old Quebec. “A mongrel pup helps two children unmask a clever deception.” The dedication reads, “To my favorite Vermonters Dorothy Canfield Fisher and Jessie Wheeler Freeman.” -Mystery at Shadow Pond (1958). “Once more the air is alive with suspense in MYSTERY AT SHADOW POND.” That blurbette doesn’t tell us anything, so we’ll continue down the front inside flap. “When Neale and Margie Lawson heard that their father would have to sell his shore land and their beloved horse, Firefly, they were miserable. They could find no way to help him until a strange red car, a lost cat, and the odd behavior of an eccentric old man drew them into a mystery involving the lost letters of a famous New England artist. The Lawsons and their friend Rupert Reed, son of the Ranger at the camp across the lake, were plunged into a bewildering tangle of strange doings. Neale thought that his robot-burglar alarm might help to solve the mystery, and Margie was sure that her grandfather’s books held the key to the problem. Both children were right, but it took two discoveries-one in a cave on the mountain and one in the middle of Shadow Pond-to set things straight.” “With love to Don from Mary.” The price has crept up a quarter to $2.50. This one still has its clipping, from the “For Young People” column of the 6/28/1958 Saturday Review, but it’s more of a blurb rehash announcement than a review, though it does offer one concluding opinion. “The insatiable young readers of mystery stories will welcome this title.” The dedication reads, “To my sisters and brothers Nell, Margaret, Charlie, and Ken.” -Mystery Back of the Mountain (1960). “Two young detectives track down the mystery of their summer house.” “With love to Don from Mary.” The first four include a rather dowdy head shot photo of the author on the rear panel over her brief bio. They all used “Introducing Mary C. Jane” in large letters. This one drops “Introducing.” Looks like she has finally arrived. The dedication reads, “To my dear friend, Florence Sturges.” -Mystery at Dead End Farm (1961). “An ancient feud, an Indian plot and a lost silver mine figure in the MYSTERY AT DEAD END FARM.” Same inscription as last year. These all smell great by the way, at least to me. Slightly musty like they’re thawing out a bit in a northeast cabin once the fire gets going. Just didn’t feel like doing a dedication this time around, Mary? You’ll wish you had later when you have to jam a whole bunch in. -Mystery Behind Dark Windows (1962). “A deserted mill in New England conceals a MYSTERY BEHIND DARK WINDOWS.” Same inscription. This is the only second printing of the bunch, with an ugly silver “longlife binding” sticker defacing the jacket. It is also the only fully price-clipped copy. The bio retreats to the inside rear flap where the promo for the previous title used to appear, the rear panel lists all the titles, and the photo is dropped altogether. Small, simple, signed, white, gold and silver illustrated Christmas card laid in with an aerial view of two houses with snowy fields for back yards. The dedication reads, “To David Walker, next author in the family.” -Mystery in Longfellow Square (1964). “A boy and dog take a dangerous chance to solve the MYSTERY IN LONGFELLOW SQUARE.” Same inscription, updated. $2.95 already. Set in Portland, Maine. The boards vary throughout the series. One color with stamped letters early on, colored paper over a cloth binding with stamped decoration, etc. This one sports a stormy visage repeat of the jacket theme on red-orange boards with black spine lettering. -Indian Island Mystery (1965). They dropped the little blurbette at the top of the inside cover altogether! Has to do with Tim Neptune, star Maine Native American athlete and class valedictorian, who disappears at the same time a valuable bear’s-tooth necklace vanishes from an antiques shop. The author’s photo has gone missing again too. “With love to Don from Mary.” The first name basis signed inscriptions are always on the first free endpaper or half-title page, but this one includes an additional full signature on the title page. The dedication reads, “To the boys and girls of Indian Island, especially my first friend, Howard Mitchell, and to their teacher, Sister Mary Laura, with warm regard.” -The Dark Tower Mystery (1966). Old Mrs. Parmenter had planned on making her mountaintop, High Blue, into a wildlife refuge in memory of her late husband. Outsiders would put a commercial park there instead. The old tower bell rings out mysteriously, and then there’s the ghost of beautiful Irene who died on this spot long ago. The kids unearth a strange secret that leads to the solution of a fascinating puzzle. “With love to Don from Mary. Too bad you’re not the age you were when I first knew you, as you could really enjoy this. The dark tower is the one on Mt. Bathe, in Camden-there’s a road up there now.” A new and slightly unflattering photo appears over the rear inside flap bio. “Horrible picture” next to this in her handwriting. -Mystery of the Red Carnations (1968). Prue Tenney was bummed out on Sunday night. All of her friends had either caused or found an exciting adventure to write about for class over the weekend. Then she remembered that an unknown young man had been mysteriously shot eight years back, and somebody placed red carnations at the grave site on every anniversary of the unsolved murder. I would almost read this just to hear her explain why the police didn’t think to stake out this cemetery. The final line of the inside front flap blurb is a little odd. “While her characters are confronted with a hidden gun, a strange woman prowling around an empty house, and a suspicious neighbor, these details fit plausibly into the everyday world of a small New England town.” And we learn from the inside rear flap under the usual boilerplate bio that, “for the first time, she has put herself in the story-as the teacher.” Was Mary C. Jane losing her footing? Was Lippincott getting cold feet? “With love to Donald from Mary. Christmas 1968. This one you’ll like-I think.” The dedication reads, “To the J. B. Lippincott Company on its 175th anniversary, to all my friends, past and present, in their children’s book department, to artist Ray Abel, and especially to the memory of Ollie Talbot, Lippincott’s New England sales representative, who kindly gave me the true story of XYZ on which this mystery is based.” That’s it, as far as I can tell, for the Lippincott Janes. My guess is that the early years were the happiest. Imagine her thrill at seeing these dustjackets for the first time as they came from the publisher, of passing the new books out to friends and family, and of seeing them all stacked up in stores. It probably became a chore toward the end, and it was getting harder to reconcile innocent juvenile mysteries with the shock value of late 1960s culture. Mary C. Jane did live another 21 years, into her eighties, passing away in 1991. She must have had many happy memories of her writing days. The last passage in her final mystery reads as follows. “I guess you can get to feel on top of the world in lots of different places,” Amy said. “But it sure would be hard to beat this!” Shawn Purcell is the principle of Balopticon Books & Ephemera in Delmar NY, online at http://www.balopticon.com, and may be e-mailed atmail@balopticon.com Copyright © 2004 Shawn Purcell #ephemera

