Category: Uncategorized

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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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?

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!

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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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.

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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.

Have you ever moved cross-country? I did this summer when we 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). 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.

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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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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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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