Scholarships

There are two main categories of scholarships available at YABS: those administered by YABS and those conducted through partner organizations.  

The scholarships are easy to apply for and provide a great opportunity to attend the course for free or at a significantly reduced cost  

Applications can be made to one or more of the scholarships listed below. Those applying for multiple scholarships must specify their order of preference (this will remain undisclosed). 

Please note the terms and criteria of individual scholarships and be aware that some cover the full cost of tuition and accommodation whilst others cover tuition only.   

We would like to say a big thank you to the scholarship providers both past and present for their generosity and support.  

Good luck with your applications!

Abebooks

Are you thinking of becoming a rare bookseller? Or have you just started to sell collectable books? The York Antiquarian Book Seminar is an educational event held over three days in York for booksellers, librarians and collectors that offers expert discussion about rare books.

This is your opportunity to enter for a chance to win admission to attend the event. There will be two lucky winners of a prize package worth £750. Accommodation and transportation to and from the event are  not  included.

Launched in 1996, AbeBooks is the online marketplace where you can buy new, used, rare and out-of-print books, as well as textbooks. It connects buyers with thousands of professional booksellers around the world and millions of books are listed for sale.

How to Enter

Don't miss out on this chance to win admission to attend the York Antiquarian Book Seminar. To enter for a chance to win this prize package, with a value of £750, simply complete this sentence - "The best thing about bookselling is...." and email it to media@abebooks.com.

Your answer may be as brief or as detailed as you wish.

Don't forget to include your name, address and telephone number in the email, and include "York Antiquarian Book Seminar" in the subject line. The contest ends May 15, 2026. The two winners will be selected in a random draw (the odds of being drawn are dependent upon the number of eligible entries received).

NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. Limit one entry per person and e-mail address. This contest is open to legal residents of the United Kingdom, and entrants must be at least 18 years old or older. See  Official Rules  for more details.

Belle da Costa Greene Scholarship

Applications for the 2026 Belle da Costa Greene Scholarship are now OPEN. Please ensure applications are submitted by Thursday 30th April 2026.

With the goal of actively working to achieve a more diverse and inclusive community of booksellers and librarians, YABS is pleased to invite applicants for a 2026 scholarship. The winner will have their full course fees paid (worth £750) plus five nights accommodation (at a hotel close to the seminar venue) booked and paid for on their behalf. The scholarship is intended for a bookseller or a librarian from an historically underrepresented community and is generously sponsored by Lisa Unger Baskin, our 2018 Keynote Speaker.

Applications are encouraged from booksellers and librarians who identify as BAME, LGBTQ+, working class, persons with disabilities, or other self-identified communities of booksellers or librarians who might benefit from this scholarship.

Applicants should submit a short essay on why they want to attend YABS. They should include in the essay a brief personal and professional history, and something about their relationship to books and the book trade. We also ask for a CV and/or one letter or email of support from a member of the book trade, a professional librarian, or another member of the antiquarian book world.

This scholarship is named after Belle da Costa Greene, the African-American librarian, bibliographer and director of the Morgan Library.

The deadline to submit your application is Thursday 30 April 2026. The winner will be notified by Friday 15th May 2026.

Applications are being handled by The ABA and can be submitted to Lotte Inch at secretary@aba.org.uk.

Please include "Belle da Costa Greene Scholarship" in your email subject line.

Provincial Booksellers Fairs Association (PBFA)

This Scholarship opportunity is now closed for 2026.

The PBFA is the largest organisation of antiquarian and second-hand book dealers in the UK.  A not for profit association, it organises book fairs for its members across the country.

We are pleased to offer two scholarships to cover the full tuition fees for the 2026 York Antiquarian Book Seminar.  Also, in memory of the PBFA’s founder, we are offering a third scholarship, The Gerry Mosdell Scholarship, to cover the full tuition fee plus £250 towards expenses.  The scholarships are open to all.

The Founders Scholarship

This Scholarship opportunity is now closed for 2026.

The Founders Scholarship, supported by ABA Educational Trust works to support a continued awareness of the heritage of the book and the printed word.

YABS was started in 2014 by Anthony Smithson, Alice Laverty and Jonathan Kearns, and we are pleased to offer the scholarship in recognition of their hard work in establishing the course.

The ABA Educational Trust aims to promote and support education and research across the wide field of rare book studies and antiquarian bookselling and to foster the entry of younger booksellers into the trade

The Founders Scholarship includes the full course fee and five nights accommodation, which will be booked and paid for on the recipient’s behalf.

Applications will be judged on the basis of financial need, as well as benefit to the applicant. Students who wish to be considered for a scholarship must submit a short personal statement setting out their reasons for applying, along with a statement of financial need. Explain why receiving this scholarship is necessary for you.