Yale University provides incredible online access to a number of introductory courses through the Yale Open Courses program. The goal of the program is to "expand access to educational materials for all who wish to learn." Course are free and offer virtual students a full set of class lectures and any other relevant materials. The course offerings are varied and cover a number of disciplines. I, as I suspect many readers of this blog would be, was particulariy interested in the English courses, which include Introduction to Theory of Literature, Milton, Modern Poetry, and The American Novel Since 1945. A class that caught my particular attention was Hemingway, Faulkner, Fitgerald, taught by Professor Wai Chee Dimock. The course examines major works by the three authors, "exploring their interconnections on three analytic scales: the macro history of the United States and the world; the formal and stylistic innovations of modernism; and the small details of sensory input and psychic life." I've included the course introduction after the jump. Kudos to Yale for offering this wonderful open learning experience to all! [more Yale Courses Available to the Public]

There's a great article in this morning's NY Times about Rare Book School, check it out! UPDATE: A companion piece in the NY Times Arts Blog about the Hinman Collator is also worth a read. Rare Book School [more NY Times Profiles Rare Book School]

ABAA members James Bryant of Carpe Diem Fine Books in Monterey, CA and Edward Nudelman of Nudelman Rare Books in Seattle, WA recently received some attention in the press. Carpe Diem was written about by Cynthia Haven of Stanford University who dubbed the shop "the best bookstore I've never seen", and Rebecca Rego Barry of Fine Books & Collections magazine profiled Ed Nudelman. Congrats to James and Ed! [more Members in the News: Carpe Diem Fine Books & Nudelman Rare Books]

UFA colour lithograph poster for 'Metropolis', Designer - Heinz Schulz-Neudamm, Berlin, 1927. Items from or pertaining to Metropolis, Fritz Lang's 1927 silent science-fiction tour de force, have a high collectible value; seven years ago an original movie poster for the film sold for $690,000. One can only imagine the excitement then that an antiquarian book firm experienced upon uncovering a 32 page program from the film's London premiere (and the added surprise of discovering it among their own inventory!). The film premiered at the Marble Arch Pavilion and the program was created especially for the event. The program is comprised of anecdotes about filming; photographs; firsthand accounts on the backstory of the movie, including the perspective of the director and his wife and colloborator, Thea von Harbou; and essays about the making of the film and themes it explores. (It sounds like the bits on the special effects in the film would make for quite an interesting read on their own.) Peter Harrington, the London firm that rediscovered and currently has the program, said that only three surviving copies are known to exist. Click here to view the complete booklet. A few interesting facts about the film: More than 37,000 extras were used in the film, including 1,100 bald men (The 'Tower of Babel' scene required 6,000 bald men, but since they could only hire 1,000, the bald extras had to be filmed six times to create the illusion.) The film took 2 years to shoot and is one of ... [more 'Metropolis' Program from Film's 1927 London Premiere Unearthed]

Hunter S. Thompson In a nod to Independence Day, and the summertime, here's a gallery of some literary greats in their bathing suits. (At the moment I am wishing I was Hunter S. Thompson enjoying the beach rather than stewing in my apartment&) Enjoy the fireworks! [more Happy Fourth of July!]

A reminder to register for the upcoming Booksellers' Seminar in Seattle, which will take place Thursday, June 28 from 9am to 4pm at the Seattle Public Library. The event is sponsored by the Pacific Northwest Chapter of the ABAA and will feature lectures on reference sources for researching rare books, rare book photography, how to maintain control over your digital assets, and the importance of social media for rare booksellers. There will be a question and answer session for attendees, and the day will end with a small reception. The event is free but space is limited and pre-registration is required. Please click here for more detailed information. To register, please contact Priscilla Anne Lowry at (360) 221-0477 or rarebooks@lowryjames.com. I attended a similar seminar last fall and can assure you that the speakers are fantastic and will impart a wealth of information, so be sure to take advantage and reserve a spot today! [more Reminder: Booksellers' Seminar in Seattle 6/28]