A quick glance at the table of contents suggests this will be our Mega-lister Number, but it just kind of worked out that way. Gwen Foss posted an interesting glossary of mega-lister terms to a list some weeks ago, which led to the Standard soliciting an article on the topic. I will admit to some prejudice here, as I have been vexed by the phenomenon over the last couple years, first by an important purchase that fell through before I realized who (or what) I was dealing with, and since then by the once simple task of researching prices and points and selling my books through the major search services and meta-sites, which are now clogged with confusing and deceitful mega-listings. If we as professional booksellers are inconvenienced and annoyed by this pollution and confiscation, imagine how the general public feels. Gwen’s article is pretty forceful, and she included a lengthy annotated list of the most notable mega-listers at the end. I thought it prudent to run this aspect of the article by the IOBA board, and after some spirited discussion we decided to leave it out. The list itself (a work in progress which Gwen says she will be happy to provide on a private basis, along with her nifty glossary of mega-lister terms) did not mince words. In addition, some of the mega-listers cited only practice milder degradations of generally accepted professional standards, while others are far more dastardly, and we did not want to lump them in together, as helpful as it would have been to have such an annotated list. Another aspect here is that in verifying and updating all the information we would have had to do a lot of fact checking. There is much fluidity and shape-shifting as mega-listers try to stay one step ahead of exposure, expulsion, or legal action, and one thing I learned from this research is that some of the absolute worst practices (see the article on plagiarism) have subsided in the last year or so. I have gone back to the drawing-board, however, and provided a short and simple list of ten really big online bookstores that look like they will be around for awhile. In our board discussion we realized that the existing terminology is inadequate, and that led to a related article that attempts to define various levels of mega-listing. Rounding out this treatment, we sought perspective from the ABAA, and sent a short questionnaire to the 3As and to AddALL. Finally, to those mega-listers who sell books that they don’t physically own for huge mark-ups, and to those who list books that are not actually available, and to those who don’t provide helpful descriptions of their online wares, and to those who page hog search service results, and to any who will admit to stealing descriptions and hard work, and to mega-listers who disappoint or anger their customers on a frequent basis, we invite rebuttal. On a happier note, we present an interview with Mike Goodenough of TheBookGuide fame; and currently profiled IOBAn Joe Perlman airmails us a breezy SJ Perelman-like piece on quixotic vacation book buying in Spain. From the Reference Desk, an ephemeral assay on plant closings; another bookselling book review; and a couple of reviews on books about books by Lynn Wienck, who also writes reviews for Cuppa Joad, the Alibris book blog. The Tool Box includes perspectives on the world’s best rare books school (our answer to Hogwarts) from a new teacher and a recent student. What would the Standard be without interesting IOBA bookseller profiles, and dribs and drabs bring up the rear, though dribs endeavor to outnumber drabs. Enjoy, happy hunting, and we’ll see you again on New Year’s Day.

Softcover music books can be surprisingly valuable, so I attended what was billed as a 1950s music store stock auction one nice Sunday not long ago. It turned out to be more of an accordion auction. Over 140 of them, in fact, all laid out on long tables. The mother-of-pearl of all accordion auctions. Some old ones, flat black with yellowing keys, but mostly somewhat newer, shiny black, red, blue, and white, small and big, starters and fancy models, mostly Italian-made. My guess is that these were either in the collection of the music store owner, or more likely they were trade-ins and fixer-uppers. At one point during the preview there was much cacophonous instrument testing and merry-making, punctuated by the occasional mini-concert. Learned music geeks and extroverted performers were having a high old time. Several had been taught by this man. There was some other stuff, like a large box with hundreds of new old drumsticks that would have been great for some avant-garde art project, some wind instruments, and some store display pieces, but accordions ruled the day and Myron Floren’s ghost was in the house. Underneath the tables were hundreds of boxes of sheet music and music books, but alas, it was 99% accordion as well. Mostly beginning level, many duplicates (though I bet I could have sold all seven Beverly Hillbillies books with a great cover photo), and melded price stickers on most of it. I offered a fair start of $700 for everything, but seemingly serious accordion aficionados had been previewing for days, marking (and perhaps composing) the boxes they were interested in, so I was urged to stay and compete. I was kind of relieved I didn’t have to do all this work, but stayed for the beginning of the show anyway with no intention of bidding for hours under those conditions. The mood changed fairly quickly when the auction began. Most of the accordions did not reach a minimum bid of $30, and I only saw a couple go for over $100. Few if any sold via the dreaded (for physical attendees) eBay Live! route, probably because accordions are one thing you shouldn’t buy without testing them in person first. And here is the other huge flaw in the game plan: how many accordions do accordion players actually need anyway? All that lugging, trucking, research, description, picture-taking, and all those eBay fees and wages, all for naught. Same with the sheet music and books. The pickers were pikers, and very few boxes went for over $15. The rest was passed and eventually not lifted off the floor to begin with. This is a very well run auction house but there was lots of confusion and discomfort this time, and I left before it got any uglier. They had high hopes and nearly noble intentions but agreed later that it was an unmitigated disaster. A striking young couple attended this auction, much in contrast to everyone else. They could have been fashion models. Slender, eastern European-looking, intent, like vampires really, in silent communication with each other. The woman in particular stood out because she was wearing all black with a long fur coat and had an interesting thin double ring neck tattoo. She continued previewing while the auction was in progress, and was scolded for being in the way, but seemed oblivious to her surroundings. Her focus was on the accordions, and she seemed to be moving at a different speed than everyone else, or vibrating on a different plane. She intercepted most of them as they made their way up the tables, performing quick tests on some and simply stroking others. When an instrument of interest was up she stood near the front and stared down those who dared to bid against her. She did not go very high on the lots I saw, and turned away almost as if in pain when she lost, but I left early and don’t know how many she got altogether. I mentioned this to an independent horror filmmaker the next day. “Well,” he said, “it’s a well-known fact that vampires like accordions.” Postscript: I Googled vampires and accordions some days later and could not find any connection. When I pressed my filmmaker friend further he said he just made it up as a joke. And some weeks later there was a full page spread in the local paper on this woman! She is a cutting edge performance artist who feels she was conceived as an animal but snatched into a human body at the last moment. At a recent event she cavorted on stage with her accordion wearing a deer head (the whitetail is her east coast animal persona) and was suspended from the ceiling on wires. She admits to liking old stained things, and one of her teachers remarked that she is “otherwordly,” so I will cling to the possibility that the stage work is just a ruse for darker doings a la Anne Rice, and that vampires really do dig accordions.

