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From: Bob Fleck and Jelle Samshuijzen URL: http://www.ilab-lila.com/ (EDITOR’S NOTE: PLEASE NOTE THAT ILAB IS A MEMBERS’ ONLY DATABASE, BUT INFORMATION WILL GIVEN AT THE END OF THIS INTERVIEW ABOUT HOW TO JOIN THE ORGANIZATION.) What is your purpose in starting a online book database (i.e., to help online booksellers, to get a database that does what you think a book database should do, because it’s a good business to be in, all of the above, none of the above, or ????). Bob Fleck: It is first necessary to explain a bit about us before answering your question. The International League of Antiquarian Booksellers is an organization that encompasses national associations of antiquarian booksellers around the world. It speaks for twenty nations and two thousand leading booksellers. Its sign stands for the integrity and professionalism of the trade worldwide. Beginnings: The League (or ILAB, as it is often known among English-speakers; LILA among French) was founded in Amsterdam at a meeting of major European booksellers in 1947. It was born of the spirit of international cooperation and fuelled by the determination to sweep away national differences that inspired the postwar world. Since that time its aims, objects and ideals have been adopted across the continents, and the ILAB network now extends into America, Asia and the Southern Hemisphere. Objects: The objects formulated in 1947 are still little changed. Put briefly, they are to uphold and improve professional standards in the trade, to promote honorable conduct in business, and to contribute in various ways to a broader appreciation of the history and art of the book. The Antiquarian Booksellers Association of America (ABAA) first started a data base a number of years ago and rapidly saw that the internet was going to be a global phenomena and not just one restricted to America. Our representatives on the Committee that oversaw the day-to-day operations of ILAB pointed out to that Committee that ILAB as an organization should develop a site for all member booksellers. The site was turned on in March of 1999. We then introduced a database with secure credit card ordering. We have a two fold purpose to having this website: First and most important we wanted to tell the internet world who we were – a group of the most experienced booksellers in the world who had to meet stringent requirements to become a member. Ethics are enforced by each member country of ILAB to a degree not found in any other website devoted to the sale of books. This combination of experience, expertise in describing books, and consumer protection is a fabulous story to tell especially in what is sometimes seen as the “wild-west” of internet bookselling. Our second purpose was to provide one of the best technical sites on the web for the sale of books at as low a price as possible to our members. Our webmaster company, Rockingstone, located in the Netherlands, has done that for us. Our webmaster keeps track of statistics for us and we have seen a very large increase in visits (and purchases) at our website. These visitors do much more that just buy books, they look at an average of 7.3 other pages of information about ILAB. One of the frequently used functions of the website is the link which allows searches for dealers by specialty. This means we are benefiting all members of ILAB, including those without computers. Is this a long-term commitment on your part? Where do you see yourself and your database in 3 years? 5 years? Bob: There are about 2000 members of ILAB of which over 300 are now actively placing around 2 million of the best books available on the web in our searchable database. We have seen that web technology is rapidly becoming as mainstream in other parts of the world as it has become in the U.S. As more and more of our foreign members join, the site will continue to improve in its diversity of rare books in all languages. The combination of the best rare books and the only true consumer protection offered will continue to make us a serious contender in the future of web bookselling. We own our site and do not have to worry about hiding the identities of our booksellers, charging a percentage of the sale, or any of the other problems that face for-profit databases. As more non-ILAB booksellers see what we are doing, I believe that there will be a large increase in the number of them who seek membership in the individual country organizations (such as the ABAA in the US). What lister book database inventory programs do you/will you support? Jelle Samshuijzen: We support a lot of different database inventory programs like: BookEase Pro, BookMinder, RS BookStore, HomeBase, BookTrakker Pro, BookMate, RecordManager, MS Access, File-Maker, etc. Both Windows and Mac files. What are your upload procedures? Deletion procedures? Are “wants” listings available? For sale matches? Are any additions/changes planned? Jelle: The ILAB-LILA Books Database accepts 6 main types of import files: tilde-delimited, tab-delimited, “Comma Separated Value” (CSV), UIEE, ABE, and Alibris PRV files. First the bookseller sends an example file to the Support Desk so they can create the settings and then booksellers can upload their files to the website as “total update”, “additions and changes” or “deletions”. An FTP account is also possible. These uploads are added to the database within 24 hours (usually much faster). Individual listings can also be altered on line. There is a wants service in place and we will soon be implementing the possibility of uploading wants files, which is ideal for libraries. What customer service (for both sellers and buyers) do you/will you have? Jelle: For customers we have a mailing list, wants service and offer multiple search methods including catalogues. For the ILAB national associations and their members the website offers the possiblity of sending emails to all members of the ILAB community, there is a free downloadable database, one can add images with their books, and a stolen books list. Very soon we will be offering members the possibility of having their own homepage, which will include the Personal Search Page feature. This will ensure that members will have their own URL, “www.ilab-lila.com/membersname.htm” and their own email address, “membersname@ilab-lila.com” Another service to come soon is our “highlights” feature. For a small fee dealers will be able to add their books to “highlights” gallery, putting them as it were in the shop window. Will you/do you have any quality (i.e., descriptions, shipping, and/or customer service) standards for your listers? If so, what will be/are the consequences of violating those standards? Bob: This question pinpoints one of the great strengths of ILAB. Although one can never provide strict standards for the way books are described, we can promise the buyer that the dealer selling the book has experience and must meet the general ethical standards of ILAB and the more specific ethical standards each member country of ILAB must have. If you are found not to have met the standards, you will be asked to leave the organization – it is that simple. The ABAA in the U.S. has an entire committee devoted to ethics with a lawyer retained and attending every board meeting to help enforce the ethical standards. More importantly they have a large amount of money set aside to take legal action if necessary. Each country of ILAB feels this strongly about this point. What are your technical arrangements (in non-technical language, please) to ensure reliability of service? Future growth? Additional services? Jelle: We always keep a close track on what is happening on our servers, implementing new security measures and looking at ways to increase their speed. Will you/do you have the capability of taking credit card info for orders? If so, what can you tell us about the safety procedures you have or will have in place to ensure the security of such info? Jelle: We offer a secure order form which uses the Verisign technology. The credit card details are sent to the bookdealer in two separate emails. Credit card details are not saved on the server. And, of course, customers are always free to contact the bookseller directly. Do you ever plan to process credit card orders through your database (rather than simply passing on the info to the lister) and, if so, will the lister or buyer bear the processing cost, and how long will it take to get payment to the lister? Jelle: Yes, we’re looking into this. Do you have any plans for programs associated with your database which would involve anything other than direct contact between seller and buyer? Bob: Absolutely not. Do you have or do you plan to have an “all word search” capability? Jelle: We do have that feature. What search capabilities does your database have now? What is planned for the future? Jelle: One can browse bookdealers’ books or their catalogues. Search by: author, title, description, any word/keyword, minimum price, maximum price, when added, publishing date, books of all ILAB members or of a national association, first editions, signed, dust wrappers, hardcover, paperback, type (books, maps and prints, autographs) and we have a special character keyboard in place. On what will you base your listing fees? What fees do you have now or plan to have? Jelle: US$50 set up fee and US$35 per month for up to 10,000 books (and / or maps, prints, autographs). Above the 10,000, US$5 per month per 5,000 (or part of) extra. US$10 a month for using the search engine at your own company’s site to search only your own books in the ILAB database. US$100 one-time set up fee, above 10,000 books US$2 per month per 5,000 (or part of) extra. Images can be added to one’s listings. These can be stored either on one’s own site, or on a space that we allocate. The first option costs US$50.00 set up fee; the second US$75.00 with an additional US$0.50 per 1 Mb per month. Do you plan to have or now have your database searched by Addall or Bookfinder or any other mega-search site? Bob: Our site is currently searched by both Addall and Bookfinder. This has greatly increased the number of people visiting our site and the sales at our site. How do you plan to advertise your database (both to draw listers and buyers)? Jelle: Hardcopy advertising, bookmarkers, E-mails, links on the websites of the members, booths in book fairs. What background or experience do you or other people involved with your database have that relates to the online book or online book database business? Bob: Our members are booksellers and not computer experts. Luckily we have members who volunteer their time to help with the overall look of the site and its advertising but not with the technical part. We are very fortunate to have Rockingstone and its President, Jelle Samshuijzen, as our webmaster and site developer. Jelle was a bookseller before he decided to devote full time to the computer world so that he really understands the problems of booksellers. His company is composed of 12 people and does work in other areas in addition to the ILAB site, yet his heart seems to be with us. ILAB has a very good legal contract with Rockingstone that makes it clear what obligations exist on both of our parts. Do you or are you planning to have professional management, bookseller management, or???? Bob: Rockingstone has designated certain members of their company to deal with ILAB matters. ILAB will eventually need to find more volunteers to help oversee the site. What markets (geographical and/or demographic) are you aiming at? Bob: As we are already a global organization, our growth throughout the world will be very simple. What services/features does your database have that you feel sets you apart and/or will ensure the success of your database? Bob: I would love to answer this question again (and again) but you are all probably tired of hearing it – The Best Books described by the Most Experienced Dealers – with ethical standards Enforced by our Member Nations! Please tell us anything you’d like about yourself, your database, or about the ILAB, and thank you for participating. Bob: I am a past President of the ABAA and am current Vice President of ILAB. I am the owner of Oak Knoll Books, which specializes in the sale of books about books, reference books, examples of fine printing and private press books. Our publishing company, Oak Knoll Press, publishes about 40 titles a year in the same field (for instance John Carter’s ABC for Book-Collectors is an Oak Knoll Press publication). The internet has been my holy grail quest since the beginning of time, it seems. Don’t ask me anything too technical but also don’t get me started on how positive I feel about the role the internet can play in the life of an ILAB bookseller. I feel that ILAB members have worked hard to achieve a reputation in the book world and that the internet is an ideal way to educate an entire new book buying community about who we are and what we stand for. ILAB is composed of the National Associations of 20 countries. You must first get accepted into the National Association in which you reside or, if there is no National Association in which you reside, you can apply to those associations that accept foreign members. Once you are accepted in a National Association (such as the ABAA in the U.S.) you will become an associate of ILAB-LILA. Here is the statement on our website: You could consider becoming a member of one of the 20 national affiliations of the ILAB-LILA. The affiliations are independent and their membership rules differ slightly from one another, though all set standards on professionalism and trustworthiness. All members must adhere to the ILAB-LILA code of ethics. Some affiliations require that your business be established in their country, though many do not. The 20 ILAB-LILA affiliations have members from 27 countries. See our list of national associations, choose one that seems most appropriate, and apply to them.

