Happy First Amendment Day!  Today, UNC is offering readings from a variety of original editions of banned and censored books as part of their third annual First Amendment Day Celebrations.  The objective of the day is to celebrate the First Amendment and explore its impact on the lives of students. First Amendment Day: Banned and in the Rare Book Collection will commence with an exhibit of rare banned books at 5pm in the main lobby of the Wilson Special Collections Library and will be followed by readings in the Pleasants Family Assembly Room.  Readings will begin at 5:30pm and will include excerpts from the following works: The 1922 Egoist Press edition of James Joyce’s Ulysses, with annotations by attorney and UNC alumnus Mangum Weeks about the inability of the book to travel through the U.S. Postal Service; Walt Whitman’s 1855 Leaves of Grass; The First Circle by Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn, which was banned in the former Soviet Union; The censored biography of Thomas Becket from a 1503 edition of The Golden Legend; An entry from Diderot and D’Alembert’s eighteenth-century publishing landmark, the Encyclopédie. Banned and Rare Readings To Mark First Amendement Day, Sept. 27 [more UNC Celebrates First Amendment Day with "Banned and in the Rare Book Collection" Event]

These items were still reported missing as of May 30, 2019. The following photographs have been reported missing: LONDON, JACK. Two Original Black & White Photographs of Jack London. N.p.: n.p., n.d. (c.1899). The photographs are affixed to a page of a photo album, one to each side. The first photograph, 4" x 6", is a sweet image of London with his wife and a friend. London is lying in the grass, propped up on one elbow and wearing knickers and a cap, the women pose being him with their dogs. There is white pencil writing next to the image: "College Park-San Jose-1899, Mother--Mabel Applegarth--Daddy", presumably by one of his daughters. About fine. On the verso is a 4" x 6 1/2" portrait of London wearing a hat. There is white pencil text on the album paper: "Daddy, A Stetson Hat ?Ad". About fine. If you have any information on these items, please contact James Pepper Rare Books, Inc. at (805) 963-1025 or pepbooks@aol.com [more Missing: Two Original Black & White Photographs of Jack London]

UPDATE: The books have been recovered.   The following books were stolen during transport in England on July 22, 2011. 1. Ceruti, Benedetto & Chiocco, Andrea; CalceolarI ivn. Veronensis a Benedicto Cervto medico incaeptvm; et ab Andrea Chiocco med. physico excelltiss, collegii luculenter descriptum. Verona Angelus Tamus, 1622. Folio, pp. 46, 748, engraved title page, folded plate of the museum's enterior (a 19th century reproduction of original), 43 engraved plates in the text (8 of which are full page). In 19th century calf and marbled boards, gilt spine panels and titles. 2. Faujas de Saint-Fond, Barthelemy; Oeuvres de Bernard Palissy, revues sue les Exemplaires de la Bibliotheque du Roi aves des Notes. Paris, Chez Ruault, 1777. Quarto, pp. lxxvi, 734, errata. In recased contemporary calf, gilt spine label. corners and boards rubbed and worn, inner hinges re-enforced, light foxing to some text margins, rubber stamp on title page and verso of title page and last text page edge. 3. Agricola, Georgius; De Ortu & Causis Subterraneorum, lib. V. De Natura Eorum quae Effluunt ex terra lib. IIII. De Natura Fossilium lib. X. De Ueteribus & nouis Metallis lib. II. Bermannus, siue De re Metallica Dialogus. Interpretatio Germanica uocum rei Metallicae, addito Indice Foecundissimo. Basileae Per Hieronymum Frobenium et Nic. Episcopium, 1546. Folio, pp. 487 with, blank at page 82 followed by half title, another half title at 165, blank at 415, followed by half title, p... [more UPDATED: Books Stolen During Transport in England]

Last March, the trade lost a great bookseller and, sadly, now a great bookstore as well- Serendipity Books of Berkeley, CA has closed its doors after almost 50 years.  Today the NY Times posted a brief obituary for the store; click here to read. Serendipity Books, R.I.P. [more Obituary for Serendipity Books]

