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Booksellers

AN APPRECIATION FOR KNOWLEDGE, HISTORY & CULTURE

ABAA membership is a privilege extended only to those booksellers who have demonstrated the highest levels of professionalism, ethics, and expertise in the trade. Our more than four hundred members hail from an impressively diverse array of backgrounds. Some have spent their entire careers in the book business, while others have been lighthouse keepers, poets, helicopter pilots, and professional musicians. Some members own brick-and-mortar shops, some operate internet-only businesses from their home or office, some fashion livelihoods from exhibiting at book fairs. Many combine these retail strategies, or add services such as appraising and collection development. A few earn additional income and professional prestige from research and writing. But all our members share an appreciation for the printed page and for the scholarly and ethical practices which exemplify professional bookselling.

JOIN THE ABAA

ABAA Membership conveys recognition throughout the book world. A member of the ABAA is a bookseller with proven knowledge, expertise, and ethical standards

Emeritus Members

Archival Video Interviews of Members

A few years ago, Michael Ginsberg embarked upon an archival journey for the ABAA. Recognizing the absence of member histories in the ABAA annals, Michael began conducting video interviews of members at our three annual fairs. The interviews cover members' personal histories as well as their involvement in the rare book trade.

The ABAA extends many thanks to Michael, as well as Taylor Bowie, who has also conducted a number of interviews.

Click here to view the Bookseller Interviews.

James Bryant of Carpe Diem Fine Books entered the antiquarian book trade in 1995. James serves on the Board of Governors, chairs the By-Laws Committee, and is a member of both the Membership Committee and the Northern California Book Fair Committee.Carpe Diem Fine Books operates out of Monterey, CA and specializes in Western Americana, Californiana, Americana, Travel & Exploration, and General Antiquarian. ABAA Member since 1998. Interviewed by Taylor Bowie on October 11, 2009 at the Seattle Antiquarian Book Fair.
Brian Cassidy, Bookseller of Silver Spring, MD began his bookselling career working part-time for an independent bookshop while earning an MFA in Poetry at the University of Iowa Writers Workshop. He has taught English and literature at both the undergraduate and secondary levels. Brian continued to teach in addition to selling books until 2004, when he established Brian Cassidy, Bookseller. He became an ABAA member in 2008 and has served on the Planning an Public Relations Committees.Brian Cassidy, Bookseller deals in "intrinsically interesting, unusual, or important books in all fields."ABAA Member Since 2008. Interviewed by Michael Ginsberg on April 14, 2012 at the New York International Antiquarian Book Fair.
Jeremy Norman is the owner of the sites HistoryofScience.com, HistoryofMedicine.com, and HistoryofInformation.com. For more than forty years, he has helped to develop superb private libraries and major institutional holdings of rare books and manuscripts on the history of science, medicine, and technology. ABAA Member since 1974. Interviewed by Michael Ginsberg on February 14, 2016 at the California International Antiquarian Book Fair in Pasadena.