People will gather in George Rogers Park, the lower level, around 11:30 the morning of Friday, May 10, 2002. The park is located on the western end of Lake Oswego, between the lake and the Williamette River, in the greater Portland, Oregon metropolitan area. I wish I could join them. These people will be family and friends of Dr. Leonard W. Lanfranco. The gathering will be to share memories, stories, and thoughts about, and to celebrate the life of Len Lanfranco. Like countless others, my own life is a little richer because I came into contact with this man. Leonard W. Lanfranco was born in Oakland, California, June 12, 1939. Len died from a brain aneurysm April 30, 2002. The important stuff happened between these two dates. It is difficult to sum up a persons life. How do you judge what is important? What are the things that count? I suspect the most important event in Lens life occurred in Vancouver, Washington, on May 1, 1965, when he married Mardell Flewelling. For Len and Mardell, their daughters and granddaughter this date was critical. The day following his death they would have celebrated 37 years of marriage. As important as Lens wedding date was to him and his family, the rest of us probably need to look a little farther. Most summations of a lifetime concentrate on the persons accomplishments. If this were the measure Len would indeed be worthy of praise and respect. His life was filled with important tasks attempted and achieved. Len’s professional, educational, and intellectual achievements were outstanding. His degrees were from leading universities in his field. His professional accomplishments were in responsible, difficult positions with respected institutions, and he succeeded wherever he went. This was a man who undertook important tasks, and completed them. You can often tell a lot about a person by looking at the investment they make of their time, outside of the office. Len came through in this arena also. He was willing to back his ideas and convictions with time and effort. I met Len when IOBAs former president Deb Graham, told me she had a great new member whom I needed to get involved with IOBA. I called him and we emailed back and forth for several days. I had recently been elected to succeed Deb, and was looking for intelligent, motivated people to fill a few slots on IOBAs board. I asked Len to take on the task of PR Committee Chair, and to sit on IOBA’s board. Len’s mother had died shortly before I contacted him and he was wrapping up her affairs. Len had a history of heart problems. When we met he had just gone through a change of medication that caused him difficulties and loss of energy. He battled the heart problems throughout our acquaintance, but very seldom complained. In addition to these personal challenges, Len was in the process of conducting his annual Oregon Book Fair. Most people would have told me their plate was full, and to find someone else for the job. Lens only request was that I give him two weeks to wrap up a few of his loose ends before taking on this new assignment. This was typical of the man. His life consistently reflected a high level of commitment. His efforts for IOBA more than met my expectations. He gave IOBA his energy, his intelligence, and his tremendous good will. Personally, I learned to consider him a friend, a trusted confidant, and advisor. Lens commitments were undertaken with purpose and resolve. He was a founder of the American Advertising Museum, and served as a member of its board of directors. His other involvements show a consistent pattern of thoughtful, compassionate commitment. When needed he was willing to battle for his causes. When the Oswego City Council moved in 1999 to change and reduce its commitment to the public library, Len Lanfranco was in front of the council. His recorded testimony is intelligent, insightful, and well organized. Although I wasnt in the council chambers, I am sure it was also presented clearly and confidently. In 1991 when the Oregon Senate Committee on the Judiciary considered changes to the states law on public access to legal documents, Len was there, testifying clearly on the potential effects of the law, and their consequences. On numerous other occasions, Len took stands to defend principles. He believed ideas were important, and he was willing to stand and be counted. These involvements are important parts of a persons life. Perhaps even more important are the other lives one touches, and how these touches affect others. Here again Len made a difference. I only knew him at the end of his journey. When I met Len he was a mature, considerate, gentle souled man. This was not a secret I alone discovered. I have contacted dozens of Lens acquaintances. Each has told me of his generosity of spirit, and the high value they placed on the friendship of this good man. These contacts go back more than forty years. Dr. G.T Hurley was Lens professor at Cal State in the early 1960s. Despite the thousands of faces that have come and gone since, Dr. Hurley still retains detailed, warm memories of a bright, motivated young man with the world in front of him. Len Lanfranco touched peoples lives wherever he went, and those people remember him with love, respect and admiration. So after all, what is important? What is the true measure of a man? We each decide upon our own set of values. For myself, I believe that what we do with our lives has meaning, that our dealings with each other are important, and that in the end it is what we do with what we were given that counts. Len was able to “talk with crowds and keep (his ) virtue”, and “walk with kings” without losing the “common touch “. He definitely forced his “heart and nerve and sinew to serve (his) turn long after they were gone,” and he “(filled) the unforgiving minute with sixty seconds worth of distance run.” I believe Kipling would have called him a man. I know I called him friend. Leonard Lanfranco, I’m glad I met you. Len’s family has requested that any donations be given in Len’s memory to either: Friends of the Lake Oswego Library 706 Fourth Street Lake Oswego, OR 97034 or Oregon Donor Program PO Box 532 Portland, OR 97207 Comments from a few of Lens Friends Greg & Julia Williams, Booksellers (IOBA) – I met Len through the IOBA. Soon after I joined, I volunteered for the PR committee, and over the past few months, Len and I had worked closely on creating some IOBA promotional material.After trading a few emails, it became readily apparent that Len was a bright, sociable and kind individual. I soon discovered that he was also gracious and generous, eager to praise and recognize the contributions of others. Our correspondence focused on the IOBA, but as we got to know each other a little bit better, we started to chat about numerous other topics, and I thoroughly enjoyed our correspondence.My wife and I will be permanently relocating to Portland later this summer. When Len learned about our plans, he was extremely enthusiastic and genuinely excited for us (despite the already-overwhelming influx of ex-Angelenos into the area). He made us feel so welcome, and it was comforting to know that the minute we stepped off the plane, we’d already have someone to call a friend in our unfamiliar new home. We’re tremendously saddened that we’ll no longer have the opportunity to get to know Len better, and our hearts go out to his family and friends. Pat Ahearn, Quill & Brush – Although I never had the pleasure of meeting Len in person, I did correspond with him many times over the last few years. He was very knowledgeable, an excellent writer and had a delightful sense of humor. His professional experience in the PR field and as a senior trade association executive was a wonderful benefit to our organization. Len offered IOBA’s Board excellent professional help whenever and wherever it was needed. He will be missed. Jerry Blaz, The Bookie Joint – It is, indeed, a terrible loss. It is also a terrible loss to IOBA. As a member-at-large I have seen that it is not easy to get people to give of themselves to volunteer their time and talents. Len was a member of that elite group that did volunteer their time and talents, and so even if most of us knew him only as a virtual personality, all of IOBA is lesser because of his passing. May Len LanFranco, of blessed memory, rest in peace. Shirley Bryant, Authors & Artists – Len was generous with his time, knowledge, and help. Back in January, 2002, when I was trying to organize sending thousands of books to the Afghanistan University Library to replace those ruined during their years of war, Len volunteered information on shipping methods and was trying to contact people he knew who could perhaps help with the logistics of actually getting the books directly to the Libray. The project got put on hold as, for the time being, there isn’t a way around their political situation, but I very much appreciated Len’s generosity and help. This seems to have been typical behavior for Len, and all of those of us whose lives he touched will miss him. Pat Holt, Holt Uncensored Newsletter – I worked with Len only one time, when he invited me to speak at the Fair in 1999. I vividly recall the exhibit floor as a living, breathing, organic thing that seemed to percolate with energy and love for books because Len himself was personally attentive to everyone’s needs. He knew so much about trends and issues in the industry that I followed him around taking notes as he feverishly gestured to this booth and that to illustrate his point, that change was coming to this field and we all better be prepared. He took me out to dinner with his friendly and welcoming family and made me – truly a novice to the trade – feel as much at home as if I had been coming to the Fair all my life. Dr. Leonard W. Lanfranco Professional Background 1996 – 2002 : Owner & Operator – Oregon Antiquarian Book Fair, Oswego, Oregon 1996 – 2002 : Owner & Operator – Columbia Books, Oswego, Oregon 1985 – 1995 : Executive Director – Oregon Newspaper Publishers Association, Portland, Oregon 1981 – 1985 : Executive Director – Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication, Columbia, South Carolina 1970 – 1981 : Chairman, Department of Journalism, University of South Carolina, Columbia, South Carolina 1967 – 1970 : Faculty – School of Journalism, University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri 1965 – 1967 : Faculty – Department of Communications, Gonzaga University, Spokane, Washington 1958 – 1965 : Management – Contra Costa Times, Walnut Creek, California ; Oakland Tribune, Oakland, California ; Antioch Ledger, Antioch, California ; Columbia Missourian, Columbia, Missouri Education Ph.D, School of Journalism, University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri M.S., School of Journalism, University of Oregon, Eugene, Oregon B.A., California State University, Hayward, California Civic Involvement Independent Online Booksellers Association (IOBA) – Chair PR Committee, Board of Directors Lake Oswego Friends of the Library Lake Oswego Heritage Council Oregon Heritage Museum, Board of Directors Oregon 4-H Foundation, Board of Directors Oregon Donor Foundation, Board of Directors American Advertising Museum, Founder, Member of Board of Directors

