Guild of Book Workers - 100th Anniversary Exhibition

The Guild of Book Workers 100th Anniversary Exhibition is hitting the road! Check the schedule here.

But, maybe you're like me and the closest it's coming is 800+ miles, so I won't be able to check it out in person. HOWEVER, do not fret, do not frown! You can see the exhibit online with huge detailed photos of each submission. My favorite: Melinda Padgett's Willa Cather, Death Comes for the Archbishop. I like traditional binding forms that are able to draw creatively on the themes/ elements/ whatever from the story within. This is fantastic and I would weep with joy to be able to put such a beautiful book on my shelf.

Don't forget to take a few minutes for the historic review of the Guild's previous submissions.


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Decisions, Decisions - What's a Montana Bibliophile to do?

It is time for new plates on the vehicle in my new state, and there are actually a few choices for the discerning bibliophile. The standard plate is nice and simple, which I like for a standard plate. However, for a bibliophile who can't practically drive a bookmobile (*at this time*), it's nice to personalize the wheels a little to tell strangers how much I love books.

The first is of a grandma in a chair reading to two kids. This plate supports something to do with old fogeys. I mean that in the nicest possible way, perhaps even nicer. I do like this a lot. Is it the only license plate to feature someone reading? The next is a little ho-hum from the Montana libraries. Open book with the state as a cover. Not bad, but a little boring. The last supports the Montana Newspaper Association, and features a printing press! A little hard to see, but I think it's a Washington hand press, which if you've been reading my blog for a while, you know I love newspaper history and printing presses too. That leaves us with quite the quandary... What do you think? Which would you choose?

Chronicle Haul-iday Contest

I love Chronicle Books. I have for a long time. You know, Chronicle's work. They are probably the best publisher in the US at putting a book in your hands (they leap into mine!) and fill the book lover with greed. Deep seated desire to have a beautiful shelf filled with their lovely, lovely books.

So, when Chronicle announced a $500 shopping spree to a blogger and the same $500 for one of their readers.... well, I just couldn't let that slide by! That, and they are constantly publishing wonderful and beautiful books.

So dear readers, I post what my $500 binge at Chronicle would look like. Leave a comment to enter the contest with me and maybe we'll both win BIG! That's right. If I win, a random commenter will be selected by Chronicle to win the same haul! If you like my selections (heck, even if you only like a few) leave a comment. If I do win, I'll also give away a great prize of some kind to everyone who comments! I'm not entirely sure what that is at this point, but it'll be all kinds of bibliophile win. Must be 18 and in the US to win, yada, yada, yada.



My List:


Let's Bring Back. I say this all the time and would like to see what made their list. My list: Dinner Clubs, liveried drivers, bow ties, men wearing hats in public (ball caps excluded), beautiful office equipment, Thanksgiving (the holiday and common courtesy), uniforms for US Postal Service letter carriers, penmanship, Chautauquas, and home milk delivery. I'm sure I have more, crankier things as well. Maybe I shouldn't get this book since it may only make me mad.


Catalog: The Illustrated History of Mail Order Shopping. Do I really need to justify this in any way shape or form? What is not to love? I love all kinds of historical ephemera, and I know, because it was published with Chronicle involved, it'll be GORGEOUS.


Taking things Seriously: 75 Objects with Unexpected Significance. As a museum pro, I have to check this out. It's true that often really mundane looking things can mean a lot. When I was at a museum in Oklahoma we had a really beat up old podium and someone had taken a cheap clock and used the frame for an image of the seal for the President of the United States. It looked like a prop for a play. It was in fact the podium used (as is!) the one time JFK came to Oklahoma and made a speech dedicating a highway to a buddy of his.


More Things Like This. It's from McSweeney's! Who doesn't need this? And don't smart off and say "People who already own a copy." because that just isn't true. People who own a copy want another, and I know it.


The Englishman Who Posted Himself and other curious objects. Sure the title is ponderous, but it's the story of one Reginald Bray who decided to test the limits of the well-meaning Postal Service of the UK. Why do I want it? I can be rather trying to some folks patience, but I'm also (usually) just having some fun.


Lost States: True Stories of Texlahoma, Transylvania, and Other States That Never Made It. Having lived in some areas that had interesting history in the "What Might Have Been" file, I'd love to learn more about it in other parts of the country. After all, had I not lived in Oklahoma, I certainly would have never known about the US State of Sequoia!


The Marvelous Museum: Orphans, Curiosities & Treasures. Another book about museums! Hooray! This one by an artist who examines the use, function, and purpose of museums. Sounds very interesting.


