Book collecting
Book collectingis thecollectingofbooks,including seeking, locating, acquiring, organizing, cataloging, displaying, storing, and maintaining whatever books are of interest to a given collector. The love of books isbibliophilia,and someone who loves to read, admire, and a person who collects books is often called abibliophilebut can also be known as anbibliolater,meaning being overly devoted to books, or abookmanwhich is another term for a person who has a love of books.
Book collecting can be easy and inexpensive: there are millions of new and used books which are available in brick and mortarbookstoresas well as online bookstores. Large book sellers includeAbeBooks,Alibris,Amazon,andBiblio,and there are independent booksellers that can be found online by searching key words such as: books, books for sale, bookseller, bookstore, rare books, collectibles, etc.
Books traditionally were only printed on paper and then pages were bound together; however, in the past decade or so, books are also available in audio format through websites such as Audible, Google Audiobooks, Librivox, Kobo Audiobooks, and Downpour. Users of these sites can purchase a large library of books that they can access at any time using a phone, tablet, or computer. Just like hard copy books, audio books can be accumulated over many years.[1]
Wealthy book collectors pursue rarities such as theGutenberg Bibleand Shakespeare'sFirst Folio,books which are both famous and extremely valuable. Collectors of lesser means may collect works by a favorite author,first editionsof modern authors, or books of a certain genre. Book prices generally depend on thedemandfor a given edition which is based on factors such as the number of copies available, the book's condition, and if they were signed by the author (and/or editor or illustrator, if applicable) or by a famous previous owner.[2]For example, a first edition “And To Think That I Saw It On Mulberry Street” can reach the price of $12,000 in the best condition. Some collectors join associations such as The Fine Press Book Association, which is aimed at collectors of modernfine printing.ThePrivate Libraries Associationalso covers modern fine printing, but is much more general in its outlook.
History
[edit]In the ancient world,papyriand scrolls (the precursors of the book incodexform) were collected by both institutions and private individuals. In surviving accounts there are references to bibliophile book collectors in that era.Xenophonwrote disparagingly of a man who tried to collect more books than his friends.[3]Seneca the Youngerwas skeptical of those who collect books they do not read,[3]asking: "What is the use of possessing numberless books and libraries, whose titles their owner can hardly read through in a lifetime?"[4]Book collectors in western antiquity prized accurate transcription and high-quality materials.[3]
In 1344 the English bishopRichard de BurywroteThe Philobiblon,in which he praised the love and appreciation of books.[5]Philip the Goodbrought together a collection of "about six hundred manuscripts in his possession at the height of his reign",[6]which was the largest private collection of his day.
With the advent of theprinting pressinvented byJohannes Gutenbergin the 15th century, which resulted in cheaper and more abundant books, and with the contemporaneous economic, social and political changes of theRenaissance,book collecting received a great impetus.Jean Grolier,the Treasurer-General of France, was an important bibliophile and book collector of this period.[7]Grolier owned a library of 3,000 volumes and was known for his love of the Latin classics and of richly decoratedbookbindings.He was a patron of theAldine Pressthat had been founded by the prominent Renaissance printer, typographer, editor and publisherAldus Manutius the Elder.
During theReformationmanymonasticlibraries were broken up, and their contents often destroyed. There was an Englishantiquarianreaction toHenry VIII'sdissolution of the monasteries.The commissioners ofEdward VIplundered and strippeduniversity,college,andmonasticlibraries; so to save books from being destroyed, those who could, such asArchbishop Matthew ParkerandSir Robert Cotton,began to collect them.
By the late 17th century, millions of printed books were in circulation and auctions devoted to books began to occur and printed catalogues devoted to books began to be issued by book dealers and by auction houses in Europe and America, leading to a growing popularity of book collecting with the increasingly literate public.