The following item was stolen after being recently acquired at auction: . Ingleby's Whole Art of Legerdemain, containing all the Tricks and Deceptions, (Never before published) as Performed by the Emperor of Conjurors, at the Minor Theatre, With Copious Explanations. Hand-colored frontispiece with robed wizard seated in library showing an open book. xxiv, 98 pages. 12mo, modern blue 3/4 morocco, with original black-lettered wrappers bound in. London: T. Hughes and C. Chaple, (1815). Overall good condition. MCL 543. **Prominently displayed within is a sticker reading "Milbourne Christopher Collection" or "Christopher Collection." If you have any information regarding this item, please contact ABAA Headquarters at hq@abaa.org or 212.944.8291 [more Stolen: Ingleby's Whole Art of Legerdemain]

The Long Island Museum presents: Photography and Genealogy with Ray Smith What’s in a Photograph? Sunday, September 18, 2011 • 2 p.m. ABAA member Ray Smith will be presenting a lecture and workshop on the interrelationship between photography and genealogy, and how research in both fields can compliment one another. Each program is different, depending on what audience members bring for examination. Students in the history of photographic portraiture are often confronted with the problem of identifying and dating portraits. Similarly, researchers in genealogy often have difficulty in attaching a picture to a subject while undertaking intense investigation into family history. The intent of the lecture / workshop is to to offer a bridge between the two fields by suggesting ways one can attach a name to a face (i.e., a photographic portrait), and vice versa, a face to a name. Bring your own family photographs and albums to share! Discussion will include: • Types of 19th century photographs • Analyzing old photos • Guide to collecting photographs • Identifying people in your photographs • Using photos to construct a family tree • Hands-on discussion of visitors’ photographs and albums 1200 Route 25A Stony Brook, NY (631) 751-0066 www.longislandmuseum.org Free with museum admission [more Member Event: Ray Smith on Photography & Genealogy]

The LA Times has a piece online about the top bibliophilic spots in New York City.  Please click here to read.  A glaring omission made in the article is that if you are planning your bookish journey in April, the NY Antiquarian Book Fair is a must!  (The 2012 Fair runs from April 12-April 15 and will be held at the Park Avenue Armory.) NYC is full of literary landmarks, and there are lots located in my neighborhood downtown.  Petes Tavern in Irving Place immediately comes to mind; its where O. Henry used to hang out reportedly penned The Gift of the Magi there.  Edith Wharton and Henry James both lived alongside Washington Square.  Mark Twain had a townhouse on West 10th Street where he liked to throw lavish parties.  Emma Lazarus (author of the poem The New Collosus, which is inscribed on the Statue of LibertyGive me you tired, your hungry, your poor&) lived nearby on West 10th.  These are just a few that pop into my mind.  Can anyone think of other locations or events the LA Times left out?  I bet we could compile quite a guide! New York Citys spots for book lovers [more NYC Spots for Books Lovers]

The September issue of Americana Exchange features an article on Vic Zoschaks (Tavistock Books) annual free workshop on bibliographic references.  Click here to read. Kudos to Vic for his generosity! Using Reference Works Can Help Enhance Value Tavistock Books [more Member in the News: Vic Zoschak]

Fine Books & Collections has a great interview with Norman Kane of The Americanist.  Please click here to read it. Congratulations, Norman! The Americanist [more Member in the News: Norman Kane]

Last week I posted a link to Lorne Bairs review of his experience as a faculty member for the 2011 Colorado Antiquarian Book Seminar.  This week we have a brief and lovely essay from Zhenya Dzhavgova, a young bookseller who was able to attend CABS because of a scholarship she received from the ABAAs Elisabeth Woodburn Fund. Enjoy! *************************** One of the Best Decisions I Have Ever Made by Zhenya Dzhavgova It is Saturday night and the time has finally come - in just a few hours I will be flying out to Colorado to attend the highly acclaimed Antiquarian Book Seminar. Thanks to the generous ABAA scholarship I have won I am able to avoid the hassle of navigating cabs and buses in Denver and get a commuter flight into Colorado Springs. A decision, which later makes me rethink its merits when the little jet starts shaking violently, or as our captain puts it: “And now, Dear Passengers, you are experiencing the slight effects of the lovely air currents we have flowing from the majestic Rockies.” The optimistically called CC Inn greets me with a bright and clean room, sans curtains or any other window cover, but with a lot of hangers, which I later find out other people do not have. I love it. Sunday night reception starts out a little hushed, until Kevin Johnson stands up and tells us he has a very important dress code announcement to make, which is that it is mandatory for each of us to wear at least a shirt and a pair of pants to lectures. The all-around gig... [more CABS from an Attendee's Perspective]