The Penang Bookshelf specialises in buying and selling fiction and non-fiction, both new and old, principally about Malaysia, but also about the rest of Asia. “Hello bro, do the book ‘kongsi’ n ‘darurat’ still available?” So ran the text I received on my phone one day last week. Four years ago, I wouldn’t have known what the sender was trying to say. Now, however, I understood right away that my potential new customer was enquiring about two of The Penang Bookshelf’s more popular titles (not stocked by any other Malaysian bookseller), written in Malay, a language I don’t understand. The whole deal was concluded by an exchange of texts, and the books were soon on their way to the customer. The next day, I was conducting negotiations with a bookseller in the U.K. to buy what is probably the most expensive book written in English about Malaysia. The day after that, I was in the middle of negotiations between another new potential customer in Shanghai and my client in another part of Malaysia for the sale of a rare book on Chinese ceramics. Those three transactions give a fairly accurate picture of what life at The Penang Bookshelf is like – serving both the general public and the more rarefied collector. Although I started the business as a retirement pastime, selling in a once a month local street market, I soon realised that the response to what The Penang Bookshelf had to offer was sufficiently strong that I decided to either make a serious go of it, or give it up. When I made that decision, I didn’t have any bookselling or business experience, but books had always been an important part of my life. The first present I can ever remember receiving from my parents was a reward for being able to read a few sentences, heaps of members of my father’s family were published authors, my father himself was a journalist, my grandfather was a renowned magazine editor, and my aunt was a Booker Prize winner. So a passion for books, and a lifetime as a consumer of books (and dealing with booksellers of all sorts), had given me some ideas about the type of bookselling business I’d like to set up. In my last two careers, as a lawyer and then as a community peace worker, my most enjoyable, and usually more successful, moments were when I allowed my anarchic tendencies to show themselves. I took a similar approach when setting up The Penang Bookshelf. I looked at what I didn’t like about bookselling in Malaysia and bookselling online and tried to do something different. Within Malaysia, most in-print books are sold through national chains, which concentrate on what sells quickly, i.e. popular fiction and self-help books that transform your life before you’re halfway through the book. Any substantial selection of books about Malaysia in these stores is rare, and if a book is difficult to get hold of there is seldom anyone to help you find it. In contrast, at The Penang Bookshelf I try to stock as wide a range of stock about Malaysia as I can afford; a significant portion of my inventory is unavailable in the chain bookstores. If a book appears to be out of print, there’s a more than reasonable chance I can find it with the help of my network of supportive customers, publishers and distributors. To date I have sourced most of the used books sold by The Penang Bookshelf from online booksellers in the U.K. and the U.S. Sadly, it wasn’t too long before I realised that I was often dissatisfied with online bookselling practices. Few book listings included pictures, very often there was only a meagre description of the book’s condition, and a description of a book’s contents was a rarity. There was an assumption that the buyer knew what s/he was looking for. But when I visit a bookstore I seldom go in knowing what I’m going to buy — so my reasoning was: shouldn’t an Internet bookseller be trying to cater to similar customers? So at The Penang Bookshelf, I have tried to do this. All book listings have pictures, descriptions of condition, and some description of contents. Of course, this limits the amount of stock that The Penang Bookshelf can have online, but that hasn’t proved an obstacle to the success of the business. A year ago sales averaged one a day, but in the last eight or nine months that has increased to five a day. Although it’s probably a temporary spike, this February the average has been more like ten a day. I’m not sure that decent descriptions, etc. have been the main reason for The Penang Bookshelf’s success. It may well be because my business splashes about in a small pool and is a bit of a rarity. However, I would like to think that The Penang Bookshelf gets noticed because it’s an antidote to more common curmudgeonly bookseller. (I have a theory that there are so many grumpy booksellers because they have to wrestle with a split personality: they love books, but also have to continually let go of books they love.) Facebook, Google+, a blog and a newsletter have all been a great help, but direct communication with every customer has been even more helpful. I’ve noticed that most times when I buy from a website, whether it be the bookseller’s own or via a third party site, I never receive any direct communication from the bookseller. And yet I have found that establishing such communication with my customers, more often than not, results in increased sales. The only real drawback to being an online bookseller is loneliness, particularly in The Penang Bookshelf’s unusual environment. Joining