Editor: What is your purpose in starting a online book database (i.e., to help online booksellers, to get a database that does what you think a book database should do, because it’s a good business to be in, all of the above, none of the above, or ????). A: A few years ago there were three major book databases on which dealers could list their stock under their own names http://www.bibliocity.com, http://www.bibliofind.com and http://www.abe.com. When one of the best of these, www.bibliocity.com, was absorbed by Alibris, the net was full of messages of anger, gloom and general bru-ha-ha. Well, we participated in those messages and then decided to do something about it! We set out to create an independent book site, with the most sophisticated search modes, where independent booksellers could sell online and get to know their customers in an informative and secure environment. Thus http://www.bibliology.com was born. While we were developing http://www.bibliology.com, other small independent sites appeared on the net, www.bibliofind.com disappeared into ABE, and the whole internet market scene cooled down to a profound sense of realism. The disappearance of Bibliocity and Bibliofind brought closer the danger that booksellers — and book-buyers — would have terms of trade imposed upon them by the large, dominant players in the market. Some of these large anonymous booksites are also building their own inventories and the time may not be far away when they will have no use for the small, independent bookseller. Our concerns would appear to have been accurate. One can see the self-same book listed on the internet at different prices — the lower price on a site which lists the dealer by name, based on a subscription, the higher price on sites which demand that the dealer become an anonymous stockholder and pay a high commission for the privilege of having her/his books listed under the name of the site! Today it is also clear that ABE are in the process of changing their rules — yet again. Editor: Is this a long-term commitment on your part? Where do you see yourself and your database in 3 years? 5 years? A: We are certainly in the business for the long term. We have worked long and hard over the last two years developing a book site for the independent bookseller, with one of the most sophisticated search engines of any of the on-line book sites. This is not an ego-trip, nor a search for quick returns. A great deal of time and our own hard-earned money has been invested in site development. We are looking towards much greater market recognition during the next few years, not only for the benefit of our subscribing members but for the book-buying public as well. We made many more good friends amongst booksellers and book buyers during the development stage of http://www.bibliology.com — people whom we might never have come to know otherwise, and we are grateful for their help and advice. We are also indebted to the booksellers who, having joined us during the free membership period of 2001 when the site was in final development, have given us their continuing support — in many cases taking out a year’s subscription. We don’t intend to let these people, nor any future members, down! Editor: What lister book database inventory programs do you/will you support? A: We aim is to serve the interests of our subscribing members and their customers. We are happy to accept our members’ favourite upload formats, in any delimited text format, from any cataloguing software. In parallel with the site development, Bibliology has created an excellent Inventory Management System [IMS], which is available free to all subscribing members. Data from most other inventory programs can be imported into IMS. Editor: What are your upload procedures? Deletion procedures? Are “wants” listings available? For sale matches? Are any additions/changes planned? A: When a subscriber uploads for the first time a ‘reception file’ is set to that subscriber’s chosen format and all subsequent uploads are handled automatically. To a large extent our members decide on their own upload procedures. Using a conventional upload method they may edit individual records, send us full uploads or add or delete files. FTP uploads are also supported. Customers are encouraged to register their wants if a book is not available on site. When a bookseller member uploads the ‘wanted’ book, the customer receives an email, with a link to the particular book, inviting her/him to return to http://www.bibliology.com. Further developments will be announced during the coming months. Editor: What customer service (for both sellers and buyers) do you/will you have? A: In the Information area of http://www.bibliology.com there are Links to a range of important reference sites, ‘What’s New’ news items, and Contact emails to Bibliology. There are also small adverts for book-related Services and a member’s ‘news forum’. Editor: Will you/do you have any quality (i.e., descriptions, shipping, and/or customer service) standards for your listers? If so, what will be/are the consequences of violating those standards? A: Bibliology will not interfere in the bookseller/customer relationship! We hope that good relations will be fostered between our subscribing members and their customers, in the secure ordering environment offered by Bibliology. Nevertheless, we reserve the right to terminate the membership of any bookseller who does not conform with the terms clearly set out in the Terms and Conditions they signed up to when joining Bibliology. With the hoped-for direct vendor/buyer relationship in mind, we will not accept listings by ‘consolidators’. The general Terms and Conditions relating to the site are accessible from the footer of any page. Editor: What are your technical arrangements (in non-technical language, please) to ensure reliability of service? Future growth? Additional services? A: We believe our resident technician is one of the best in the business and our server is hosted by perhaps the UK’s most reliable service provider. Beyond that, as far as the reliability of any service is concerned, it is a question of optimism, fingers crossed and not stepping on the cracks in the pavement. Unavoidably, things will go wrong and we have to be ready to mend them as quickly as possible, keeping our subscribing members informed of the problem and its expected resolution. Our future growth is dependent on the satisfaction of our members and their customers. Our aim is to ensure that the service we offer will continue to be second to none. As far as additional services are concerned, our members may link their home pages to Bibliology’s powerful search facility. The resulting returns may be presented in the dealer’s own preferred colour scheme. Our members’ suggestions for further improvements to the site are welcome, always remembering the principles we laid down at the conception of Bibliology. Editor: Will you/do you have the capability of taking credit card info for orders? If so, what can you tell us about the safety procedures you have or will have in place to ensure the security of such info? A: The Bibliology secure ordering system is there to inspire confidence. Apart from authorised Bibliology staff, payment details such as the credit card information are only accessible by the dealer concerned, using her/his unique username and password. These details are then deleted from the site by the dealer. Editor: Do you ever plan to process credit card orders through your database (rather than simply passing on the info to the lister) and, if so, will the lister or buyer bear the processing cost, and how long will it take to get payment to the lister? A: No we will not interfere in any way in the conclusion of a sale. The customer’s relationship with the dealer is private and confidential. We believe that our members will want to build on that relationship. Editor: Do you have any plans for programs associated with your database which would involve anything other than direct contact between seller and buyer? A: No! As already stated, Bibliology is simply an excellent listing service where buyers and sellers come together in an informative and secure environment. Editor: Do you have or do you plan to have an “all word search” capability? A: Absolutely! All ‘keyword’ searches on Bibliology are “all word searches” and the search terms are highlighted in the results. Editor: What search capabilities does your database have now? What is planned for the future? A: Searches on Bibliology can be as simple or as complex as the customer wishes, starting from a simple Author or Title search or a Keyword search (this is an all-word search). Other boxes in the search panel allow searches to be limited: by price (Price Greater Than, Price Less Than); by currency (Search in Which Currency – choose from drop-down box); by when books were added (Books Added Anytime or choose 24 hours, 48 hours, 7 days); by Dealer (All Dealers or select an individual dealer from a drop-down box); First editions only; Signed/inscribed only; Date of Publication (complete the After Before boxes); specify how the results are listed using Sort – (choose from Unsorted, Author, Title, Price, Publication Date) and specify Ascending or Descending order. Editor: On what will you base your listing fees? What fees do you have now or plan to have? A: Membership fees are based solely on the number of titles listed. A table of fees is clearly displayed in the ‘new member sign up’ area. There is a reduction for paying an annual subscription 12 months for the price of 10 and currently the first month is free after joining. There are no additional charges nor commissions on sales. Editor: Do you plan to have or now have your database searched by Addall or Bookfinder or any other mega-search site? A: http://www.bibliology.com is searched by both http://www.bookfinder.com and http://www.addall.com. Editor: How do you plan to advertise your database (both to draw listers and buyers)? A: Throughout 2001 we ran adverts in relevant trade and literary magazines. We, and our members, have also distributed thousands of flyers and bookmarks. Our PR and marketing efforts will continue throughout 2002 with the aim of gaining greater market recognition. Editor: What background or experience do you or other people involved with your database have that relates to the online book or online book database business? A: My wife Sue and I have been in the antiquarian book business for many years, under the Collectable Books banner. Our son Andy, Managing Director of Bibliology Limited, is a customer relations and computer systems specialist, with years of experience in the City of London. Editor: Do you or are you planning to have professional management, bookseller management, or ???? A: If I understand your question correctly, I have to say that all the directors of Bibliology Ltd are skilled, experienced, professional managers. Our cataloguing software, the Bibliology Inventory Management System (IMS), is designed as a tool, to enable booksellers to manage their stock and report on costs and results within any given period. In other words it is designed to enable the bookseller to manage his/her business. Editor: What markets (geographical and/or demographic) are you aiming at? A: We believe in the true meaning of the World Wide Web. Visitors to http://www.bibliology.com may be in the UK, Croatia, Japan, France, the USA, or Singapore. The same customer may be looking for a beautifully illustrated, hand-coloured Bible one day, a book of scientific reference the next, and some inexpensive reading matter to take on holiday after that. Why should Bibliology’s member bookdealers not be able to fulfil any of these requirements? Editor: What services/features does your database have that you feel sets you apart and/or will ensure the success of your database? A: Searches on http://www.bibliology.com can be as simple as you like or refined to satisfy a very specific requirement. They can also be limited to books uploaded within a particular period, with prices set in most major currencies. We believe we also carry more useful information on events, links to useful sites, library catalogues, etc., than any of the other booksites. This packet of information is growing constantly. We try to give personal service wherever possible. We speak to our subscribers on the phone and most emails are personal ones, typos and all! We like to get feedback — critical and laudatory. If you like what we do tell your friends, if you don’t like what we do tell us! Editor: Please tell us anything you’d like about yourself or your database, and thank you for participating. A: Recently, someone compared our marketing and PR efforts with featherbedding! Nothing could be further from the truth (unfortunately). Working 16 to 18 hours a day seven days a week, financed by our own efforts, doesn’t strike us as a soft, cosy number. But, it’s great! We enjoy every minute of it. We have discovered hidden talents and resources within ourselves, learned new skills and technologies and, most of all, we made a lot of great new friends!

