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Course Content

York Antiquarian Book Seminar offers an opportunity for leading booksellers and librarians to share their expertise and experience with would-be and fledgling booksellers, librarians and collectors in a comprehensive survey of the second-hand, antiquarian and rare book markets. Basic procedures and problems are discussed both formally and informally through a series of lectures, discussions, and practical hands-on workshops with emphasis on cataloguing, pricing and bookselling.

The seminar is designed for people of all levels of expertise, from beginners to those with years of experience who want to hone their skills in this rapidly changing field.

Over the years, we have had the privilege of listening to many outstanding speakers, including our keynote speakers Rob Rulon-Miller (past president of the ABAA), Sally Burdon (current president of ILAB), Heather O'Donnell (Honey & Wax Booksellers, USA), Sunday Steinkirchner (B&B Rare Books, USA), Lisa Baskin (Cumberland Rare Books, USA) Brian Cassidy of Type Punch Matrix, USA, Joan Winterkorn and in 2023, Amanda Hall (Amanda Hall Rare Books). The seminar provides an  unparalleled opportunity to meet and network with fellow booksellers, librarians and collectors from all areas of the trade.

 
 

Topics Covered

 
 

Topics covered in the 2023 seminar:

Sourcing stock • Evaluating and Pricing Books • Reference Tools for the Book Trade • Writing Effective Book Descriptions • Buying and Selling Online • Buying and Selling at Auction • Archives and Collections • Setting Up and Using a Bookseller Database • Building and Marketing a Customer Base • Photographing Books • Creating Your Own Website • Creating a Catalogue • Operating a Profitable Open Shop • Selling Books to Libraries • Selling Books on Consignment • Forgeries and Theft

And much more besides...

 
 

2023 Schedule

N.B. This id sample schedule which will change which will be updated shortly.

 
 

 
 

Day One - Monday 20 November

 
 

11:00 – 11:30 Registration

11:30 – 12:30 Introductory Remarks, Introductions and recognition of Scholarship winners – Anthony Smithson - Keel Row Books     

12:30 – 13:15 Lunch

13:15 – 14:15 Keynote Speaker: ‘Fly me to the Moon: A Tale of Bookselling and other Lunacies’ – Amanda Hall, Amanda Hall Rare Books

14:15 – 15:30 How It Started, Where Its Going” - Faculty

15:30 – 15:45 BREAK

15:45 – 17:00 "Critical thinking; Self-defence in the Digital Age" - Adam Douglas and Sophie Schneideman

18:30 – Onwards Welcome drinks

 
 

 
 

Day Two - Tuesday 21 November

 
 

08:30 – 09:45 Bookselling Fundamentals: Business Basics – Sophie Schneideman

09:45 – 10:00 BREAK

10:00 - 11:30 Buying Books – Stephen Foster and Anthony Smithson

11:30 - 12:30 Postmodern Bookselling Part 1 - Jonathan Kearns

12:30 - 13:15 LUNCH – discussion with faculty continues over lunch

13:15 - 14:15 An Introduction to Binding Styles - Faculty

14:15 - 14:30 BREAK

14:30 – 15:30 Speciality Dealer: "Becoming a specialist. Lessons I've learnt focusing on rare speculative fiction" - Simon Patterson, Hyraxia Books

15:30 – 15:45 BREAK

15:45 - 17:30 Bibliographical Description – Simon Beattie and Adam Douglas

18:30 - 19:30 A tour of York Centre for Print, part of the print arm of the Department of English and Related Literature at the University of York. Hosted by Head of Department, Helen Smith. Walking distance. Refreshments and nibbles.

 
 

 
 

Day Three - Wednesday 22 November

08:30 - 10:15 How to Catalogue a Book – Simon Beattie and Adam Douglas of Peter Harrington Rare Books

10:15 - 10:30 BREAK

10:30 - 12:30 Cataloguing Workshop

12:30 - 13:15 LUNCH – discussion with faculty continues over lunch

13:15 - 13:45 Cataloguing review

13:45 - 14:00 BREAK

14:00 - 15:45 The Art of the Book - Sophie Schneideman

15:45 - 16:00 BREAK

16:00 - 17:30 Book Fairs and Running an open shop – Anthony Smithson

17:30 - 19:30 Bookshop Tour

 
 

 
 

Day Four - Thursday 23 November

08:30 – 10:15 Avoiding Fakes, Forgeries & Theft – Adam Douglas

10:15 – 10:30 BREAK

10:30 – 11:30 Evaluating, Pricing & Selling - Stephen Foster

11:30 - 11:45 BREAK

11:45 - 12:45 Bookselling with Social Media - Rachel Chanter

12:45 – 13:30 LUNCH - discussion with faculty continues over lunch

13:30 - 14:30 Selling to Institutional Libraries - Lucy Evans, Head of Collections, Senate House Library, and Simon Beattie.

14:30 - 14:45 BREAK

14:45 - 15:15 Putting it in the post - Alice Laverty

15:15 - 15:30 BREAK

15:30 - 16:30 Postmodern Bookselling Part 2 - Jonathan Kearns

16:30 – Onwards Open forum.

18:30 - 21:00 Farewell Dinner