Q & A with Robert Darnton on the Proposed Digital Public Library of America

By Susan Benne

Click here to read a Q & A with Robert Darnton, a cultural historian and the Director of Harvard University's library system, on the proposed Digital Public Library of America. Mr. Darnton made one comment in particular that speaks to worried murmurs in rare book trade: One thing we have learned from the new discipline known as “the history of the book” is that one means of communication does not displace another. Manuscript publishing actually expanded after the invention of printing by movable type, and it continued to flourish for three centuries after Gutenberg. Instead of lamenting “the death of the book,” I believe we should celebrate new possibilities of combining the printed codex with electronic technology … .The information ecology is getting richer, not thinner. Thoughts? A bookshelf the size of the world [more Q & A with Robert Darnton on the Proposed Digital Public Library of America]



Member in the News: Michael Hollander

By Susan Benne

The Hamilton Library at the University of Hawaii at Manoa is very grateful to Michael Hollander for the recovery of 218 booksand for alerting the Library of the books' absence in the first place. Michael was contacted by someone in Hawaii who was offering over 200 books for sale. The books were from the mid-1800s to the early 20th century and their total estimated value is between $50,000 to $100,000. Upon receiving six books to examine, Michael noted that they were all stamped as property of the University of Hawaii and had UH bar codes, and he immediately contacted the Hamilton Library to confirm that they were indeed offering these volumes for sale. Associate librarian Alan Grosenheider was alarmed by the call because the UH " sell books like other libraries." An internal investigation began and librarians discovered that the books were indeed missing from their shelves. Michael provided police with the seller's return address, and they in run raided a Waikiki apartment and recovered all the books. Police arrested and charged a former student of UH at Manoa with the thefts. Kudos to Michael for doing his due diligence and making the ABAA proud! Alert collector helps UH retrieve stolen rare books [more Member in the News: Michael Hollander]



An Open Letter to Dealers in the Collectibles Trades: Seeking Additional Information on John Gilkey

By Susan Benne

Open Letter to Dealers in the Collectibles Trades: Earlier this month convicted fraudster and thief John Charles Gilkey of California was arrested for a parole violation stemming from a series of incidents in San Francisco late last year. Now that he has been re-apprehended, he will be brought up again on charges either later this month or next in San Francisco. A career criminal, Mr. Gilkey has a long record of defrauding rare book and autograph dealers and dealers in other collectibles, with the use of stolen credit card numbers or with bad checks. His first arrest goes back more than a decade to the 1990s when he was brought up on charges for passing bad checks. He was arrested and jailed for credit card fraud in 2003, then released on parole less than two years later. In autumn 2010 he was arrested again after threatening to burn down a San Francisco print gallery after the manager declined a sale. Mr. Gilkey posted a bail bond for $75,000.00 and subsequently disappeared. There is ample evidence that between last November and his arrest earlier this month, John Charles Gilkey continued to defraud a number of dealers in collectibles, including a Maryland comic book dealer. San Francisco Police have asked members of the collectibles trades to please forward to them any new information concerning fraudulent activity by Mr. Gilkey. His new bail and eventual sentencing largely will be influenced by the number of new crimes that can proved he has committed since he skipped bail... [more An Open Letter to Dealers in the Collectibles Trades: Seeking Additional Information on John Gilkey]



Slide Show: Mark Twain’s ‘Advice to Little Girls’ by Vladimir Radunsky

By Susan Benne

Vladimir Radunsky is an author and illustrator of children's books, and has created illustrations for Mark Twain's Advice to Little Girls, a story originally published in The 30,000 Dollar Bequest and Other Stories. Of Twain's writing, Radunsky says, "He did not squat down to be heard and understood by children, but asked them to stand on their tiptoes—to absorb the kind of language and humor suitable for adults." Please click here to view the slideshow and Radunsky's accompanying post. Slide Show: Mark Twain's 'Advice to Little Girls' by Vladimir Radunsky [more Slide Show: Mark Twain’s ‘Advice to Little Girls’ by Vladimir Radunsky]



"Multiple, Limited, Unique: Selections from the Permanent Collection of the Center for Book Art

By Susan Benne

Over the past three years, the Center for Book Arts in New York City undertook a collections initiative spearheaded by executive director Alexander Campos. The goal of this initiative was to "organize, rehouse, catalogue and digitize" the work of books artists who have trained, exhibited or worked at the CBA over the past four decades. The results of this project will be displayed at the CBA in an exhibition entitled Multiple, Limited, Unique: Selections from the Permanent Collection of the Center for Book Arts, and will run through September 10. The exhibition will then travel to the Savannah College of Arts and Design (Fall 2011), Minnesota Center for Book Arts (Winter 2012), Museum of Printing History (Spring/Summer 2012), Lafayette College (Fall 2012), and the Book Club of California (Winter 2013). To view the CBA's online collections database, please click here. Collecting at the Center for Book Arts [more "Multiple, Limited, Unique: Selections from the Permanent Collection of the Center for Book Art]



Two Rare Historical Items Stolen in Manhattan

By Susan Benne

The following items were stolen in Manhattan.  If you have any information pertaining to these items, please contact ABAA Headquarters at 212-944-8291 or hq@abaa.org. Coronation Program for Alexander III of Russia.  Large, elephant folio in black morocco, elaborate Victorian pressing with white silk endpapers.  Belonged to Grand Duchess Olga (sister of Nicholas II).  Believed to be the only copy in circulation. Engravings of St Petersburg in honor of Alexander I.  Large, elephant folio bound in paper.  Mint condition.  A gift from several noble families to Alexander I; dedication to Alexander I included as well as a list of private subscribers in the back. [more Two Rare Historical Items Stolen in Manhattan]



UPDATED: Several Books Stolen in West Springfield, MA Area

By Susan Benne

UPDATE: These items were recovered. The following books were stolen in West Springfield, MA. If you have any information regarding any of these titles, please contact Leslie Arthur at 203.789.8081 or leslie_arthur@reeseco.com. 1. AUTHOR: Aiken, Conrad: TITLE: PRIAPUS AND THE POOL AND OTHER POEMS. PLACE: New York: PUBLISHER: Boni & Liveright, DATE: 1925. DESCRIPTION: Cloth, paper spine label. First edition. Inscribed and signed by the author in 1934. Fine in faintly edgeworn dust jacket with a trace of sunning. 2. AUTHOR Lowell, Robert: TITLE: LAND OF UNLIKENESS. PLACE: Cummington]: PUBLISHER: The Cummington Press, DATE: 1944. DESCRIPTION: Pale blue printed boards, lettered in red. Woodcut by Gustav Wolf. Extremities of boards and spine sunned and occasionally rubbed, early ink name on endsheet, along with a clipped press photo of Lowell, four line gloss (in ink) in upper margin of opening page of "Cistercians in Germany," else a good, sound copy. ABSTRCT: First edition of the author's first book, with an introduction by Allen Tate. One of 224 copies, in addition to 26 numbered, signed copies. A key book of 20th century American poetry. 3. AUTHOR: Shapiro, Karl: TITLE: POEMS. PLACE: Baltimore: PUBLISHER: Published by the Author], DATE: 1935. DESCRIPTION: Plum cloth, spine lettered in gilt. Endsheets tanned at gutters, head and toe of spine a bit rubbed, a few marks to cloth, about very good. ABSTRCT: First edition of the poet's first book, issued in an edition of only two hund... [more UPDATED: Several Books Stolen in West Springfield, MA Area]