The ABAA's Pacific Northwest Chapter is pleased to announce that it will be sponsoring a Rare Booksellers' Seminar on Digital Tools and Tricks for the Bookselling Trade. The seminar will be held in Seattle on Thursday, June 28 from 9am-4pm. ABAA members and booksellers in the Pacific Northwest region are invited to attend this free event, but space is limited and pre-registration is required. Digital Tools and Tricks for the Bookselling Trade Featuring via Skype: * Joel Silver, Associate Director and Curator of Books, The Lilly Library, Indiana University: My Favorite Reference Sources for Researching Rare Books * Dan Gregory from Between the Covers Rare Books: Rare Book Photography for the Busy Book Professional * Luke Lozier, from Bibliopolis: Don't Trust the Cloud: Maintaining Control over your Digital Assets * Joachim Koch, from Books Tell You Why: The Ins/Outs and Importance of Social Media for the Rare Bookseller: Twitter, Blogs, Facebook, et al. Thursday, June 28th: 9am to 4 pm Reception courtesy of the PNW Chapter to follow. Seattle Public Library, Level 4, Conference Room 2 (also known as the Howard S. Wright Family and Janet W. Ketchum Conference Room) For directions and parking information: http://www.spl.org/locations/central-library/cen-getting-there-and-parking To register for the seminar, please contact Priscilla Lowry-Gregor at rarebooks@lowryjames.com. Remember, space is limited, so register now! [more Seattle Rare Booksellers' Seminar, 6/28/12]

Member Bob Topp of Hermitage Book Shop was recently named a 7Everyday Hero by ABC Denver for his volunteer work with children. For the past eighteen years, Bob has been visiting Bergen Valley Elementary School to read to children, grades 3-5. He began volunteering when his own children attended the school, but he enjoyed encouraging children to read so much that he continues to do so to this day. "I cannot describe it," Bob says. "Everybody says how much the kids enjoy it. It doesn't hold a candle to how much I enjoy it." The children Bob reads to are equally delighted by his visits. "A lot of schools don't get it, so we're really cool that we get him to come to our school," says Lily Urban, 3rd grade. "When he reads a story he always picks out a book almost as if he has a kid's mind." Congratulations on the award, Bob, and thank you for inspiring future generations of readers! Volunteer Shares Love Of Books In The Classroom [more Member in the News: Bob Topp, Hermitage Book Shop]

Looking for exciting opportunities this summer? Apply for a scholarship to Rare Book School from the Elisabeth Woodburn Fund! Scholarships are open to full and associate members of the ABAA and employees of members. Applicants for the scholarship should submit an essay of not more than 500 words describing how attending RBS would benefit them as booksellers, what courses each applicant finds particularly appealing in relation to his or her specialties, and why he or she deserves a scholarship. Please submit your application by March 31, 2012 to hq@abaa.org. Recipients will be notified by the second week of April. For information about Rare Book School, including additional scholarship opportunities, course schedules and accommodations, please visit http://www.rarebookschool.org/. Please be advised that final class rosters are determined by the instructors. [more Exciting Opportunity: Rare Book School Scholarship]

Every four years the International League of Antiquarian Booksellers (ILAB) awards the $10,000 Breslauer Prize for Bibliography to the author(s) of the most original and outstanding work on the history of the book. From the ILAB website: Its purpose is to draw attention to the best academic work being done in the field, to reward and honor it in appropriate terms, and to publicize the League's support for the original scholarship on which the book trade so much depends. The first ILAB Prize for Bibliography was awarded in 1967 to Jean Peeters-Fontainas, followed by famous scholars like Claus Nissen, Wytze Hellinga, I. C. Koeman, Francois Weil, Gerhard Dünnhaupt, Anthony Hobson, and Lucas Heinrich Wüthrich. The next prizewinner will be announced in 2014, and submissions of bibliographies or books about books will be accepted until April 2013. They may be written in any language, but must be have been published between 2009 and 2012. You may submit your work by sending a single copy to the Prize Secretary Arnoud Gerits (Distelvlinderweg 37 d, 1113 LA Diemen, Netherlands). Any aspect of bibliography (e.g. enumerative, textual, history of the book, design, binding, book trade, etc.) is admitted. Manuscripts, catalogues of books intended for sale and translations of works appearing in another language are not eligible. Any book submitted to the Prize must be a published book and available for sale. For more information, including current submissions, visit the official website w... [more $10,000 Prize for ILAB Breslauer Prize for Bibliography]