When you pick up a book to read, do you also pick up a pencil, ready to mark up the margins with your thoughts and ideas? If so, your written additions are part of a body of writings called marginalia. For many readers, scribbling on the pages of books is a beloved, recreational practice. For others, it's more of a necessity. Whether they are humorous jots and tittles, lessons learned from the story, or more serious notes of textual analysis, marginalia are simply fascinating. System of Chemistry, 5 vols. by THOMSON, T - ASSOCIATION COPY WITH THOMAS COOPER'S NOTES AND DRAWINGS Edinburgh: Bell & Bradfute, 1807. Third Edition.. Full contemporary calf.. Good; bindings broken on all volumes; library bookplates in all volumes; otherwise quite clean and bright throughout.. 8vo, Four printed plates. The J K Mitchell, John Redman, Thomas Cooper c... [more In Defense of Marginalia]

Leah Dobrinska of ABAA member Books Tell You Why, Inc. discusses the founding of the American Antiquarian Society by revolutionary and pioneering printer Isaiah Thomas, and suggests some other organizations collectors should familiarize themselves with... Isaiah Thomas was a patriot and a printer. His work as a publisher antagonized the British presence in the colonies, and he was the first to proclaim the Declaration of Independence in the state of Massachusetts. Furthermore, Thomas' research on the printing process and his subsequent library of titles formed the basis for what is now the American Antiquarian Society (AAS), one of the major organizations dedicated to book collectors and history enthusiasts alike. Arguably, Thomas' legacy can be seen in both the AAS and in the other organizations which have taken up the torch of championi... [more Isaiah Thomas and the American Antiquarian Society]