Art Deco Bookbindings: The Work of Pierre Legrain and Rose Adler. Want, want, want. I may have seen some of these in an online exhibition, but I don't remember. By default Chronicle = Awesome, so I know this will be a welcome addition.


Pictorial Webster's: A Visual Dictionary of Curiosities. This is actually a collection of the wonderful, tiny engravings featured in Webster's dictionaries through the 19th century. I've always thought a collection like this would make fabulous wallpaper, especially in a bathroom. Why? No idea. It'd just be cool. Like the old table tops at Wendy's with the old random advertising on them.


Posters for the People: Art of the WPA. I have long loved the art of the WPA and other New Deal work programs. There is a ton of fascinating stories that have come out of this time and these efforts.


The Handy Book of Artisitc Printing: A Collection of Letterpress Examples with Specimens of Type, Ornament, Corner Fills, Borders, Twisters, Wrinklers, and other Freaks of Fancy. I have wanted this book for a long time. It feels like a long time at least because I've wanted it so bad. There are some AMAZING rarities in this book. Just phenomenal. I believe the original title for this was going to be Freaks of Fancy, which I vastly prefer to the current one, but still... look at it! Beautiful.


The Cloud Collector. Ok, I never knew I needed this book until I saw it on the Chronicle website. I love the concept of being a cloud watcher the way some people are bird watchers. I am one of those obnoxious people who is checks the forecast everyday and actually takes an interest in hearing what the weather is like in the next county over. You could say I'm a fan of weather.

By Its Cover: Modern American Book Cover Design and Classic Book Jackets: The Design Legacy of George Salter. These two will be loved around here. Heck, even at the office where I have to do more and more publication design on the fly. That, and because they are from Chronicle you know they'll be wonderful.


OK, so I may have gone over my $500 limit at this point. To be honest, I got so wrapped up and book drunk I don't know what my running total was.





I double checked-- My total comes in at $437



OK readers, now it is your turn. LEAVE A COMMENT and be automatically entered to win this $500 deluge of beautiful books from Chronicle Books. How can you go wrong?

New, for Ephemera Lovers

I've admitted before that I love ephemera too, and I believe every book collection can be enhanced by including ephemera. There are some great ephemera focused sites already "out there", but there is one I've rather selfishly kept to myself, mostly out of envy of the site owner. Unlike my blog, his site is clean and organized and has amazing, fresh content several times a week. The blog owner, Saul, even has a mission statement (the organized, purposeful so-and-so):

"This site is devoted to the identification, preservation, publicizing, and study of ephemeral publications that provide more-nuanced pictures of American culture and life. Because intended to aid scholars as well as collectors, this site focuses on artifacts preserving obscure information and imagery. (It excludes already-familiar ephemera such as posters, labels, comic books, and most cards). The main feature of this site is a gallery of images chosen for their aesthetic and/or documentary value. "
So, if you're not already following Ephemera Studies, go check it out! And come right back!

Bibliomysteries

It's not often I actually address real life reading on this blog... I'm not sure why. Unlike some book collectors, I really do read! I even read the books I collect. Actually, that's how I often decide what book to find in the nicest 1st I can afford is by reading a pip. Especially in the category of Bibliomysteries.

What is a bibliomystery? I generally agree with the definition used by the Graduate School of Library and Information Science (GSLIS) at Simmons College, in Boston--- the one active institutional collection of which I'm aware. They say:

"Bibliomysteries are mysteries in which books, manuscripts, libraries of any kind, archives, publishing houses, or bookstores occupy a central role, or mysteries in which librarians, archivists, booksellers, etc. are protagonists or antagonists (and preferably the location or occupation is important to the plot or theme). Our collection does not include academic mysteries or mysteries which happen to be about journalists, authors, or literary figures unless libraries, books, manuscripts, archives, and so on, are important to the plot."

I've started a bibliomystery group over on LibraryThing, and the discussion has been interesting. Some folks do include things like Jane Austen mysteries, which has Austen as the sleuth, but otherwise no other biblio-element. I don't count those.

So, a new (to me) book has me trolling the fixed-price-venue sites: The Bay Psalm Book Murder. Harris has only written this one bibliomystery, but he won an Edgar for it in 1983. The Edgar is the top prize for mysteries of any genre, so I felt this was a pretty safe bet. Some books in this genre are stinkers, or entirely too "cozy" for me.

Bay Psalm was enjoyable, though not aging terribly well. It read like a novel written in the mid '70s, not the mid-'80s. The treatment of minority characters is a bit dated, but not implausible. Cops are not given the usual mystery novel treatment, which was refreshing. They are actually portrayed as overworked but competent professionals! The bibliofactors of the story/ plot were good, and one of the most enjoyable elements of the story, which unfortunately isn't always true in bibliomysteries. There was one technical issue with how Harriss described foxing (which was perhaps accurate for the time...), but the book does explore printing, typography, binding, paper, and of course, some of the earliest American printing in a way that doesn't bog the reader. These elements are also not blended in as filler.