Editor: What is your purpose in starting a online book database (i.e., to help online booksellers, to get a database that does what you think a book database should do, because it’s a good business to be in, all of the above, none of the above, or ????). A: My purpose all along has been to try and unite booksellers so that they have some ability to bargain for better prices and services online. When attempts at working with existing organizations failed, or they had a different goal, I decided a database site would be the best way to spearhead and tackle the issues I felt online dealers faced. That’s where the low $100/year rate came from: the need to help sellers find an inexpensive alternative, and to encourage them to join our unofficial guild. Many have read the paraphrased quote I have posted on our service agreement page, and I think it really goes hand in hand with the spirit of our website. The quote is from “It’s A Wonderful Life” where Jimmy Stewart basically says the town needs to support his savings and loan company”..even if it’s only so there is somewhere people can go without having to crawl to Potter,” referring to the greedy old bank owner who all but runs the whole town. I see us as the little guy and, believe it or not, a few even started referring to me as the George Bailey of the online book industry because of that quote. And as I remember, he ended up being called the richest man in town, but it wasn’t meant financially. If I can earn that type of honor, that will be all I need. Editor: Is this a long-term commitment on your part? Where do you see yourself and your database in 3 years? 5 years? A: Because I was able to start on $1000, I really have no fears of having to recuperate any investment or fears of loss. For my wife and I, our major forms of income are outside of Bookquarters.com, probably about 85-90%. She works full time and I primarily earn income from printing services and Bookseller Monthly advertising and subscriptions. Additionally, in September I took on a business partner, Patty Johnson, who does all of the programming for the site. This has really made things easier to improve the site as needed, plus it took any fear of excessive web development fees out of the picture. For both of us this has become an extremely fun, and sometimes nerve-wracking, venture. But because there are two of us now it is easier to deal with, and neither of us want to give it up. I’ve always had a hard time envisioning where I would be even a month from now, but I don’t see how our site can fail. Patty and I are too driven to let it fail. Editor: What lister book database inventory programs do you/will you support? A: Well, we haven’t run into anything yet that we can’t accept or import. Bookquarters.com allows direct FTP upload, it supports BookTrakker’s “one-touch” upload feature, we accept uploads from BookRouter.com, and then through our online upload page we can take everything else: Homebase, BookMate, BookHound,simple database files from Excel, whatever you have–UIEE, tab, comma, etc. We even have eight customers who aren’t online who mail us typed lists that we manually enter–so I guess you can include that we import paper files as well 🙂 Editor: What are your upload procedures? Deletion procedures? Are “wants” listings available? For sale matches? Are any additions/changes planned? A: I pretty much covered our upload procedure in the previous question. Deletions can be handled several ways. If you send us UIEE type text files, our script automatically detects which listings are to be deleted. For tab and comma users, we require that they create a separate delete file and use the “Upload Deletes” link on our upload page–or if they FTP, to make sure they name the file a delete file. The other feature we have, one that was positively commented on recently by a new member, is our online delete page that allows you to quickly go in, enter up to 10 book listing numbers at a time, then select and delete them. Want listings are not currently available nor is there a matching procedure. However, Patty already has most of the programming written for collecting wants, it is just a matter of putting it in place. More importantly, we’re expecting to affiliate with a website in February where libraries and individuals go to post their books wanted and how much they’re willing to pay for the book. It won’t be anything like any other “library matching program,” we won’t be involved collecting commissions or even forwarding sales. Instead, part of the agreement will be making all wants on the site available only to our members for the first few days they are listed. As well, the site we are affiliatingwith will be giving us exclusive rights to having only our members inventories searched from their site. Editor: What customer service (for both sellers and buyers) do you/will you have? A: As far as I have seen, we are the only site that offers online live customer service. By clicking the button on our site that says “Click here for live help” a customer is connected with me through a chat window, similar to AOL instant messenger. I’ve had quite a few people glad it was available, many asking for recommendations on where to find a book (a valuable chance to send them in the direction of one of our members who specializes in such a field), others simply looking for answers regarding other services on our site. It’s very convenient because I can turn it off whenever I am away from the computer, so it doubles as an email button in those instances. We do provide all of our phone/fax/email information very clearly on our “Contact Us” page, which is a clear link from the home page. I think, as well, there have already been some public posts on the email lists about Patty and my quick response time to problems or questions. I think between the two of us we are online around 20 of the 24 hours in a day! Editor: Will you/do you have any quality (i.e., descriptions, shipping, and/or customer service) standards for your listers? If so, what will be/are the consequences of violating those standards? A: I don’t think we will be restrictive unless there is a real problem seller amongst our group. I know many sellers want to see higher standards, but there are several reasons why I prefer not to get too involved. First, I can’t see trying to impose policies on very specific matters such as accurate descriptions. It is such a subjective area with so many potential variables it only invites a quagmire of involvement and would appear as heavy-handedness on our part. We stay out of all specific transactions. But if a number of customers start to complain about a particular dealer, whether it be failure to ship, not having inventory in stock, etc., then action such as refund and removal would be considered after speaking with the member. Secondly, I think some dealers may feel uncomfortable being put under a scrutinizing system, thereby potentially scaring away what would have been perfectly good members. Ultimately, a bookseller will suffer poor sales if they are unable to fulfill a customer’s needs. But if there is, as I said, a problem member who is hurting the site and hindering us from having a good reputation we will take action. We have no specific policy on such things yet, but realize situations like this are inevitable and need a stated policy. I simply prefer to be very flexible. Editor: What are your technical arrangements (in non-technical language, please) to ensure reliability of service? Future growth? Additional services? A: We expect to be switching web host providers very soon, as we have found even better services elsewhere. We currently run our database on a shared SQL server, but once we move this will be altered. The provisions for our site with the new host will provide us scalability to 18 gigabytes of data storage (enough for around 36 million titles), a guaranteed uptime of 99.93%, and initially 40 gigabytes of transfer (enough to handle around 10,000 visitors per day) with scalability options there as well. Editor: Will you/do you have the capability of taking credit card info for orders?If so, what can you tell us about the safety procedures you have or will have in place to ensure the security of such info? A: Bookquarters.com has a shopping cart that allows customers to enter a credit card. In mid to late February we will be making it a secure process. Editor: Do you ever plan to process credit card orders through your database (rather than simply passing on the info to the lister) and, if so, will the lister or buyer bear the processing cost, and how long will it take to get payment to the lister? A: That is something that I really have no desire to be involved in. Depending on the requests of our members in the future, Patty and I may implement a system that that processes cards for our members, but it seems a distant notion at the moment. I would rather integrate a PayPal, ProPay, or other button into the shopping cart that allows or encourages buyers to pay the seller themselves on the spot with a system the seller already uses. I’m not here to make commissions or get involved in a bookseller’s transaction. The only reason we would consider providing such a serviceis if it was feasible and if the members were sincere in needing such a system. If you have a secure server where a customer can send along their card number, it is no less efficient (for the customer) than having us bill them. In turn, however, if for some reason the book is unavailable, we won’t be billing the customer for an “invisible” item. If the seller is responsible for processing, they will know whether to actually bill or not and be solely responsible. I want them to have control over their business. Editor: Do you have any plans for programs associated with your database which would involve anything other than direct contact between seller and buyer? A: No, that is something we would like to avoid unless it is a program that is invaluable to the bookseller and buyer. Editor: Do you have or do you plan to have