With the advent of theRomantic erain the 18th century and its focus on the past, book collectors began to show an interest in old books, antiquarian editions and manuscripts. This new emphasis was nourished by the flood of old books onto the market following the dissolution of monastic and aristocratic libraries during theFrench Revolutionand theNapoleonic Wars.[8]
The British Whig politicianGeorge John, 2nd Earl Spencer(1758-1834) collected tens of thousands of volumes. Strengths of his collection included first editions of the classics; works produced by important early presses, and notably an almost complete collection ofAldine editions;and many Bibles.[9]In 1812 he founded the bibliophilicRoxburghe Club.
Sir Thomas Phillipps(1792-1872) collected 40,000 printed books and 60,000 manuscripts.[10]He was "the greatest collector of manuscript material the world has ever known".[11]His zealous collecting efforts, which were termedbibliomaniabyThomas Frognall Dibdin,resulted in the preservation of much historical material, particularly manuscripts, that would otherwise have been destroyed.
The increasingly wealthy United States during the 19th century saw the appearance of "titan" book collectors such as the railroad magnateHenry Huntingtonand the financier and bankerJ. Pierpont Morgan.[12]
Well-known book collectors of the 20th century includedEric Quayle(children's books),Henry Wellcome(history of medicine) andMichael Sadleir(Victorian fiction).
Prices
[edit]Book prices generally depend on the demand for a given book, the number of copies available for purchase, and theconditionof a given copy. As with other collectibles, prices rise and fall with the popularity of a given author, title, or subject.
Because of the huge number of books for sale and the constantly changing marketplace of editions available, there is no single comprehensive price guide for collectible books. The prices of the copies listed for sale at the online bookseller sites provide some indication of their current market values.
TheRothschild Prayerbooksold for $13.6 million while theSt Cuthbert Gospelsold for $14.7 million. Both of these religious texts were sold in 2012. The Northumberland Bestiary sold for $20 million in 2007. The New Book of Tang sold for $17.1 million in 2018.William Shakespeare’sFirst Folio,printed in 1623, sold for $9.978 million in 2020. AnAction Comics#1 issue sold for a record $3.2 million in 2014 with a cover price of 10 cents.[13]
Condition
[edit]As with other collectibles, the value of a book ultimately depends on its physical condition. Years of handling, moving, and storage take their toll on thedust jacket,cover, pages, and binding. Books are subject to damage from sunlight, moisture, and insects. Acid from the paper making process can cause the pages to develop brown spots, calledfo xing;gradually turn brown, calledtanning;and ultimately crumble. Despite appearing in many films and other popular culture, wearing cotton gloves while handling old or rare books does not protect the book, and can increase the risk of inadvertent damage.[14]However, the theatrical effect of showing a rare book being handled with gloved hands may increase its selling price.[14]
Common defects include general wear; dust jacket or cover edge wear, scratches, and tears; the previous owner's written name,bookplate,or label; soil and stains;dogearedpages; underlining, highlighting, and marginalia; water damage; torn hinges,endpapersand pages; and pages, illustrations, or wholesignaturesfree of the binding, or missing entirely.
A book in good condition should be a rectangular solid when at rest, whether upright or on its back, with the covers at right angles to the spine. If a book is out of square, usually from resting crooked on a shelf, or leans to the right or left when on its back, it iscocked,orshelf-cocked.If the covers bend in or flare out, usually from rapid humidity changes, a book isbowed(bent like a drawnbow). Thick hardbound books also tend to have their pages sag downward in the middle even if they are sitting level on a shelf.
Sources
[edit]New books are readily available frombookstoresand online.
Out-of-print,used,antiquarian, rare and collectible books are available in specialty bookstores both in person and online. Large online booksellers such asAbebooks,Alibris,Amazon,andBiblio,list inventory from other stores and collectors (charging them a monthly fee and commission charges). Smaller online rare book stores can be found by doing a general search engine inquiry using keywords such as: rare books, collectible books, rare collectibles, out of print books for sales. Antique and collectible stores may have books for sale as well. Majorauction housesauction off rare and collectible books; some local auction houses sell rare books by the carton. Other sources can includeestate,yard,garage,orrummage sales;and charity fund-raisers.