IOBA was a must and has made me much more comfortable with the business. Although most members are in the U.S. and U.K., and have issues to deal with that are alien to me, there is enough common ground to cure my isolation and, more importantly, to improve my education. Despite being principally an online seller, I would immediately give up the business if I didn’t have a chance to meet my customers in person. I am fortunate enough to have an average of a visitor a week to the apartment from where I work, and I still religiously return once a month to the street market where The Penang Bookshelf began. The profits from sales there are negligible, but the camaraderie with customers and friends gives me a boost to launch into the next month of my online existence. William Knox The Penang Bookshelf, Penang, Malaysia

Other People’s Books Association Copies and the Stories They Tell. The Caxton Club (2011). Like a junkie seeking a secret fix, I furtively ordered a copy of Other People’s Books Association Copies and the Stories They Tell. I must confess to a penchant for books signed by their authors and inscribed to professional colleagues, family members or friends. I treasure the gems in my own collection and strive to locate and place other such ‘wants’ in the hands of my customers. For those of us who seek to broaden our knowledge of this branch of scholarly inquiry or sate a curiosity about the passions that drive other bibliophiles, Other People’s Books will engage and enthrall. Kim Coventry’s preface provides a background to the Caxton Club’s publication of this volume which was published along with a symposium of the same name held in March 2011 at the Newberry Library. Thomas Tanselle’s thoughtful introduction explores the history of association copies which contextualizes the contributions to this volume. According to Tanselle, the significance of association copies and the more formal recognition of the importance of a book’s provenance within the book world did not occur until after the late 1890s. The publication of Winterich’s A Primer of Book Collecting (1927) in the United States and Williams’ The Elements of Book Collecting (1927) in England and, slightly later, Jackson’s The Anatomy of Bibliomania (1931), marked the growing acceptance of association copies as a bona fide category for book collectors and sellers. Ongoing discussions about association copies revolve, in part, around the definition of what an association copy is, and this book is no exception. The definitions of association copies are rarely clear-cut and may include an author’s own copy, a copy presented by the author to a dedicatee, a presentation copy from an author to a mentor and a book with the bookplate and/or signature or a well-known individual. Tanselle cogently discusses the various definitions of association copies and the congruency that exists between them. While he is in sympathy with Carter’s (1948) definition from The ABC for Book Collectors which states that this term applies to: a copy which once belonged to, or was annotated by, the author; which once belonged to someone connected with the author or someone of interest in his own right; or again, and perhaps most interestingly, belonged to someone peculiarly associated with its contents. (Quoted in Tanselle, p. 13) However, Tanselle further argues (2011, p. 14), “ It is important to allow extreme breadth to take in every kind of documented association and substituting a straightforward descriptive phrase (or more than one) as occasion demands”. This book is comprised of fifty-two short essays of which twenty-four deal with volumes in institutional collections and twenty-eight deal with those in private hands. The books date from 1470 to 1986 and are set in England, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands, Sweden and the United States. The fields covered are wide-ranging and include astronomy, ornithology, political science, history, art, film and psychology. The greatest emphasis is placed on literary works. The essay, “Her favourite moral writer”: Jane Austen’s Cowper is contributed by Garth Reese, Assistant Curator of Printed Books and Bindings at The Morgan Library and Museum, New York. Reese introduces the extensive Cowper collection at The Morgan Library but focuses on Jane Austen’s personal copy of Cowper’s poems that she inscribed and gave to her closest niece Fanny Austen Knight in 1808. As highlighted by the title of the essay, the English poet William Cowper (1731-1800) was one of Austen’s favorite writers and she makes frequent references to and incorporates a number of Cowper’s poems in her novels. For example, as related by Reese, Marianne Dashwood in Sense and Sensibility, describes Cowper’s poetry as “beautiful lines which have frequently almost driven me wild” and Fanny Price in Mansfield Park quotes from Cowper’s The Task. Fanny Knight kept her aunt’s copy of Cowper for the rest of her life. After her death, Fanny Knight’s son Baron Brabourne was the first editor of Austen’s letters. He also annotated Austen’s personal copy of Cowper’s poems and outlined the relationship between Jane Austen and Fanny Austen Knight. Lavishly illustrated with full-colour photographs that complement the text, Other People’s Books is a splendid addition to any bookseller’s personal or reference library. Other People’s Books: Association Copies and the Stories They Tell is available from Oak Knoll Books.