an “all word search” capability? A: Bookquarters.com has an all word search capability. I often complain that it is too slow, though, as it obviously has to look through everything. I think it was our member Vic Zoschak at Tavistock who suggested I should refer to it as a “full bodied” search. Editor: What search capabilities does your database have now? What is planned for the future? A: We provide search by author, title, subject (a combination search of title and keywords), and all word search. We also have browsing capabilities of all members’ listings, either by the catalogs/subjects provided in their listings or by “view all books.” We haven’t settled on the best form of an advanced search yet, so that is what is to come. Editor: On what will you base your listing fees? What fees do you have now or plan to have? A: Policy: The cheaper the better. Bookquarters.com is a special site that has peripheral revenue gathering sources that don’t require hitting up the bookseller. I think our fee of $100/year to list up to 100,000 titles is going to be safe for a long time–especially considering technology will always make things like web hosting and data storage cheaper. Editor: Do you plan to have or now have your database searched by Addall or Bookfinder or any other mega-search site? A: We’ve had a rough go just trying to get information from either of these services on the fees they charge to be included in their search. What has been rumored to me, however, are rates in the neighborhood of $1500 per month. First, we don’t have that much revenue at this point to put solely towards advertising–especially all in one basket! Secondly, imagine what you could do with $1500 per month to really target various avenues instead of just focusing everything at one website. I believe that these type of search facilities allow database sites to create a great deal of hype and instant results. Unfortunately, the long term result is dependency on those sites at a hefty monthly fee they won’t be able to escape. What are you really doing to promote your booksellers’ names and your site’s name? To me it is analogous to the parable of either feeding a man or teaching him how to fish. If we were to throw that much money each month at one source, we would forever be dependent on them to bring in sales–much like booksellers are dependent on larger database sites right now. On the other hand, if we use our creativity and energy, we can much more effectively advertise in grass-roots manners, through print, various online paid advertising, and any other forum we choose. When you advertise your web site you are building a brand and at least giving your dealers a chance for return sales. With the “mega search” sites, it is virtually impossible to expect a repeat customer. Bookfinder and Addall have no search capabilities for a customer to track down “Bill’s Used Books” if they forgot what site they list on. I would prefer to spend our money wisely, scatter it around and not be overly dependent on any one source. Those who own their own websites are taking the right path, and they know it is the truth when I say repeat sales are very much possible online and are very important. Many dealers don’t realize or expect this because too many of the database sites and mega-search sites do not emphasize the dealer, just that they have “a gazillion books.” That’s one thing that is very important to me, promoting our site as a place to find a bookseller or bookstore that carries the type of books you like to collect or read. I don’t think the mega-search sites facilitate this. Editor: How do you plan to advertise your database (both to draw listers and buyers)? A: Incredibly, even though we have such a low fee, we are able to do some wonderful things because of the equipment I possess for publishing Bookseller Monthly. Additionally, the mere fact that I own a publication really eliminates some print advertising costs. I have many ideas, but to list a few of what we’ve done and are going to do: **We print out photo-quality, single-page, heavy-stock 2002 calendars for distribution at book fairs. This gives show-goers something neat to pick up, and they see our name all year long. **We advertise on Google.com. **We advertise on regional snack products (hey, you have to target everyone!). **We advertise extensively in Bookseller Monthly. 🙂 **We’ve recently purchased advertising with Overture advertising online for display on sites like AltaVista, Yahoo!, and Lycos. **We have a mail list visitors can sign up for to receive our “Thursday Night Special” of discount offers from our members. **We will be purchasing ads in Book Source Monthly and Antique Week. But, we also advertise our members, and give them free advertising: **Our members receive as much as 1 free ad each month in Bookseller Monthly. **They receive 2 weeks of free advertising on Google.com. **We list members and their specialties in our general Bookquarters.com ads. We have many plans for wise advertising, but we are trying to grow prudently and solidly. We know our site is only growing because sellers are supporting it, not because we have $25,000 to keep it afloat artificially. As we grow, our potential for growth simply snowballs. I expect to be able to carry out more of our as yet un-announced advertising plans in the near future. Editor: What background or experience do you or other people involved with your database have that relates to the online book or online book database business? A: I came from a sales environment that exposed me to all types of manipulative and unsavory type back-door dealing, typically what you would expect to see corporations doing but can never prove. That’s why I am so wary about the current online situation. I’ve been a collector of fine bindings for a decade and a seller of such for 4 years, although it has taken a back seat these past six months. Patty knows how to put it all together and has worked extensively with helping several booksellers create and maintain their own web sites. Editor: Do you or are you planning to have professional management, bookseller management, or???? A: Bookquarters.com will never leave my site or be out of my control, unless (with Patty’s permission) I can eventually simply turn it over to the members and take a long vacation. This isn’t all about money for me, but I would never deny it’s nice to be compensated for all the work that goes into the site. I am at home all day with my 2 1/2 year old daughter, so that makes me thrilled beyond belief. Getting a “hired gun” to run the business would only indicate to me that someone is looking to pull more revenue for their own pocket. I want revenue to build the site up for our members. Editor: What markets (geographical and/or demographic) are you aiming at? A: Everyone. Considering we aren’t going to be running $20,000 six-month ad campaigns in The NY Times, it is really silly to consider who we are targeting. We are talking to everybody and examining all realistic and worthwhile forms of advertising to reach whoever wants to listen. I tend to feel word of mouth and solid grassroots building is the best plan. This includes the simplest things as popping into a high-traffic chat room and letting everyone know there is a great new site out there to find used books called Bookquarters.com. Editor: What services/features does your database have that you feel sets you apart and/or will ensure the success ofyour database? A: I think the only thing that makes us similar to anyone else is the fact that we host booksellers’ databases; everything else is pretty unique. To my knowledge, no other database-type site has weekly guest author chats to attract readers. In fact, through NewBookReviews.com we actually work with Time Warner to pull in some big names. As many know, we hosted David Baldacci, a #1 NY Times bestseller, in our chat on January 15th. Just as well, we are able to provide unique and interesting content from my Publication, Bookseller Monthly, although abe.com also carries some of our articles. As I mentioned before, I’m pretty sure we are the only site that offers live online service. We also have a unique rotating banner ad on our site that we control, selling ads to booksellers who want to post books wanted or sell particular special volumes. I like this neat feature as it allows the site to seem more alive and active, like a true marketplace and not just a sterile search engine. We also offer many services to booksellers, such as all the printing options and website design. With what we offer, we can take a bookseller from selling on our site, to printing and mailing their print catalogs for them, to building and hosting their own web site for them, and then printing out their promotional materials for them. We are also the only site that gives the customer the ability to search within a particular bookseller’s listings from the main search bar, making it very easy for them to locate a dealer they would like to buy from again. For collectors and readers, aside from the chat and articles already mentioned, we will be opening a specific Kid’s section with materials on home-schooling, recommendations on books, moveable author puzzles, educational games and reading contests with books for prizes. We will also be finishing our book collecting information area. Later this month we will also be including a section where readers can find book related items from other independent websites, such as cloth book covers, specialty book marks, etc. Need more? We are also going to be partnering more heavily with NewBookReviews.com, who have a database of over a thousand book reviews written by readers, so that we can offer our browsing customers peer information on an author or title they may be interested in. Our site is going to be a center for books, that is why we changed the name to Bookquarters–Your headquarters for books and collecting online. Editor: Please tell us anything you’d like about yourself or your database, and thank you for participating. A: All I would like to say in following up is that booksellers should not be impatient with any of the new sites. Instant success is not in the realm of reality for any of us. Perhaps moreso than others, even though we got a “head start,” Bookquarters.com will alter and improve things slowly instead of launching everything all at once. This simply is a result of our revenue-generating system and my belief that prudent growth based on the support of people is what will ensure success. You aren’t successful if you have a “gee whiz” site that you dumped $25,000 into. Building a better mouse trap of a search engine isn’t going to get people to your site either. It all requires creativity, hard work and time. It is much more difficult an idea to reproduce the success a site like abe.com has achieved in the online market we see today. The Internet was not as competitive nor as over-crowded with web sites as it is today. And even though there are more customers, they have all had a great deal of time and saturation advertising thrown at them by ebay, Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and Half.com–so we actually need to not only try to grow and attract customers, but to educate them as well. The wonderful thing is that so many people are trying to pick up the ball that was left by Bibliofind, so there will be a great deal of competition–hopefully this will work to the booksellers advantage and give them better prices and services.

