The ABAA is now accepting entries for the 2013 National Collegiate Book Collecting Contest. To apply, please visit the following link: apply.abaa.org. The deadline for submissions is May 31, 2013. Please pass along this information to any interested parties! [more 2013 National Collegiate Book Collecting Contest]

The following item has been reported stolen: Title : A View of the Harbour Authors : Taylor (Elizabeth) Date of publication : 1947 Publisher : Davies, London Description : Original dark blue cloth, lightly faded backstrip lettered in white, free endpapers browned, crease to rear pastedown. The front free endpaper is inscribed by the author ‘To my old enemy, Norman, with love from Elizabeth Taylor 1947. “I strove with none, for none was worthy of my strife; Reason I loved, and, next to Reason, Doubt; I warmed both hands before the fire of life; and put it out.” E.M.Forster after Landor’ If you have any information on this item, please contact Blackwell's Rare Books at rarebooks@blackwell.co.uk or 01865333555. [more Stolen: 'A View of the Harbour' (1947)]

If you're in town for the NY Book Fair, ABAA member Jeremy Norman currently has an exhibition on display at the Grolier Club. "A Count With Taste, and Sticky Fingers" surveys the life and infamous career of Count Guglielmo Libri, "one of the most audacious book thieves in history." (You can read a NY Times review of the exhibition at the link.) It will be on display until May 25 in the second floor gallery. [more Jeremy Norman's Exhibition on Count Guglielmo Libri at the Grolier Club]

Booksellers setting up this morning We are only a day away from opening night of the NY Antiquarian Book Fair, an event not to be missed by anyone who has a passion. You're probably thinking: You forgot to finish your sentence; surely you mean a passion for books. No, you read it correctly the first time. ABAA book fairs offer a chance to purchase a piece of history and every field is represented. Everyone can find something fascinating at the shows, no matter what their passion or interest may bejust take a look at the drop-down list of specializations on our member search page to get an idea of the breadth of fields our sellers deal in. What's more, it may be called a book fair, but there is much more on the show floor than booksmanuscripts, prints, maps, ephemera, sketches, letters, photographs&almost anything you can think of. As I posted last year, ABAA fairs are truly living, breathing museums and they give you the unique opportunity to take home part of the exhibit. (Read last year's post after the jump.) Just writing and thinking about the fair has gotten my adrenaline pumpingI can't wait to get to the Armory! I hope to see you there. New York Antiquarian Book Fair April 11-14 Park Avenue Armory @ 67th Street Thursday Preview: 5pm-9pm Friday: Noon-8pm Saturday: Noon-7pm Sunday: Noon-5pm Events: Book Collecting 101, Saturday at 1pm Discovery Day, Noon-3pm *** Why Visit an Antiquarian Book Fair? For many readers of this blog, the answer is obvious, but based on the r... [more The Best Book Fair of the Year]

ABAA member Greg Gibson, proprietor of Ten Pound Island Book Company, has just released his latest book, a noir crime novel entitled The Old Turk's Load . The story takes place in 1967 Manhattan and the lives of the colorful cast of characters is entwined by a $5 million herion shipment that goes awry. I have yet to read the book myself, but it has already garnered critical praise. From the New York Journal of Books: "...character descriptions that shine like pistols in sentences that burst like bullets&The Old Turk's Load is probably the fastest neo-noir read on the crime novel shelves. Exquistely hard boiled, this crime novel is the perfect beach read for those matured on Tantantino and Spillane." Greg has authored several other books Gone Boy, Demon of the Waters, and Hubert's Freaksand has a great blog about his involvement in the antiquarian book trade, The Bookman's Log. (Check out recent entries in his blog that relate to The Old Turk's Load.) Greg will be exhibiting at the New York Antiquarian Book Fair this weekend and will be signing copies of his new novel, with all profits going to the ABAA's Benevolent Fund. Stop by Booth D23 and get your copy! I know I will. [more Greg Gibson's New Novel, 'The Old Turk's Load']