If you enjoyed John Dunning's Bookman mysteries (like I generally did), this is a natural fit for you. Harris is a decent writer, the style is good but very California (which I don't love). The setting doesn't feel false; Harris knows these places. The protagonists in Dunning's books and Bay Psalm Book Murder are both named Cliff, even.

If you want to find other Bibliomysteries, check out the Bibliomystery group on LibraryThing, or check out the bibliomystery collection I set up for my library on LibraryThing!


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Books: Owning them, Loving them

I love books. I don't think that needs any explanation, because if you're reading this, you love books too. No doubt, kindred spirits we. One of my largest collections is even Books About Books, which confuses some folks-- but not you loyal reader. I've noticed a trend too in my reading and collecting too-- I'm really interested in other people's books. I guess it's that constant search for the next thing that will blow my mind. That obscure author, that forgotten book that needs a champion. And I like knowing there are people much like me, or at least what I imagine myself to be, out there.

That's why I love books like At Home With Books, and The Library at Night by Alberto Manuel, and others besides. It's also why I love the Legacy Library project at LibraryThing.com. Being able to virtually browse shelves that usually no longer exist is akin to reading a book. It's like strolling in the mind of someone else for a moment, especially when we can know what the owner thought of the book-- or what they wanted us to believe they thought of the book. If that makes sense.

So, I recently discovered Stacked Up: Writers Show off their Shelves, which is exactly what it sounds like. Short interviews with writers and some of their books. Just wonderful, though a bit too NYCentric to be truly invigorating. I just don't get that worked up over THE BIG DEAL that is NYC. Give me space, keep your crowds! But, NYC is where a LOT of writers live, so I can't be too cranky about it. Hopefully the Stacked Up folks will one day be able to get off the little island and out into the real world. Anyway, go enjoy these things Book Folk-- you're not alone.

FOUND: Book Mine

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Not only have a moved to small town in Northeast Montana, I've moved *away* from bookstores. In our town of ~5000 souls, there is not a bookstore. There was one, but it closed. The county library has a shelf of books for sale. The museum I work at has a gift shop with lots of local authors/ local history stuff, and that's about it for bookstores in Sidney, Montana. HOWEVER, just a short hop away is Williston, North Dakota. There are bookstores (plural!) in Williston. I'll have reviews of each down the road. I need to pace myself.

Hedderich's is a... well... I'm not sure what to call it. It used to be a large downtown department store. I think. Now, it's sort of an antique store, army surplus, model train store. And there's a book mine.

What is a book mine? I don't know if anyone has ever endeavored to define one. I've seen a few in my time as a collector, but they are pretty rare these days. I find they are rarely advertised, don't have websites (beyond maybe a placeholder with hours- typically not updated since 2001). Book mines can have weird hours. I knew of one once that was only open Tues. and Thurs. before noon. A book mine is also huge.

I've called Larry McMurtry's Booked Up in Archer City, Texas a book mine, and it is! Almost nil web presence. HUGE inventory. You could spend days, not just hours looking. It seems book mines tend to be in out of the way places too. Maybe it's just I'm typically in out of the way places.

Hedderich's is *not* the northern plains version of Booked Up. McMurtry's store is top quality stock, immaculate buildings and shelving, and knowledgeably priced. Even back when I was selling actively online, I had a hard time finding stock to make up the cost of my trip and purchases they were so spot on.

Hedderich's is the opposite. There are tens of thousands of books. It is dirty. I could hear something dripping somewhere. Another version of the sign posted above announced these are the NEW prices. It was dated 1992. It was sorted, sorta. Mostly 1940s-1980s, which was a little weird. Nothing very old. Nothing recent. If you're a Soviet/ Anti-Commie collector, this is the place for you! Do you collect self-help, pseudo-religion, pseudo-health? Have I got a score for you! There were more Reader's Digest Condensed Books than I've ever seen in one place. To a collector, there was a lot of crap. But at these prices, who wouldn't be tempted to at least dig a little? I thought I had a gorgeous 1930s booklet from Zion Nat'l Park, but someone had cut 25% of the photos out of it.

All was not lost however. I did find a few books for the shelf myself, but mostly roamed and tried to figure out where everything was. I need to review my old list of book club editions worth $20+ and see if it still holds up.