Q. I have a 1905 copy of BLACK BEAUTY with a nicely illustrated cover. I think I see the initials “DD” intertwined near lover edge. Is this the mark of a book illustrator I should know about? A. The intertwined D’s is the signature of the firm of The Decorative Designers of Henry and Lee Thayer (who also wrote mystery novels). Q. Sometime back, I purchased a wonderful tool. It removes price stickers and other adhesive based labels with the help of a little Goo-Gone or similar product. It is about 6″ long with a red handle and rectangular shaped blade. I’d like to buy several more and have lost ordering information. A. Tool found. Following is a link to the website where they can be ordered directly:http://home.pacbell.net/peelerco/order.html Q. Could someone enlighten me as to the proper term for older illustrations done in brown and white tones. I have seen the term sepia used a lot for this. Is that the correct term? A. Sepia is a color, not a technique. The origins of the word sepia comes from the Greek word for cuttlefish (Soupia) which was the source for a natural ink which faded to brown over time. So “sepia” is used to describe printed materials where the ink is a soft brown, rather than deep black. Q. Is there a simple method of restoring slightly bowed covers (boards) to their original position? A. I find success with my copy press, but encyclopedias work as well. You can try adding a damp paper towel backed with a piece of plastic wrap to the inside cover. Take it out after a few hours and replace with a dry paper towel and new piece of plastic wrap. The moisture will loosen the paste and as it dries the board will bend back into its original shape. Our thanks go to Joyce Godsey, William Cole, June Samaras of Kalamos Books, Sara Armstrong – Books, Pam Brown, Sandy Portella, Terry from Books and Spirt. Hope we haven’t left anyone out. Jean S. McKenna – Books. Chairman Education Committee

The IOBA seminar on identifying first editions was held at Vic Zoschak’s shop in Alameda last fall. It was free of charge to IOBA members and to any interested folks in the area who could attend. A lucky few turned up for the midmorning to early afternoon workshop. We each introduced ourselves, delivering more-or-less book-related thumbnail histories. Primary discussion, of course, pertained to the announced topic, but we wandered down many side paths, too, including digital cameras, costs-of-goods, forgeries, and so on. Vic led our group very well, in particular demonstrating the need for specialized reference works in order to accurately describe the more arcane items one wishes to sell. The survey guides such as McBride and the Ahearn Book Collecting 2002 do not supply more than an outline, if that, in many cases, and to do a scarce book justice, sleuthing through some costly, limited print run bibliographies is vital. First editions of any era can have variants that may be significant and be more (or less) valuable, for a number of reasons. Chris Volk, with partner Shep Iiams, attended the seminar, and definitely has the whole book club edition situation totally sussed. We were regaled with the rules for divots, dots, blindstamps, priced and unpriced jackets–which companies had which policies when…. Bob Erwin brought a book or two he was puzzled about, or just wished to demonstrate the ambiguity of in terms of printing. Vic showed several examples from his stock. We were all treated by Vic to a splendid luncheon at a nearby Japanese restaurant and then we “talked shop” back at his shop awhile, before going our separate ways. He certainly has a trove of fascinating printed material, some of it fragile and expensive, of course, but he was open for biz on the main drag of a fairly typical town, and courteous and attentive to the folk who ambled up during our brainstorming. I’m looking forward to participating in more of these functions, as all sorts of book collecting and selling issues get knocked around, and I acquired very helpful knowledge from this one. Not to mention the camaraderie engendered in encounters in “meatspace”, as the estimable Dusty Humphries refers to it. Jim Pollock Most of the booksellers attending this workshop were already familiar with identifying modern first editions and so the heart the workshop was an introduction to some of the most important Americana and other specialized reference books. I think it is worth repeating Vic Zoschak’s comments, which Bob Erwin already mentioned, that reference books serve two functions: first of all, they will give you the essential information which you need to identify WHAT you have: is this a first edition? how do you identify a first edition? what were the differences between the different editions? etc., but even more importantly, reference books tell you WHY a particular book is important. Every bookseller should have a goal of constantly improving and expanding his or her own personal library. Although the internet is a valuable source of information, it is not a substitute for a carefully selected reference library. (Just as an aside, a library such as this can also be an excellent investment!) The following are just very brief comments about the books presented at the workshop. The two most basic and important general Americana reference books are usually named in catalogue listings as simply ‘Sabin’ or ‘Howes’. ‘Sabin’ is “A Dictionary of Books Relating to America, from its Discovery to the Present Time” by Joseph Sabin. Originally published between 1868 and 1936 in 29 volumes, this was reprinted in a 2 volume, mini-print set.. It includes over 100,000 entries of books and pamphlets printed in the Western Hemisphere and work about America printed elsewhere. ‘Howes’ refers to “U.S.IANA 1650 – 1950” by Wright Howes, which was published in many editions – it is described as a selective bibliography which includes over 11,000 uncommon and significant books relating to the continental portion of the United States. While less comprehensive than Sabin, its’ focus on the most important books, including giving information about reprints and an indication of scarcity, makes it perhaps even more useful for a bookseller. Other useful and important Americana reference works discussed (and actually looked at) in the workshop included: Wagner & Camp on the opening of the American West (Henry R. Wagner and Charles L. Camp. THE PLAINS & THE ROCKIES. A Critical Bibliography of Exploration, Adventure and Travel in the American West. 1800-1865 the 4th edition is generally considered the best) Storm, Colton – Compiler. A CATALOGUE OF THE EVERETT D. GRAFF COLLECTION OF WESTERN AMERICANA. Chicago: 1968. Chad J. Flake (A MORMON BIBLIOGRAPHY 1830-1930: Books, Pamphlets, Periodicals, and Broadsides Relating to the First Century of Mormonism – plus a later supplement Larry by Draper and Flake). While this reference is rather expensive and difficult to obtain right now, a new edition should be coming out soon. Robert E. Cowan (many books on California history – with perhaps the most significant “A Bibliography of the history of California and the Pacific West 1510-1906” ). Ramon Adams on gunfighters and cowboys (“Six-guns and Saddle Leather; a Bibliography of Books and Pamphlets on Western Outlaws and Gunmen” and “Rampaging Herd : A Bibliography of Books & Pamphlets on Men & Events in the Cattle Industry”. Francis P. Farquhar (“Yosemite The Big Trees and the High Sierra – A Selective Bibliography”), and L. W. Currey (who in addition to producing the definitive bibliography of science fiction, also co-authored one of the significant bibliographies on Yosemite: “Bibliography of Yosemite, the Central and the Southern High Sierra, and the Big Trees 1839-1900”). Children’s reference books, references for medical books, and those relating to pre-1920 literature were the other main areas covered in terms of reference books. However, the often wide-ranging discussion included information on identifying the first printings of older books (including the fact that the US did not recognize English copyrights until the 20th century and so when one sees a copyright in older US editions of works first published in England, often the copyright is for the illustrations or other material which might be unique to the US edition), and the traditional method of identifying the date a book was printed when cataloging books (if the date is on the title page, this appears in the catalogue entry as 1890, if on the copyright page, it will have parentheses around it (1890) and if the date does not appear in the book, but is known to the bibliographer or cataloguer it will have brackets around it [1890].). Another issue which was touched on briefly was that of dustjackets – and the fact that far too often the assumption is made (and incorrectly stated in catalogue entries) that a book from the late 19th century or the early 20th century was issued without a dustjacket, when in fact the opposite is true – they were issued with dustjackets, but few of them have survived. While written comments on a workshop like this might be able to include some of the factual information which was presented, what is lost is the ability to actually look at the books, to discuss them first-hand, and also the fact that those who attended each brought a different perspective and knowledge to the workshop. These factors are a large part of what makes attending a workshop like this so valuable – and they are the reason why I hope that the IOBA (either alone, or working with other regional booksellers associations) will be sponsoring many more in the future. Christine Volk & Shep Iiams I had the pleasure of hosting the first-ever IOBA educational seminar this last December at my shop in Alameda CA. 5 IOBA members, plus myself, gathered around one of my display cases for a few hours and discussed the challenges & problems inherent in first edition identification, with emphasis on the use of [actual] reference books in this task. The other participants’ synopses of the day more than adequately summarize the specifics of what was covered, and Chris relates in some detail those books I deemed important enough to haul out and give reality to the reference citations perhaps only previously seen in descriptions on AddAll: Sabin, Wagner-Camp, Wing, NCBEL, the BAL, Wright, et al. So let me use my remaining few lines of allowed print to explain my advocacy