It was announced in March that Joel Silver was appointed as Director of one of the country's foremost rare book libraries, Indiana University's Lilly Library. The Lilly Library houses over 400,000 rare books, 150,000 pieces of sheet music, and 7.5 million manuscripts. Some of the highlights include the New Testament of the Gutenberg Bible; the first printed edition of Canterbury Tales; George Washington's letter accepting the presidency; and the personal papers of Orson Welles and Sylvia Plath. Silver has been with the Lilly Library since 1983, working in a number of different capacities: operations manager, curator of books, associate director to former Lilly director Breon Mitchell, and interim director for two independent appointments. He is also an adjunct associate professor and director of the special collections specialization in the IU School of Library and Information Science and an adjunct faculty member in the Department of English. Silver has also published a great number of articles, books, and exhibition catalogs; he lectures at and leads rare books seminars; and he has curated exhibitions at the Lilly Library. His most recent book, Dr. Rosenbach and Mr. Lilly: Book Collecting in a Golden Age, was published by Oak Knoll Press, which is owned and operated by ABAA member Robert D. Fleck. "I'm honored to have the opportunity to serve as the director of the Lilly Library, one of the greatest repositories of rare books and manuscripts in the world," Silver said. "Th... [more Joel Silver Appointed Director of Lilly Library]

A friend clued us in to this blog post on Flavorwire. The giggly, gleeful Ginsberg at age 16 is especially charming. Photos [more Famous authors as teenagers]

This item has been recovered as of 5/24/2019. The following item has been reported stolen: Title : The Federalist: A Collection of Essays, Written in Favour of the New Constitution, as Agreed Upon by the Federal Convention, September 17, 1787. In Two Volumes. Authors : HAMILTON, Alexander, James Madison & John Jay. Date of publication : 1788 Publisher : J. and A. McLean,, New York Description : 2 volumes octavo. Volume I measuring 168 × 115 mm, volume II 185 × 110 mm. Uncut in the original publisher's boards, volume numbers stamped to spines. Housed in a custom blue morocco-backed solander case. Somewhat rubbed, chipping at the spines, some stripping from the lower board of volume I, and light pen trials to the upper board of volume II; joints cracking, repaired; volume I slightly browned and spotted, small pieces torn from the fore-margins of pp157-8, pp221-2, gathering R a little crumpled in the head margin, a binding fault, text creased but no loss; some pencilled marginalia and notes to the rear free endpaper; ink-stamp removed from the title page of volume II, otherwise lightly toned, but clean and largely unopened. If you have any information on this item, please contact Pom Harrington at pom@peterharrington.co.uk or +44 (0)20 7591 0220. [more Stolen: The Federalist: A Collection of Essays, Written in Favour of the New Constitution, as Agreed]

This item is still missing as of 5/28/2019. Rollins, William (Jr.). The Shadow Before. Robert M. McBride & Company, New York, 1934. 389 pp. Original black cloth, orange backing to black text, orange top page ridge. Inscribed & signed first edition. Association copy -- signed by author, inscribed 'For Dorothy Waterman (?) who helped give this book a shove, Bill Rollins, March 21, 1934'. Lacks jacket. Boards a bit rubbed, front hinge weak, light cup ring mark on front cover. If you have any information on this item, please contact Jonathan Smalter at (585) 265-9295 or yesterdays.muse@gmail.com [more Stolen: "The Shadow Before", Signed & Inscribed]

Today, the Antiquarian Booksellers' Association of America joined with the Authors Guild, the American Association of Publishers, and other organizations, objecting to the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN's) plan to sell top-level domains to private companies. Online retail giant Amazon has bid to be the exclusive custodian of .book, .author and .read domains. ABAA President John Thomson called the move “anti-competitive” and a threat to the small businesses that make up the Association. “We count on there being a fair and level playing field for all,” Thomson said. “Amazon's actions are like the 800-pound gorilla, using their muscle to try to monopolize a marketplace." The ABAA is the largest and oldest association of antiquarian booksellers in the U.S., representing more than 450 member firms across the nation. The mission of the ABAA is to promote ethical standards and professionalism in the antiquarian book trade. As antiquarian booksellers, we strive to preserve, protect and bring the past to light. So let's look to our history and reflect on the wrongs corrected by The Sherman Antitrust Act of 1890, which was passed to prevent market domination by a single entity, ensure a level playing field and equal access to free markets. Please consider doing one or all of the following: Send your own letter to ICANN objecting to Amazon's application Although the comment period online officially closed in September, you can still submit comments ... [more Amazon's Bid to Control Top-Level Domain Names]