Seeing Shelley Plain: Memories of New Yorks Legendary Phoenix Book Shop, by Robert A. Wilson. New Castle, DE: Oak Knoll Press, 2001. Sell me a book tonight, Larry. You havent sold me a book in weeks. Why dont you buy all of them? Okay, how much? Thus begins both this book and the author’s adventures as a novice shop owner in the late glory days of Greenwich Village bookselling. Wilson left his job at a cuckoo clock factory and scraped together the necessary $12,000, which was a tidy sum in 1962. His previous experience in the rarified world of bookmanship was basically limited to a serious hunt for the first editions of four particular authors. Wilson quickly realized that he was in over his head and the figures were not adding up, so he threw all his energy into printing and mailing out catalogs (some 1500), following the pattern set forth by fourth Phoenix owner Larry Wallrich in Catalogs 50 through 59 (there were no earlier numbers because he did not want to look like a beginner). Sales from Wilson’s 157 catalogs, particularly to universities seeking the complete output of contemporary authors for their modern literature collections, were the key to survival. This enabled him to empty out the existing stock and concentrate on acquiring collectible first editions and discovering his niche, which primarily consisted of first-run poetry and the Beat field. He reveled in material more established shops did not handle, such as ephemera and periodicals. Eventually Wilson mastered the catalog genre, to the point where he inserted phony items for his own amusement, like a very worn telephone directory for the town of Rapallo in Italy for the year 1937, without the cover but listing Ezra Pounds phone number; and a framed butterfly, genus unknown as the label has fallen off the box, but inscribed Given to me by Prof. Nabokov during my senior year. He replied to prospective buyers that these curious items had been sold already, regrettably. There were two all-Gertrude Stein numbers, and one on Henry Miller material solicited a response from Miller himself, who wanted copies of the catalog. Another charm of this book lies in the small but universal details of running an open shop. Wilson names or refers to most of his assistants over the years, including one who opened a short-lived rival shop. The hours were 3:00 to 11:00 P.M. in the early crime-free days, when evening strollers were his main customers. Bleecker Street pizza was a favorite repast, accompanied by a superb California wine with the charming double-dactylic name Inglenook Zinfandel, alas no longer bottled. Thanks to a notice in the Antiquarian Bookman, a Madison Avenue colleague helped him recover a scout-stolen copy of Steinbecks The Cup of Gold. We also have tales of buying stolen material (twice belonging to Allen Ginsberg who was not all that careful about whom he brought home); turning down offers of common material thought by their purveyors to be priceless; plumbing-related floods; relocation; and a brace of white store cats. This being the fabled Phoenix, however, there were rarer pleasures too, like the day when William Burroughs showed up for the first time and Wilson introduced him to fellow shopper Edward Albee. Celebrity visitors such as Richard Burton are noted. The humorist S. J. Perelman was always looking for copies of his own out-of-print works, the absence of which was politely ascribed to their popularity. Perelmans guest book inscription reads, We are both in a dying business, but what a way to go! Crime, impractical regulations, and rising costs finally sapped Robert Wilson. He tried in vain to keep the Phoenix rising through a new owner, but was finally forced to sell the stock and close the doors, with some surprise twists and turns at the end. There are a few slight faults with this work. It is divided into three parts. The first is a chronological memoir; the second a more leisurely consideration of the players and the sheer joy of the profession; and the third a brief description of who these writers were for those not yet initiated, followed by a list of Phoenix publications and a list of visiting authors who signed Wilsons guest book. The format is fine, but there is some repetition, as if the parts were written quite separately from each other. We are reminded three times, for example, that LeRoi Jones changed his name to Amiri Baraka, a number which would have been easier to confirm if an index had been furnished. Wilson had some printing misadventures in his day, and may have been mildly miffed to see at least half a dozen typos, most with correctly spelled small words like of substituted for if. The whole work could have used a good last read-through for the type of slips and redundancies that a spell checker does not pick up. Finally, one wonders how some of the subjects would have reacted to certain intimate details shared by the author. These are small things though. Seeing Shelley Plain is a wonderful and entertaining read, and a nice addition to the literature of bookselling. Some excerpts follow. Scarcely had I gotten the fire going when I heard the door being pushed open, and to my astonishment there stood Frances Steloff, proprietor of the legendary Gotham Book Mart, and at that time indisputably the most famous book seller in the entire world. I had been a customer of hers long before I had ever dreamed of owning my own shop. In fact, I had bought my first rare book (Hemingways God Rest Ye, Merry Gentlemen) from her in 1943 when I was stationed on Long Island during my military service in W.W. II. I was even more stunned when she said on entering, I heard about you buying the Phoenix and I want to be your first customer. Looking now at that first of my Phoenix catalogs, I am astounded at how much really significant material was in it; a two-page typed letter by William Burroughs with a holographic postscript by Allen Ginsberg; a sixteen-page typed poem by Allen with manuscript revisions; four drawings for a proposed but never executed comic strip by Jack Kerouac; three paintings by Kenneth Patchen; as well as letters and manuscripts by Michael McClure and Gregory Corso. I wasnt quite as lucky with the star item of the second catalog, for some hawk-eyed customer snapped up a Civil War history with a nice chatty inscription by F. Scott Fitzgerald for $12.50. I was quite thrilled to make such a handsome profit, for I had found it on a sidewalk stand for fifty cents. But, sorry to say, by the late 70s the heady days of fat budgets and government subsidies began to wane as Republican congresses kept hacking away at federal endowments until all such funding disappeared totally under the Reagan regime. One by one, these university libraries were forced to limit their spending on new issue material drastically, or, in many cases, cease their programs altogether. Apparently the inmates were allowed showers only once a week, and on one such day Dorothy [Day] heard a prostitute on her way to the communal bath quote Audens line, Thousands have lived without love, but not one without water. He was immensely pleased by this, and regarded it as his greatest successto be quoted in prison by a convicted whore. While they were in the shop Nanda [the beautiful Fernanda Pivano, who introduced the Beats to Europe through translation and promotion] asked if there was a bathroom she could use. I was immediately terribly embarrassed. The only one available was a public one in the hall, used by other tenants in the building, and far from clean. I explained to Nanda that while there was one, it was very primitive. Totally undaunted she replied, What I intend to do in it is also very primitive. And the intractable landlord got what was coming to himthe shop remained unrented for two and a half years after I left. And even then he had to divide it into two smaller shops. The right half became a video rental store, with racks of cassettes where once had been poetry. In the other half, where formerly had been shelves of first editions of some of the twentieth centurys greatest literary masterpieces, and where my desk had been located, around which had congregated many Pulitzer and Nobel prize winners, there was now the ultimate ignominy of a dry-cleaning establishment, with the neighborhoods clothing traveling back and forth on a mechanical rack. Shawn Purcell operates Balopticon Books & Ephemera and can be contacted at http://www.balopticon.com. Originally published in the Summer 2006 issue of The Standard.