and philosophy for reference book use. Chris’ quote of my beginning seminar comments is a good place to begin–reference books can not only tell you WHAT you have, but also WHY it is important. The two aspects of book cataloguing have different functions but when used in conjunction with each other, they can contribute significantly to one’s success as a professional bookseller. WHAT you have is important only if you’re involved in the First Edition game and a participant in the collectible book market, for most will agree that it is in this context that one’s reputation as a bookseller will suffer if the WHAT is [repeatedly] not identified correctly. Since most of IOBA members are sellers of [at least some] first editions and couple this with the fact that I am of the opinion that one’s reputation is especially critical to one’s success in these days of global e-commerce, my advocacy for the use of the appropriate reference(s) may be easily understood. At this juncture, a comment or two on the use of the ‘net is warranted–that the ‘net has given access to lots of information is not in dispute. But I am of the firm opinion that it is not the ‘end all, be all’ with respect to book identification. It is another tool that is to be used, and the information garnered compared and contrasted with other facts that are known–information used without knowledge and context can be more damning than no information at all. Witness the fellow who cribbed another bookseller’s book description, citation and all. When the customer asked for an explanation and copy of the cited reference to accompany the book being purchased, the seller hadn’t a clue and experienced a bit of embarrassment when he was forced to admit that not only could he not supply a copy of ‘Gullans & Espey 303’, but that he didn’t know exactly what it was. One can just imagine that buyer’s thoughts on this particular ‘professional’ bookseller. Perhaps a worthy corollary to WHAT it is, is WHAT it is not–that is, if you don’t know, I strongly suggest you don’t guess. Just ask yourself whether it’s worth the egg on your face if you’re wrong. Many buyers of first editions are very knowledgeable in their subject area, and often will know more than the generalist bookseller. ‘Guesses’ will quickly be returned should they be in error, and the premium in price sought by calling it a ‘first’ rarely compensates for the damaged reputation when it is discovered the bookseller really didn’t know. So the WHAT is covered;the companion question is “WHY is it important? The answer to this question can sell the book being catalogued. Consider another 18th C. theology text…ho-hum, but if it be known that Ben Franklin worked in the print shop for this edition, well–wouldn’t that be a nice bit to use in the description*? So reference works can be of significant help in this regard, and perhaps one of my most used sets of general reference to answer this question is the ‘Oxford Companion’ series. They’re wonderful for providing a context with respect to an author and his/her works. Also very useful are the Dictionary of American Biography (DAB) and Dictionary of National Biography (DNB – British personalities). Even though weighted towards ‘dead white males’, the references have a wealth of information on significant personalities through the past centuries. I could go on and on, as there are many, many others that can be listed, but I think you get the idea. So in summary, you’ve no doubt gathered that I am of the strong opinion that the use of reference books has a prominent and critical role in professional bookselling. I just hope I’ve convinced you to share that opinion. See you at the next seminar. Vic Zoschak * Can anybody identify this book? Vic Zoschak provided a meeting place for the first seminar. Tavistock Books was centrally located for the Northern California IOBA members that attended. And, Vic has a extensive collection of reference works. Three areas were discussed under the topic of identifying first editions. The first was Modern First Editions, then American, and finally Early Printed Books. Attendees brought reference materials that they use and others for catalogue subjects (detective fiction, science fiction, etc.) were discussed. Vic showed many of the American & California works that he uses. A point that Vic made was very important. Reference works not only help identify which copies are first editions but also why a book is important. In other words, is it the author’s first book, does it introduce a series character, was it the first book on a particular subject. As always, when you get more than one bookseller in a room, the subjects discussed weren’t always limited to the agenda. The various internet databases, cataloging tips, sources for finding good books, and many other topics were discussed. We had six attendees for the first seminar. I hope that when the word gets around about how valuable these meetings can be the attendance will rise. Bob Erwin I recently attended the IOBA on-line bookselling seminar at Vic Zoschak’s store (Tavistock Books)in Alameda, CA. I was especially impressed with Vic’s scholarly amd enthusiastic approach to identification and pricing of first edition books. He has a bibliographic reference library “to die for,” and the requisite personal eclecticism to go along with it. His specialty is Americana, and his store is stocked with many desirable and hard-to-find items in this genre. He also is a very careful businessman, and most other booksellers would do well to visit his small but fascinating and well-organized facility. Vic is an inspiring example of how one can be honest and ethical, and at the same time successfully operate a used, rare, and out-of-print book business. Although only about 7 persons attended, we had an interesting time discussing many aspects of book connoisseurship, as well as the many opportunities and pitfalls of on-line bookselling. To celebrate this charter meeting, Vic treated all of us to a delicious luncheon at a nearby Japanese restaurant. This was a highly successful start for this type of seminar, and I am looking forward to our next meeting. John Reiland

On September 28, a typically sunny and beautiful early autumn day, the 9th Annual Book Fair sponsored by the Central Valley Antiquarian Booksellers Association (CVABA) was held in Sacramento, California. Among the 54 booksellers participating were 3 IOBA members: Vic Zoschak of Tavistock Books in Alamada, CA; Michael Greenbaum of Janus Books in Tucson, AZ and Chris Volk & Shep Iiams of Bookfever.com in Ione, CA. Once again, Bill Ewald of Argus Books, Sacramento, the Fair Director who has been running these shows for the past 9 years, did a great job of putting on a well-organized – and more importantly – a well-attended show. Set up was on Friday afternoon preceding the show, and included in the cost of the booth rental is a varied and very good buffet dinner, with hungry booksellers lining up for supper as soon as the food appeared. In addition to the free meal (which also provides a chance to chat with other sellers), among the features which make this show especially worthwhile for a bookseller are the generous booth sizes, the relatively reasonable cost for renting a booth, and the ability to send out an unlimited number of free passes without having to buy the passes up front. Unlike many shows which limit the number of free passes or charge the booksellers for them, the passes you receive for this show are coded by bookseller and you are only charged (at 50% of the cost of admission) if more than 10 of the passes you send out are actually used – the first 10 are free! This makes the book show a great opportunity to get in touch with all of your customers in the area. As usual when the doors opened on Saturday morning, there was a crowd waiting to get in. Sales were brisk during the first few hours of the show, but even the final closing announcement found some buyers still busy with last minute purchases. Chris Volk & Shep Iiams URL: http://www.BOOKFEVER.com #CVABA

This year marked the 15th Seattle Antiquarian Book Fair (SABF). This annual autumnal event is said by many exhibitors to be one of the best book fairs not staged by the Antiquarian Booksellers’ Association of America (ABAA), but this year’s occasion was noteworthy not only for the exhibitors, attendees and millions in collectible material sold, but also as a snapshot of the current used book industry. As Seattle has been enjoying unseasonably dry weather, a picturesque fall weekend was no competition for the attentions of approximately 1800 devout book buyers who visited the fair Saturday, October 12th, and Sunday, October 13th. Attendees viewed and purchased from the stock of 94 dealers representing Canada, Germany, and the United States, from New England to the Eastern seaboard and across the Mid West to the Northwest and down the West Coast. Over two-thirds of the dealers were returning exhibitors. Two book databases also exhibited –MyOwnBookshop.com and BiblioDirect.com. According to fair producer David Gregor, highlights of sales included, in the opening minutes of the fair, a local collector bought a complete run of jacketed Nancy Drews from a Seattle seller. Another Seattle bookseller sold a first U.S. of the Lord of the Rings Trilogy for $17,000. A cookbook collector purchased three boxes of material from the first exhibitor they visited. One Midwest dealer spent over $40,000 on books, while a New York firm added approximately $75,000 worth of new material to their inventory. As the fair was ending, a $50,000 set of illustrated books was awaiting the final collation of the buyer. The vast majority of sellers reported that sales exceeded expectations. And there were an equally large number of dealers whose primary objective was to buy well and they reported that they were pleased with the material available. What this year’s event highlighted is that book fairs still have a vital role to play in professional bookselling. In recent years, book fairs saw a decline in on-site buying as the curse of the internet was at its peak. “Why buy from you at that price if I can go online and get it cheaper?” was the thinking of bargain-hunting customers. The truth is EVERYONE needs to see books and booksellers in person. The average buyer has now gotten stung at least once purchasing sight unseen, with