So, a book mine is:
1. Huge Inventory

2. Almost nil web presence

A book mine is typically:

1. Dirty

2. Cheap

3. Poorly organized

4. Off the beaten path

5. Open weird hours

Anybody else want to take a stab at defining a book mine?

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I'm a Dental Floss Tycoon.

Have you ever moved cross-country? I did this summer when I moved to Montana. From the South to the North. Now, most folks mean swapping coasts when they say "cross-country move". I started this blog in Lubbock, Texas, moved to Oklahoma City and now am in Sidney, Montana. I'm a solid hour from the nearest bookstore. I'm at least three hours from a decent annual book sale. But, I'm now director of a museum (The MonDak Heritage Center). And now I need some new bookcases for my new office. So, I'll get to unpack my office books soon, which is pretty exciting, I won't lie.

So, fair reader, I'll get back to blogging again as things settle down. In the meantime, please visit my museum's website: http://www.themondak.org. It ain't much to look at now, but it has some info there. This new chapter is going to rock, there are tons of opportunities here, and I may even get to do some fun book stuff I haven't had a chance to in the past.

PS, it's OK if you didn't get the reference in the title. It's a little obscure.

Gutenberg Press vs. E-Reader

Gutenberg Press vs. E-Reader
Originally uploaded by Exile Bibliophile

This is the comic for today, 7 May 2010 from The Other Coast. A very nice birthday present for my 30th Birthday!

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Vintage Readers on Flickr

1920s, NYPL, bookmobile for night commuters
Originally uploaded by Exile Bibliophile

I've discovered another Flickr group that has eaten a chunk of my day: Vintage Readers, found here: http://www.flickr.com/groups/1088961@N22/. I think most of the photographs included in the group are actually antique readers, but that's a tale for another time. Enjoy!

What are some of your favorite book groups on Flickr?


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Anniversary of Webster's Dictionary

1889, Bridgeport CT, Youngs Jackson, bookseller, cover
Originally uploaded by Exile Bibliophile

On this day in 1828, Noah Webster published his dictionary. This blurry, but amazing cover was spotted a while ago on eBay, but includes a cut of Webster's dictionary "The Standard and the Best" and also a wicked cool rotating bookshelf and reading stand.

I wonder where his personal library is today? There's a couple records online of auction results... but not much. Webster loved the written word, including the Written Word as well. Today, I salute you: Noah Webster, bibliophile.


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Fine Books & Collections returns to my mailbox

Banner day!!
Originally uploaded by Exile Bibliophile

This was last Thursday. I was on the way to the airport for a trip to Montana and it was the icing to a very good day! Heck, it may have even been the cake!

The loss of Fine Books & Collections from my mailbox was a severe blow last year. I hated losing the print edition, even though the e-mag was *Amazing*. And I had the printed annual to look forward to. Even still, I really missed the print edition. It is, by far, one of the finest magazines in production, to say nothing of the drool-worthy content.

If you don't subscribe to the revived quarterly magazine or the e-edition, right the wrong here: http://finebooksmagazine.com/

WARNING: I own books

Warning bookplate
Originally uploaded by Exile Bibliophile

A brilliant new article from Yale Alumni Magazine explores book ownership through bookplates. Includes a wonderful gallery of plates from their collections, including a new favorite which I share with you. Read article here:
http://yalealumnimagazine.com/issues/2010_03/bookplates4249.html

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Twitter?

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Do you have some favorite biblio-twitterers? I do. They are often my favorite biblio-bloggers as well. If you have some recommendations, let me know!

Here's my list:
http://twitter.com/BLClark/book-folk/members


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OKC Metro Libraries FOL book sale!

It's almost here. One of my favorite holidays.

It's the 31st Annual Friends of the Library book sale here in OKC Feb. 19-21. Once again, the booksale to end all booksales in the state of Oklahoma will be at the State Fair Grounds in Oklahoma City. Folks, seriously, if you love books, and you can only attend one local sale, this is the one. Sure, it isn't the cheapest, but it's awful close, and nobody can come anywhere close to the number of books for sale. Just click on the clicky bits on the side that say FOL book sale to get an idea of years past.

Now, the 19th will be the "Members Only" sale on Friday afternoon, which will find you standing in line with the thousands of other members of the Metro FOL. And I mean it when I say thousands and all day. Doors don't open until 5:30pm, but you can bet your sweet pippy-longstocking folks will be lined up playing go fish early that morning.

For further info, be sure to visit the official website of the 2010 Metro FOL booksale:
http://www.mlsfriends.org/booksale.html.

Come score some books, make some new friends and support the libraries. Also, be sure to bring me a coffee, would you? Black. A cookie too? You're too sweet. I'm the guy in the second row, behind the hand-and-foot canasta game.

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