Antiquarian book collecting
[edit]Antiquarian book collecting may be roughly defined as an interest in books printed prior to 1900 and can encompass interest in 19th, 18th, 17th, 16th, and 15th-century books. Antiquarian book collectors are not exclusively interested infirst editionsand first printings, although they can be. European books created before 1455 are all hand-written and are therefore one-of-a-kind historical artifacts in which the idea of "edition" and "printing" is irrelevant. Any book printed up to the year 1501 is known as anincunableor incunabulum. Such books command a premium and are particularly sought after by collectors interested in the history of printing.[15]There is also an interest among antiquarians for books beautifully made with fine bindings and high quality paper. For many books printed before about 1770, the first edition is not always obtainable, either because of price and/or availability. Later editions/printings from an era of interest are still often desirable to the antiquarian collector as they are also artifacts.
For example, a first edition ofParadise Lost(1667) byJohn Miltoncan fetch equivalent to adown paymenton a house. However, the first illustrated folio edition of 1688, technically a later edition, is worth a fraction of the first edition, but still fetches in the thousands of dollars as an illustrated book from the era in which Milton lived.
There were many editions ofAlexander Pope's translation ofThe IliadandThe Odyssey.The first edition of 1715-1720 is worth a small fortune whereas slightly later 18th-century editions are a lot less expensive but still garner premium prices. TheJohn Ogilby17th-century translations ofHomer'sThe IliadandThe Odysseygarner hefty prices, but not as much as the first edition of the Pope translation. This may be in part due to a significant number of copies of Ogilby's first edition that probably perished in theGreat Fire of Londonof 1666.
The first English movable-type printer wasCaxtonin the late 15th century. Editions of his books from the 15th century are very rare. Occasionally, 16th-century editions similar to Caxton's books appear among antiquarian book dealers and auctions, often fetching very high prices. The lastShakespeare First Folioof 1623 (first edition of the collected works ofWilliam Shakespeare) garnered a record-breaking $9,978,000 atChristie'sin October 2020.[16]Later 17th-century folios ofWilliam Shakespeare's works can still fetch about the price of a small house but are more readily available and relatively obtainable, whereas almost all extant copies of the First Folio are owned by libraries, museums or universities and thus are unlikely to appear on the market. For the antiquarian collector, how a particular book's production fits into a larger historical context can be as important as the edition, even if it may not be a first edition.
Also of interest are books previously owned by famous persons, or personages of high stature, such as someone from royalty or the nobility. Tracing the history of an antiquarian book's possession history, referred to as "provenance",can markedly affect the value of a copy, even if it is not desirableper se.For example, a copy of a less-important 18th-century book known to have been owned byVoltairewould achieve a value many times its stand-alone market value, simply because it was once in Voltaire's possession. Previous owners of books often signed their copies or labelled them withbookplates,and it is often not difficult to identify a prominent previous owner if the provenance is well documented. Books owned by well-known individuals that also have a connection with the author (often as a gift from the author with a written dedication to the recipient) are known asassociation copies.[17]
The American School Libraryis an example of a very rare multi-volume boxed set with works by many popular or famous authors. Apparently the only extant full set is owned by theSmithsonian Institution'sNational Museum of American History.[18][19]
Prominent book collectors
[edit]- John Roland Abbey
- John Quincy Adams
- Darren Ashcroft[20]
- Clifton Waller Barrett[21]
- Chester Beatty
- William Thomas Beckford
- Martin Bodmer
- The Book Club of Detroit
- John Carter Brown
- Boudewijn Büch
- Anthony Collins
- George Cosmatos
- Robert Bruce Cotton
- Jules Desnoyers
- Joseph W. Drexel
- Alexandre Dumas, père
- Umberto Eco
- John Evelyn
- DeCoursey Fales
- Ian Fleming[22]
- Henry Clay Folger
- R. B. Freeman
- George III
- Edward Gibbon
- Stephen Jay Gould
- Robert Harley, Earl of Oxford
- Rush Hawkins
- Richard Heber
- Henry II of France
- Harrison D. Horblit[23]
- Arthur A. Houghton Jr.[24]
- Henry E. Huntington
- Thomas Jefferson
- Jerome Kern
- Geoffrey Keynes
- John Maynard Keynes
- Aleksey Khludov
- George Frederick Kunz
- Mark Lanier
- Robert Lenkiewicz
- Wilmarth Sheldon Lewis
- Josiah K. Lilly Jr.