condition not accurately described, and wants to invest money in quality books from a dealer they have met and whose stock has been perused. For dealers, the proliferation of shop closures has made it extremely difficult to scout when visiting an area or even locally. The savvy book fair exhibitor is also keeping an eye out for books that may be requested by a buyer at some later date—knowing “where the bodies are buried” is a value added service. The Seattle event is unique among book fairs. It is produced by two long-time Seattle dealers, Louis Collins of Louis Collins Rare Books and David Gregor of Gregor Books and Book Seminars International. The pair draw on their own experiences of exhibiting at numerous book fairs world wide. They are in the singular position of completely understanding the needs of participants and the current climate of the used book industry. Thus, they strive to present a consistently polished showcase for a wide variety of material from the hyper-modern to the true antiquity, from posters and photographs, to the printed word in all its formats. In recent years, they have adjusted the schedule to allow for a full day of set-up and exhibitor-to-exhibitor sales. Collins and Gregor have also modified the fair’s days and times to best meet the average book lovers’ weekend constraints. And while the producers and 35 of the exhibitors are members of the ABAA, this fair is open to all professional dealers. In fact, 15 of this years’ dealers were first time exhibitors in Seattle. These sellers came seeking exposure for storefronts, cooperative bookstores and full and part-time internet-based operations. Of the six members of the IOBA exhibiting, all have been traveling to Seattle for many years. Additional pictures and a complete listing of exhibitors are available at the Fair’s website: http://www.SeattleBookFair.com. Returning participants are given first right of refusal, with any remaining spaces open to non-returning booksellers in March of 2003. If you would like specific information about exhibiting in 2003—October 11th and 12th—contact Louis Collins at 206.323.3999 or bookfair@SeattleBookFair.com. By: David Gregor & Theresa Calter URL: http://www.gregorbooks.com #SABF

URL: http://www.bibliodirect.com Nothing much to report, really; no hype, no adjectives, just a consistent steady growth. At present we have two million books listed on BiblioDirect, from 350 dealers in the United States, Canada, England, Ireland, Israel, South Africa, New Zealand and Australia. BiblioDirect President Lynn DeWeese-Parkinson represented us at the Seattle Book Fair and the Oregon Book Fair, and we have advertisements in the programs of other book fairs around the country. We advertise in various online and print media, and we are nearing completion of our second month of being searched by Bookfinder. The results are exhilarating. Most importantly, we continue to make almost daily improvements to our site as we listen to our dealers and customers and their suggestions. #databases

URL: http://www.searchbiblio.com The short of SearchBiblio.com is that it was established in October, 2000 under the name of biblio.com. In October of 2001, the site was moved from biblio.com to SearchBiblio.com, in order to free up the biblio.com address for other plans we have underway. The essential idea was that we could provide a fast and clean alternative to the major engines (our average search weighs in at under 10 seconds). SearchBiblio.com is a service which is run by biblio.com, Inc, of which I am presently president, programmer and janitor. Essentially it is a “one-man” operation, except for those rare times when I may need to bring in an independent contractor to pitch in. The number of sites we search, and the list have been subjected to some change, but at last count, we are searching 13 sites (Half.com, abebooks.com, Alibris, Powells.com, Amazon.com, ElephantBooks, Books-A-Million, BookCloseOuts.com, Bookavenue.com, Antiqbook, ILAB-LILA, Barnes & Noble.com, and Library Book Sales). Currently, our traffic is modest, with about 13,000 visitors a month (a number which I’d like to see grow, naturally). I personally have a background in English literature (almost anything written from 17th century to present, I am currently on a magical-realism kick with some Garcia Marquez and Fred Chappell, with some 13th century Mediterranean history on the side. I had several years as a bookseller (online and brick-and-mortar), and several years as a database and technology consultant for libraries, newspapers, museums, and universities, as well as other businesses. Currently, I work for Gannett Co., Inc., as the online production manager of its Asheville, NC paper (the Asheville Citizen-Times), and live in nearby Waynesville. I am married (Tracy Paige) with two daughters, aged one (Katherine) and three (Sophia). Attached is one of the few photos approved by my wife – of Tracy, Sophia, and myself (c. 2000). #SearchEngines

New this year will be seminars held in Archer City, TX on August 23 and 24. Archer City is Larry McMurtry’s book town twenty minuets south of Wichita Falls. The equivalent of five large bookstores in one small Texas town, Archer City offers over a million books for sale. Tuition for this event will be slightly higher to cover the costs of including lunches for the courses and hosting a BBQ social for all weekend attendees on Saturday night. Book Collecting for Fun & Profit is designed to teach collectors, sellers, scouts and librarians the principles of collecting books, as well as first edition identification, accurate condition description, correct flaw terminology, valuations, research tools and book nomenclature. The Strategic Bookselling Workshop is about making your book business more PROFITABLE. The program explores how to market and brand your operation, building a customer base, the 12 steps of pricing, stock acquisition and responding to constant shifts in the billion dollar used book industry. This course is for those interested in starting a book business and those who have been selling for a while. This valuable information, presented nowhere else in the used book world, is applicable to full and part-time dealers using the internet or store fronts. For more information please visit http://www.BookSeminarsInternational.com or call 206.937.6223. By: David Gregor & Theresa Calter #seminars

Email/Contact Info: afreelunch@aol.com Current Publisher and/or Agent: Counterpoint Press/Basic Books, publisher; Literary and Creative Artists, Inc., agent Published Work(s): Too Smart to Be Rich, 1988, New Chapter Press, humor, paperback original The Exact Image of Mother, 1991, Viking Penguin, literary fiction, hardback Eleanor Rushing, 1999, Counterpoint Press, literary fiction, hardback and paperback Odds, 2000, Counterpoint Press, literary fiction, hardback and paperback Secondhand Smoke, 2002, Counterpoint Press/Basic Books, literary fiction, just released in hardback SYNOPSIS OF CURRENT BOOK/WORK The best description of Secondhand Smoke appeared in Library Journal: they called it “Confederacy of Dunces meets The Corrections.” A dark comedy, this novel places a dysfunctional family into Irish/Italian working-class New Orleans. Somehow it lets a most unlikable old woman and her two unhappy children slug it out and figure it out, then lets us like them all in the end. Jerusha Bailey is toxic: not only does the smoke from her cigarettes probably kill her curmudgeonly husband, her poisonous personality has driven her adult son and daughter as far from her as they can manage. The only person left in her sights is ten-year-old Dustin Puglia, who lives next door with his equally bad mother, sleeparound, neglectful Angela. When Jerusha’s house burns down and Angela pulls a regular disappearing act, Jerusha learns quite a lot about survival from the chubby, streetwise little boy. This is a book about responsibility. Secondhand smoke is just a metaphor: the person puffing away, releasing carcinogens into the air, is harming others far more than she’s harming herself. Or is she? Jerusha’s children, Wilson and Zib, are damaged by the vitriol she spews; at what point do they have to stop blaming her? Readers say they laugh aloud when reading this book. Probably the funniest scene is the one in which Jerusha, on her way to meet Wilson and Zib at Arlington Cemetery for her husband’s funeral, finds his ashes have been stolen in a McDonald’s parking lot. It is possible to read this book just for the humor, but it also raises a lot of serious literary issues. AUTHOR INFO I tell people that when I was younger, I was so shallow that I should have been euthanized. I could form sentences, but I couldn’t think. Not until I was creeping up on 40 did I find my voice. I wrote a paean to failure, a humor book, called Too Smart to Be Rich, my answer to the yuppies. It gave me the entrée into publishing I needed, and since then I’ve been able to write novels that someone would print. My first novel was the requisite roman a clef: The Exact Image of Mother drew on my experience as an educated, middle-class woman (I went to Smith College) who decides to have a child out of wedlock. I did so in 1976, long before it was a movie-star sort of move. My next book, Eleanor Rushing, was a story of erotomania, pure fiction. Odds followed quite quickly, and while it was a product of my imagination, it did spotlight marital abuse. I made the mistake of marrying a very unpleasant man when my daughter was three, but I suppose the pain enriched the prose. I’ve been told that Secondhand Smoke is my breakout book. I hope so. I now have a great husband. He’s a fire captain, so it’s no surprise that smoke and fire and ashes slip into my stories. My books all are character-driven, they all are set in New Orleans, and they all try to limn hilarious pathologies. I am very different from what I was as a young woman: I’ve taken a lot of dares and made a lot of mistakes, and fiction is my vehicle for either vindication or vindictiveness, I’m never sure which! I suppose I raise humans for fun and no profit in my spare time. My daughter is much like me, except that at a very early age she already had a lot to say, and now she’s writing in L.A. I have an adopted son who seems like a full-time job. Or so I say: he’s my excuse for writing an hour a day and brooding the rest of the time… #authors