I had been hearing about the Colorado Antiquarian Book Market Seminar, as it is formally termed, for a number of years. Sometime a few years back I started thinking that it might be fun to go. So, with that in mind, I began following the emails and notices that showed up in various chat and news groups online. I gradually became aware of the occasional ads that appeared in book publications such as Fine Books and Collections and Book Source Magazine. This year I attended the 2006 seminar, which was held from August 5th through the 12th. First a little more background on my decision to attend. In the early days of the Internet book selling was laughably easy. You bought a lot of books, priced them for something or other and sold them relatively quickly. It turned out that even I could do it pretty well. As time went by it seemed that this was becoming apparent to everyone with a computer. So the pressure began. With the price competition began the race to the bottom. Before the Internet there was no really reliable way to know how many books were out there of a given title. As book prices became more transparent the high prices being realized brought books out of the barns, attics, trunks and bookshelves of America. What was previously thought to be a good book was now found to be a mediocre book and what was thought to be a mediocre book now became fodder for the soon to arrive penny sellers. I had always admired penny sellers who bought books by the truckload and sold thousands of them every day. They subsisted mainly on the few pennies in shipping profit they gleaned from each book that they often sold for one penny each. They were doing America a great service in spreading literacy and knowledge and making a profit while doing it. But they were driving many booksellers to the wall. I had no desire to be one of those standing resignedly, back to the wall, with a blindfold across his eyes and a cigarette in his mouth. I had started very modestly, worked hard and gradually built up a decent inventory. It had become clear to me early on that my only salvation was to buy those books that were sufficiently scarce not to decline in value as more and more books were driven to market. It seems that at some point soon fewer and fewer of the modestly uncommon books will be appearing and even the cheaper books will again turn and head back up a bit. Surely at some point the reserves will become at least partially exhausted. For most of the cheap books, say less than $25 today, it seems unlikely to me that anything will ever save them—not even time. As sources dry up, and long before retail prices began to rise significantly, the cost of acquisition increases. Increased acquisition costs are a direct result of new sellers willing to work for less, a lot less, maybe even nothing. I found it no longer feasible to compete with hobby sellers. The more so because most of them seemed blithely unaware that their business was a hobby. There was another factor that concerned me as well. I was regularly logging 80 hours or more a week. I knew that it wouldn’t be too many more years before this would begin to lose its attraction. I had been there before in other businesses and wanted to avoid that downward spiral at all costs. It was fun and I wanted it to stay fun. There was another concern which made this cross country jaunt to Colorado almost a perfect fit for me. With recently increasing sales I was badly in need of income tax deductions. You might wonder why I was so concerned if sales were on the uptick. The book business, while not exactly boom and bust, is not a “steady as she goes” business either. It needs careful tending. Ignore your income stream at your peril! I needed just a few more tricks in my basket than I already had if I was going to feel at all secure. So I called and spoke to Kathy Lindeman several times. She was quite forthcoming about the ins and outs of travel, housing and so forth. I owe her a lot and want to thank her again right here. Her assistance in getting me oriented was invaluable. She held my hand while I decided what the best arrangement would be for me. I hadn’t been in Colorado for more than 25 years. I had passed through once when I was living in Nevada and had found the people so friendly that I seriously considered moving there. I am happy to say I found them just as helpful this time as I did the first. While I was there I checked the real estate ads as I usually do in a new area. There are many very beautiful homes available much more cheaply than is common elsewhere. It is high desert with low humidity. The elevation is about 6000 feet. Annual snowfall is 33 inches. So far, so good, then I found that low temperatures reached -10 degrees F or so. So I’ll stay in New Jersey a little longer. I have half a dozen online travel discount sites that I use. They are farefox.com, cheaptickets.com, air-gorilla.com, allcheapfares.com, travelticker.hotwire.com, andpriceline.com. To my surprise I found the best fare by a considerable margin on a site I didn’t care for much, orbitz.com. I made a $350 deposit by Visa over the phone to hold my spot, made arrangements for a place to stay, purchased the airline tickets, and I was in! I stayed at the Colorado Inn. This is on campus. It was purchased by Colorado College recently and refurbished. It is quite adequate and a cut above college dorms but just barely. There is an Econo Lodge right next door. Most seminarians chose to stay at one of these. There are a few other choices of lodging including a couple of bed and breakfasts and a Sheraton about 2 miles away. But I wanted to be in the heart of things. As it was I was just about 3 ½ blocks from the cafeteria and from most of the classes. So it worked out well for me and I was able to walk almost everywhere. At the Colorado Inn there are laundry facilities downstairs. Food shopping opportunities are just about non-existent within 2-3 miles. My plan, which is the recommended one, included breakfast and lunch with the students. All but 2 of the dinners were provided by the seminar. In addition there are frequent snacks. So meals are definitely not a problem. Downtown is about 8 blocks and a pleasant and safe stroll away. There are many bars, restaurants and several book stores. Basically a college town within a town. The city of Colorado Springs itself has 600,000 people and is mainly supported by the two military bases there. Many of the military personnel retire and take another job in the tech or the security industry. Because of the difficulty in making connections from Atlantic City I flew in a day early and left a day late. I could have flown much cheaper into Denver which is 80 miles away and taken a shuttle. Full details are provided in the registry materials. However the people I talked to who had flown into Denver had not found the arrangement particularly congenial to their needs. The next morning we began congregating in the cafeteria at about 7. The food was like cafeteria food all around the world but still quite a bit better than I remember it being during my own long distant university days. We were given full materials for the course including a hefty notebook. The notebook is nicely laid out with sections on everything from where to stay to how to paginate an antiquarian work. This contained invaluable materials compiled from the experiences of the best minds in the business. We also received daily handouts and amplified notes for each class. The whole thing was very carefully thought through and cleanly executed. This is a very valuable