- Frederick Locker-Lampson
- Antonio Magliabechi
- Alberto Manguel
- H. Bradley Martin[25]
- Larry McMurtry
- Wolfgang Menzel
- Dewitt Miller
- David Scott Mitchell
- Michel de Montaigne
- J. Pierpont Morgan
- William Morris
- Christoph Gottlieb von Murr
- A. Edward Newton
- Friedrich Nietzsche
- Charles Nodier
- William Osler
- Samuel Pepys
- Charles Dyson Perrins
- Sir Thomas Phillipps
- Francis Place
- Abraham Rosenbach
- Lessing J. Rosenwald
- Ellen G. K. Ruben
- Joaquín Rubio y Muñoz
- Arturo Alfonso Schomburg
- Martin Schoyen
- John MacKay Shaw
- Frederick Skiff
- Adam Smith
- Walter W. Stone
- Thomas W. Streeter
- George Thomason
- Jay S. Walker
- Levinus Warner
- Andrew Dickson White
- John Griswold White
- Harry Elkins Widener
In China
[edit]The history of book collecting inChinadates back over two millennia. An important effort to collect books in China was made during the earlyHan dynastyby the government, as many important books wereburnedduring theQin dynasty.[26]From then on, book collecting began to flourish in China, particularly after the invention ofblock printingduring the earlyTang dynasty,with both imperial and private collections blooming throughout the country. However, the systematic study of book collecting began only during theQing dynasty.[27]
Terminology
[edit]- Cangshulou (Chinese:Tàng Thư Lâu"book collecting tower" ):library,such as the privateTianyi Chamber( Thiên Nhất Các ), the oldest existing library in China, or the imperialWenyuan Chamber( Văn Uyên Các ), where the works collected in theComplete Library of the Four Treasurieswere reposited
- Jinxiangben ( tráp bổn "headscarf box edition" ): ancient pocket edition
- Jiupingzhuang ( cũ đóng bìa mềm "oldpaperback") or Jiushu ( sách cũ" old books "): old books published after 1911, when the Qing dynasty was overthrown
- Maobianben ( mao biên bổn "hairy-side edition" ): uncut editions
- Songben ( Tống bổn "Song edition" ) or Songban ( Tống bản "Song edition" ): block printed books published during theSong dynasty,highly valued by collectors
- Xianzhuangshu ( đóng chỉ thư "thread-bound book" ): thread-bound books, usually referred to those published before 1911
Virtual book collecting
[edit]Virtual book collecting can be described as collecting books in a digital format (virtually) on a computer or other electronic device. A bibliophile may acquireebooksby downloading them or copying from borrowed media, such as CDs and DVDs. However, this may violatecopyrightlaw, depending on the license under which the ebook was released. Ebooks acquired fromProject Gutenbergand many similar free collections cause no violation as they have gone out of copyright, have been released under aCreative Commons license,or else are in the public domain.
See also
[edit]- Book
- The Book Collector
- Book Collectors Society of Australia
- Book design
- Bookbinding
- Bookplate
- Collectables
- Fellowship of American Bibliophilic Societies
- Imprint
- Manuscript
- Private library
- Tape trading
- Text (disambiguation)
References
[edit]- ^Parker, Jacob (3 February 2020)."The best audiobook sites 2020: easy listening anywhere".TechRadar.Archivedfrom the original on 2020-11-04.Retrieved2020-11-03.
- ^"Collecting, Identifying, and Valuing First Edition Dr. Seuss Books".1stedition.net.Archivedfrom the original on 2020-11-12.Retrieved2020-11-03.
- ^abcHolzenberg 2019,p. 816.
- ^Seneca,Aubrey Stewart, tr.,Of Peace of MindArchived2017-11-14 at theWayback Machine,London: George Bell and Sons, 1900 (Bohn's Classical Library Edition), Book X; republished on en.wikisource.org. Retrieved 14 November 2017.Of Peace of Mindis a translation of Seneca'sDe Tranquillitate Animi.
- ^Martin, S. S. (1986).Richard D'Aungerville de Bury, 1287-1345 (England, Bishop of Durham).Emory University. ProQuest Dissertations and Theses, p. 24.
- ^Leah Dobrinska,Philip the Good: Early Book Collector, Patron of the ArtsArchived2017-11-15 at theWayback Machine,bookstellyouwhy. Retrieved 15 November 2017.
- ^Gabriel Austin,The Library of Jean Grolier: A Preliminary CatalogueArchived2016-05-14 at theWayback Machine,New York: The Grolier Club, 1971, pp. 1-4.
- ^Owen Chadwick, "The Acton Library", in: Peter Fox, ed.,Cambridge University Library: The Great Collections,Cambridge University Press, 1998, p. 142.
- ^William Younger Fletcher,English Book Collectors,London: Kegan Paul, Trench, Trubner and Company, 1902 (The English Bookman's Library), pp. 309-312.
- ^Anon.Dictionary of National Biography.Vol. 45. pp. 192–195. .
- ^Seymour de Ricci,English Collectors of Books & Manuscripts (1530-1930) and Their Marks of Ownership. The Sandars Lectures 1929-1930,Cambridge University Press, 1930; reprinted Indiana University Press, 1960, p. 119. Retrieved 13 March 2018.
- ^Stephen Ferguson,Collecting in 19th Century AmericaArchived2020-07-27 at theWayback Machine,princeton.edu. Retrieved 13 March 2018.
- ^Gonzalez, Eileen (2019-12-09)."Grab Your Wallet, Here Are the Most Expensive Books Ever Sold".BOOK RIOT.Archivedfrom the original on 2021-07-24.Retrieved2020-11-03.
- ^abSchuessler, Jennifer (2023-03-09)."For Rare Book Librarians, It's Gloves Off. Seriously".The New York Times.ISSN0362-4331.Archivedfrom the original on 2023-03-12.Retrieved2023-03-13.
- ^"Collecting Guide: Incunabula".Christie's. 2021.Archivedfrom the original on 27 April 2022.Retrieved27 April2022.
- ^"William Shakespeare's 'First Folio' Sells for $9,978,000 and Sets World Auction Record for Any Work of Literature at Christie's".Christie's. 2020.Archivedfrom the original on 27 April 2022.Retrieved27 April2022.
- ^"Association Copies".AbeBooks Inc. Archived fromthe originalon 1 September 2013.Retrieved13 August2013.
- ^"The American School Library".Harper & Brothers. 1839.Retrieved7 November2017.
- ^Hamel], Michael Olmert; [introduction by Christopher de (1992).The Smithsonian book of books(1. ed.). Washington, D.C.: Smithsonian Books.ISBN0-89599-030-X.
{{cite book}}
:CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ^"Lancashire Evening Post Darren Ashcroft".October 7, 2011.Archivedfrom the original on March 4, 2016.RetrievedApril 24,2015.
- ^"The Clifton Waller Barrett Library of American Literature".University of Virginia Library. Archived fromthe originalon July 26, 2010.RetrievedApril 11,2010.