resource and one to treasure. At 8:30 sharp class began. Morning classes ran 3 ½ hours with a 15 minute break. Afternoons about the same. For the most part we ran 6 classes a day. And none of these, and I do mean none, were lightweight fill-ins. One thing that struck me was how often staff members mentioned that they learned a lot every year from attending. There are so many experts from so many areas. Then came a breathless staccato-like presentation by Dan Gregory on How to Market Your Book Business. Later on he followed up with Technology of the Book Trade. It was almost impossible to take notes because of the speed at which he covered the work. And it was ALL critical material. He generously agreed to email us expanded notes after the seminar. He obviously firmly believed in his message of promoting your business. If people look at your business card, bookmarks or whatever and don’t say “Wow!” then they aren’t good enough. Book selling is story telling. Dan believes that 90% of ABE and Biblio customers are collectors. I especially liked Dan’s summary of communicating with customers and advertising. Customers don’t think Customers are blind Customers have short attention spans Customers are more valuable than your books NEVER underestimate you customers Ed Glaser and Dan DeSimone gave a session on Reference Books. The bibliography handout for this talk alone may well be worth the cost of the course. I have since picked up some of these that I never knew existed such as the English Short Title Catalogue. Tom and Heidi Congalton contributed a copy of First Editions of Dr. Seuss Books which I won at their auction later on. I finally have the title of the mysterious and often cited “Wing” and will be picking that up soon. Angela Scott presented an amazing display of paper making materials including leathers and papers and a discussion of bookbinding. Dan DeSimone presented an illuminating discussion of book illustrations. Then we wrapped up the day with drinks, alcoholic and otherwise, and eats at a gathering from 7 to 9. Day One was pretty much a template for the days that followed. The average age of the seminarians was a little over 40 and the experience level was from “thinking about it” to “full professional.” The majority had been involved for perhaps a few years and wanted to become more involved. There were also a number of librarians and attendees sponsored by various of the book industries. In the next 4 days there were two microphones in the aisle between the seats. Those with questions would (ideally) line up at the microphones and ask their questions. Additionally there was a question box available to drop queries in. These boxes were emptied after each break. I can’t begin to do justice to the material covered. Each topic would require a paper of its own. The best I can do is to skim the subjects to give you the flavor of the sessions and the materials they cover. And perhaps encourage you to find out more for yourself. I have been a long time reader of the works of Kraus, Rosenbach, and other famous dealers. Unfortunately these books are long on stories and short on method. Here are the methods. After a lifetime of boring and often feckless classes and seminars this whole affair came as the most pleasant of surprises. As I sat in the room gradually the awareness grew on me that I was surrounded by a whole lot of very bright people. I have been to Mensa gatherings that were not half as impressive. Rob Rulon-Miller was the seminar director. His discussion covered the areas of Catalogue Making, Ethics, and Appraisals. His discussion of catalogues I found particularly useful. There were probably close to 100 different catalogues along a back table in stacks from various dealers, and they were laid out in such a manner that it made choosing the format most suitable for my business much easier. I definitely have a color laser printer on my list of acquisitions for next year. We were free to take what we wanted and there was an open discussion about costs, efficacy, production and problems. Rob also spent a fair amount of time on ethics. Although some might find it restrictive, I thought it simply the best way to run a successful business with as little pain as possible. Terry Belanger gave an exhaustive and witty talk on Bibliographic Description, Format and Collation. This covered such esoterica as different types of laid paper, watermarks, counter marks and their origins, pagination, and printer’s marks. It was as intensive as it could reasonably be in the short time available. Printed 18thcentury folio sheets were handed out to the class to help explain various of the printing processes. We were taught how printers numbered sheets so the binders could fold them to form signatures in 8vo, 12mo, 4to and so on. There was a fascinating talk on paper making and how it advanced. Terry said that there was an old saying that the size of the initial sheet of paper was determined by the length of the arms of the papermaker. By the time he finished it was pretty clear why he had been awarded the coveted “MacArthur” in bibliography. Terry Belanger oversees The Rare Book School at the University of Virginia with auxiliary classes in New York, Baltimore, and Washington DC. These classes are subsidized by the University and the tuition charge is about half of the actual cost. They offer about 30 five day courses each year. Tuition is $845. More information is available at virginia.edu/oldbooks. There was a faculty directed workshop on how to write book descriptions and two more on book pricing. We spent some time in class on this and then broke up into groups in various rather nice rooms. There we submitted our books and descriptions for criticism. The groups were, as always, small, with one or two faculty members assigned to each. There was an on-site tutorial on running a used book store by the Ciletti’s, Mary and Jim. The class was split into two groups and bussed to their Hooked On Books book store. There we were treated to talks on running a book store and a packing demonstration. The inventory was also available at standard book dealer’s discounts to us. The class picked up a fair number of books. Half of the class did this on one of two nights while the other half attended Conservation and Preservation by Dan DeSimone and Angela Scott. Angela does antiquarian restoration and book binding at her shop in Washington DC. Dan is the curator of the Lessing J. Rosenwald Collection of rare books and manuscripts at the Library of Congress. They combined their skills to give an invaluable look into the nuts and bolts of antiquarian works. Displayed were many materials not commonly seen such as rare leathers and papers. Later on Dan DeSimone presented Libraries as Markets for Books. This was a look into a world that is a pole apart from internet bookselling. With this information, and its diligent application, anyone with at least a modicum of talent could gain entry into this area. He covered the area pretty thoroughly including why the library market, identifying potential customers, how to create bibliographical lists and dealing with librarians. Evaluation and Pricing was taught by Ed Glaser, an internationally known specialist in rare and important books in science, technology and medicine. He noted that the keystone for rare books is 1/3, 1/3, 1/3. He explained this as being 1/3 for acquisition, 1/3 for handling and marketing, and 1/3 for profit. Ed covered auctions, price guides, dealer’s price lists, the Internet and other resources in detail. Chris Volk