- ^Twentieth Century Book Collectors and Bibliographers.ISBN0-7876-3072-1.DLB Vol 201 p.81-88
- ^Basbanes, Nicholas A. (1999).A Gentle Madness: Bibliophiles, Bibliomanes, and the Eternal Passion for Books.New York: Henry Holt. p. 461.ISBN9780805061765.RetrievedApril 11,2010.
- ^"Houghton Library: History".Harvard College Library. c. 2010. Archived fromthe originalon June 26, 2010.RetrievedApril 11,2010.
- ^Reif, Rita (December 21, 1988)."Library of 10,000 Rarities To Be Sold at Sotheby's".The New York Times.Archivedfrom the original on May 16, 2013.RetrievedApril 11,2010.
- ^"The First Emperor of China Destroys Most Records of the Past Along with 460, or More, Scholars".History of Information.Archived fromthe originalon May 24, 2021.RetrievedOctober 17,2022.
- ^Hoh, Anchi (February 15, 2022)."Exploring Rare Manchu Books at the Library of Congress".Library of Congress.Archived fromthe originalon February 19, 2022.RetrievedOctober 17,2022.
Works cited
[edit]- Holzenberg, Eric J. (2019-09-16). "Book Collecting". In Eliot, Simon; Rose, Jonathan (eds.).A Companion to the History of the Book.Wiley.pp. 815–826.doi:10.1002/9781119018193.ch54.ISBN978-1-119-01817-9.S2CID243289082.
Further reading
[edit]- Ahearn, Allen and Patricia.Book Collecting: A Comprehensive Guide.New York: Putnam, 1995.ISBN0-399-14049-2.
- Ahearn, Allen and Patricia.Collected Books: The Guide to Values.New York: Putnam, 2001.ISBN0-399-14781-0.
- American Book Prices Current(annual, 1894/1895 onwards)
- Bernard, Philippa, Leo Bernard and Angus O'Neill, eds.Antiquarian Books: A Companion for Booksellers, Librarians and Collectors.Aldershot, Hants., Scolar Press, 1994.
- Brown, James Duff.The Small Library: A Guide to the Collection and Care of Books.London & New York: Routledge, 1907.
- Carter, John.ABC for Book Collectors.8th ed. edited by Nicolas Barker. New Castle, DE: Oak Knoll; London: British Library, 2004.ISBN0-7123-4822-0(British Library),ISBN1-58456-112-2(Oak Knoll).(a classic, first published in 1952).
- Carter, John.New Paths in Book-Collecting: Essays by Various Hands.London: Constable & Co.; New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1934; reprinted Freeport, N.Y.: Books for Libraries, 1967.
- Carter, John.Taste and Technique in Book-collecting, with an Epilogue.Pinner, Middlesex:Private Libraries Association,1970 (The Sandars Lectures in Bibliography, 1947).ISBN0-900002-30-1.
- Cella, Bernhard.Collecting Books: A selection of recent Art and Artists' Books produced in Austria
- Chidley, John.Discovering Book Collecting.Shire Publications, 1982; 2nd ed., 2004.
- Connolly, Joseph.Collecting Modern First Editions(1977).
- Franklin, Ralph. 1974. “Conjectures on Rarity.”Library Quarterly44 (October): 309–21.
- Greenfield, Jane.The Care of Fine Books.New York: Lyons & Burford, 1988.ISBN1-55821-003-2.
- W. C. Hazlitt:The Book Collector: A general survey of the pursuit and of those who have engaged in it at home and abroad from the earliest period to the present....London: J. Grant, 1904 (published over a century ago, but still worth dipping into).
- Hofer, Philip, Ray Nash, Harold Hugo, and Roderick Stinehour. 1968.Philip Hofer as author and publisher.[Cambridge, Mass.]: Harvard College Library, Department of Printing & Graphic Arts.
- Jensen, Kristian.Revolution and the Antiquarian Book: Reshaping the Past, 1780-1815.Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2011.ISBN1107000513.
- McBride, Bill.Book Collecting for Fun and Profit.Hartford, CT: McBride/Publisher, 1997.ISBN0-930313-05-4.
- McBride, Bill.A Pocket Guide to the Identification of First Editions.Sixth ed. Hartford, CT: McBride/Publisher, 2000.ISBN0-930313-06-2.
- McBride, Bill.Points of Issue.Third ed. [Hartford, CT]: McBride/Publisher, 1996.ISBN0-930313-04-6.
- McKitterick, David.The Invention of Rare Books: Private Interest and Public Memory, 1600-1840.Cambridge, United Kingdom: Cambridge University Press. 2018.
- Miller, Stephen.Book Collecting: A Guide to Antiquarian and Secondhand Books.Royston, Hertfordshire, Provincial Book Fairs Association, 1994.
- Peters, Jean (Editor).Book Collecting: A Modern Guide.New York and London: R.R. Bowker and Company, 1977.ISBN0-8352-0985-7.
- Peters, Jean, ed.Collectible Books: Some New Paths.New York and London: R. R. Bowker, 1979.ISBN0835211541.
- Quayle, Eric.A Collector's Book of Books.New York: Clarkson N. Potter, Inc., 1971; London: Studio Vista, 1971.
- Rees-Mogg, William.How to Buy Rare Books: A Practical Guide to the Antiquarian Book Market.Oxford: Phaidon, 1985 (Christie's collectors guides)ISBN0-7148-8019-1.
- Rota, Anthony.Apart from the Text.Pinner, Middlesex:Private Libraries Association,1998.ISBN1-884718-52-3.
- Rota, Anthony.Books in the Blood.Pinner, Middlesex:Private Libraries Association,2002.ISBN0-900002-96-4.
- Russell, R.B.Guide to First Edition Prices,Eighth Edition. North Yorkshire:Tartarus Press,2010.ISBN978-1-905784-24-0.
- Stitz, Charles (editor) (2010).Australian Book Collectors.Bendigo, Victoria: Bread Street Press.ISBN978-0-646-53340-7.
- Uden, Grant.Understanding Book-Collecting.Woodbridge, Antique Collectors' Club, 1988.
- Wilson, Robert A.Modern Book Collecting.New York: Lyons & Burford, 1992.ISBN1-55821-179-9.
- Zempel, Edward N. and Verkler, Linda (Editors).First Editions: A Guide to Identification.Fourth ed. Peoria, IL: The Spoon River Press, 2001.ISBN0-930358-18-X.
- Forbes article on book collecting by Finn-Olaf Jones, December 12, 2005.
For more modern accounts, see the series of books on book-collectors, book-collecting and "bibliomania" byNicholas A. Basbanes:
- A Gentle Madness: Bibliophiles, Bibliomanes, and the Eternal Passion for Books.New York: Holt, 1999.ISBN0-8050-6176-2.
- Patience & Fortitude: A Roving Chronicle of Book People, Book Places, and Book Culture.New York: HarperCollins, 2001.ISBN0-06-019695-5.
- Among the Gently Mad: Perspectives and Strategies for the Book Hunter in the 21st Century.New York: Holt, 2002.ISBN0-8050-5159-7.
- A Splendor of Letters: The Permanence of Books in an Impermanent World.New York: HarperCollins, 2003.ISBN0-06-008287-9.
- Every Book Its Reader: The Power of the Printed Word to Stir the World.New York: HarperCollins, 2005.ISBN0-06-059323-7.
Follow husband and wife team Lawrence & Nancy Goldstone as they search for rare and collectible volumes, and explore real mysteries in the rare-book world, in:
- Used And Rare: Travels In The Book World.New York: St. Martin's Press, 1997.ISBN0-312-15682-0.
- Slightly Chipped: Footnotes in Booklore.New York: St. Martin's Press, 1999.ISBN0-312-20587-2.
- Warmly Inscribed: The New England Forger and Other Book Tales.New York: St. Martin's Press, 2001.ISBN0-312-26268-X.