discussed Internet Bookselling as well as Buying on the Internet. She went into various websites and their peculiarities as well as the ability to move books. We discussed dealing with customers and their questions. One of the promotions she offers is gift wrapping—certainly essential for any Internet seller. Chris offered some caveats about buying stock from eBay sellers. Various database programs for book dealers were also discussed both in her talks and Dan Gregory’s. The general consensus was that BookTrakker is the best available setup for controlling your books next to having your own proprietary database custom designed. Mike Ginsberg discussed Book Fairs, Scouting, and gave a session on Auctions. Then he conducted an auction of donated materials, some of which were quite worthwhile and brought good prices. The auction included various reference materials, book related items and a dinner with the faculty. Mike has an interestingly disciplined approach to scouting. He lays out the route ahead to time with specific objectives in mind. His comments on equipment for book fairs was very useful. One tip he gave was, “Always bring a flashlight for the top and bottom shelves that no one can see.” Tom Congalton is the proprietor of Between the Covers Rare Books. He is also co-owner of Allottabooks.com. Tom made the comment that only 10% of his income came from the Internet. This was a sentiment echoed by many of the faculty. His specialty is modern firsts, however he easily fielded questions in any area that came up. He does a number of major shows each year and is well known there. Currently he is chairman of the ABAA membership committee. There was a conducted tour of a number of the downtown bookstores which I did not attend. A CPA, Bradley A. Walberg, conducted a session on taxes and accounting. He specializes in the area of books and maps. The more so as his wife is a book dealer of 20 years standing. I had to skip this talk in order not to miss Dan’s second presentation. I hope that the faculty will address this issue so that future seminarians won’t have to share my disappointment. They were, however, most cooperative in providing substantial outlines of both talks to help us make the decision as to which to attend. During the whole time the faculty were punctilious in making themselves available to answer all questions and give advice where possible. I tried to pick a different table at lunch each day to get a cross section of their philosophies. Everyone was helpful, everyone was gracious and everyone boasted a wealth of experience. A word about the staff which included 5 past ABAA presidents. These men and women are the legends of tomorrow and the frontrunners of today in the rare book trade. They are well worth listening to. Kenny Parolini operates Poor Man’s Books out of Vineland, NJ and can be contacted at http://www.poormansbooks.com. Originally published in the Fall 2006 issue of The Standard.

In years past, aspiring book dealers learned the trade by apprenticing with experienced ones. Today, with so few “bricks and mortar” antiquarian book shops in business, those entering the field must seek out other ways to master this complex and challenging profession. In terms of formal educational opportunities, many dealers look to the highly acclaimed Colorado Antiquarian Book Seminar as a means of learning the nuts and bolts of the rare book marketplace. If you find yourself looking for an historical perspective of the rare book world or an academic approach to specific areas of the field, Rare Book School (RBS) is unquestionably a good choice. RBS, headquartered at the University of Virginia (U.Va.), is a non-profit organization offering non-credit courses on “bookish and bibliographic” subjects. All RBS faculty members are recognized experts in the rare book field. The week-long classes are scheduled throughout the summer on the U.Va. campus and at other times of the year in New York, Washington, D.C., and Baltimore. Affiliated RBS programs are located in Los Angeles and London. The tuition for each RBS course is currently $870. Students are accepted to RBS courses by application. You must complete a questionnaire detailing your work history and submit a short essay describing your interest in the particular class you would like to take. Applications are accepted on a rolling basis beginning four months prior to the course start date. While the application may be off-putting to some potential attendees, the process unquestionably benefits the program by ensuring that all attendees understand the subject matter and have an articulable interest in the field. Beyond top-notch educational opportunities, RBS offers book dealers the chance to meet people in the rare book world that they might not otherwise encounter. In addition to dealers, attendees include rare book librarians and collectors from all over the United States and several foreign countries. The chance to meet special collections librarians, whose career paths offer interesting parallels and intersections with rare book dealers, is a particularly valuable opportunity for dealers. Getting to know these librarians is a wonderful way to learn about institutional book collections and what the collections of the future might include. In operation for 24 years, the program at Rare Book School is well-run and seamlessly organized. The schedule follows the same general format each week. Attendees arrive on Sunday night for a reception and a light supper. The evening is capped by remarks from Terry Belanger, founding director of the Rare Book School. (In 2005, Belanger was named a MacArthur “Genius” Fellow for his work at RBS.) RBS courses run Monday morning through Friday afternoon. The days are full, with classes beginning at 8:30 a.m. and ending at 5:00 p.m. In the evenings, students have the opportunity to attend optional events, including guest speaker programs and book-related movies. There also is usually a bookseller night during which local used and rare book shops stay open late especially for RBS students. Friday evening closes with a reception. Charlottesville is a lovely town with a wide range of accommodations available. While many RBS students chose to stay in local hotels, U.Va. offers RBS students the opportunity to stay on “The Lawn,” part of Thomas Jefferson’s historic Academical Village. While Lawn rooms may seem primitive (no air conditioning or attached bathrooms), they offer abundant charm in the form of hardwood floors, fireplaces, and rocking chairs from which to watch the sun set on the brick colonnade facing Jefferson’s famous Rotunda. The curriculum at RBS is not for the faint of heart. Each class has a required advance reading list. The course registration materials explicitly state that registrants should consider withdrawing if they find themselves unable to complete the reading before the class. This preparation is a challenging but essential component of the information-packed program. The pace of the classes at RBS is brisk. Instructors hit the ground running and expect the students to do the same. Some of the courses even include evening homework assignments. While attendees work hard at RBS, the effort is well-rewarded. Beyond being one of the only places in the world where you can take these types of courses, RBS offers valuable opportunities to build relationships with some of the brightest minds in the rare book field. You can read more about RBS and its offerings at http://www.rarebookschool.org/. Originally published in the Fall 2007 issue of The Standard.