- Out of the Flames: The Remarkable Story of a Fearless Scholar, a Fatal Heresy, and One of the Rarest Books in the World.New York: Broadway, 2002.ISBN0-7679-0836-8.
- The Friar and the Cipher: Roger Bacon and the Unsolved Mystery of the Most Unusual Manuscript in the World.New York: Broadway, 2005.ISBN0-7679-1473-2.
For book collecting in China, see:
- (in Chinese)Phó toàn tông, tạ chước hoa chủ biên, 《 Trung Quốc tàng thư lịch sử tổng quát 》, ninh sóng: Ninh sóng nhà xuất bản, 2001.
- (in Chinese)Tiêu thụ an, 《 trung quốc tàng thư sử lời nói 》, Bắc Kinh: Thương vụ ấn thư quán, 1997.
- (in Chinese)Nhậm kế càng chủ biên, 《 Trung Quốc Tàng Thư Lâu 》, Thẩm Dương: Liêu Ninh nhân dân nhà xuất bản, 2001.
- (in Chinese)Hoàng yến sinh, 《 thiên lộc ngọc đẹp: Cổ đại tàng thư cùng Tàng Thư Lâu 》, Đài Bắc: Vạn cuốn lâu sách báo công ty hữu hạn, 2000.
- (in Chinese)Từ lăng chí chủ biên, 《 Trung Quốc lịch đại tàng thư sử 》, Nam Xương: Giang Tây nhân dân nhà xuất bản, 2004.
External links
[edit]- AbeBooks Feature ArchivesArticles on rare books and collecting, authors, publishers, interesting characters in literature, and notable anniversaries.
- Alcuin SocietyA voluntary association of people who care about the past, present and future of fine books (archived 16 October 2006)
- Antiquarian Booksellers Association of AmericaAn association of rare book sellers in the United States
- Australian and New Zealand Association of Antiquarian BooksellersArchived2005-06-14 at theWayback MachineThe official association of rare book sellers in Australia and New Zealand
- The Book CollectorJournal founded in 1952, for "bibliophiles, booksellers, librarians and all who are interested in our literary heritage"
- Books and Book CollectingInformation and resources for book collectors, trussel
- BiblionewsThe Journal of The Book Collectors' Society of Australia.
- Bookbinding and the Conservation of BooksA Dictionary of Descriptive Terminology, by Matt T. Roberts and Don Etherington
- Collecting Books and Magazines: Authors and ArtistsResource material for collectors of children's books and magazines
- The Conservation of Books and DocumentsArchived2022-02-22 at theWayback MachineTen frequently asked questions, National Library of the Netherlands.
- Conservation OnLine: Resources for Conservation ProfessionalsA project of the Preservation Department of Stanford University Libraries
- Digital LibrarianA librarian's choice of the best Web resources for book collectors
- Collegiate Book Collecting ChampionshipAnnual collegiate book collecting contest, promoting book collecting to the next generation (archived 21 November 2008)
- The FinePress Book AssociationAn association of collectors of modern fine press books
- Firsts:The Book Collector's MagazineResource for book collecting, first editions, rare, antiquarian books.
- The International League of Antiquarian BooksellersResources including library of articles, glossary of terms in several languages
- Infography about Book CollectingA book collector's choice of the best books, articles, and online resources
- Paperback RevolutionEssays on paperbacks including Tauchnitz, Albatross, and Penguin Books.
- Private Libraries AssociationA worldwide association of booklovers and collectors
- Publishing HistoryIncludes book series and lists of titles in series.
- Terms of the Trade,Antiquarian Booksellers Association (archived 26 May 2007)
- What Are Some Useful Guides to Collecting?Archived2017-11-12 at theWayback Machine,Vintage Paperbacks blog
- UBC Asian Library Rare Book Collection– A rich collection of Chinese documents and literature, as well as some rare reproductions of Japanese and Chinese paintings, from the UBC Library Digital Collections