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News

BSA news as posted on this website appears below.

Find previous issues of our electronic newsletter here and subscribe to our newsletter here.


 

The 2024 Mitchell Prize Awarded to Dr. Kelly Plante

Congratulations to Kelly Plante for her award-winning dissertation, Death Writing: Gender and Necropolitics in the Atlantic World (1660–1840) (Wayne State University, 2023).

An honorable mention was given to Dr. Hazel Wilkinson, or her work ‘The Complete Spectator: A Bibliographical History’.

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Congratulations to the 2024 BSA Fellowship Winners!

Congratulations to the 2024 Fellowship Award Winners, whose bibliographical research and scholarship will be supported by the Society and its partners.

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Announcing the Slate for the Upcoming Election of the Council

The Nominating Committee is proud to present the Slate of Officers and members of the Council Class of 2027.

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Call for PBSA Managing and Reviews Editors

The Editors of The Papers of the Bibliographical Society of America (PBSA) are seeking two people to work with the journal in the roles of Managing Editor and Reviews Editor. Visit the linked descriptions to review the required and preferred skills for each role.

As members of the Editorial team, along with coeditors Jesse Erickson and Sarah Werner, the Managing and Reviews editors will be part of a growing and intellectually stimulating publication that is actively seeking to expand its content and enrich the field.

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Volunteer on a BSA Committee

The BSA seeks a diverse and inclusive roster of volunteers, and we welcome self-nominations from members of this community to contribute to our mission by serving. Our inter-professional and inter-disciplinary community seeks to continue building our reputation for inclusion, and for diverse and stimulating programming.

Our Committees and Working Groups help to steer the direction of the BSA and the field of Bibliography. By volunteering, you will take an active role in that process!

Complete Our Volunteer Form

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Call for Applications & Submissions: New Scholars, Fellowships, & Mitchell Prize

The BSA Fellowship and New Scholars Programs are now accepting applications, and submissions are sought for the 2024 William L. Mitchell Prize. Applications to the New Scholars Program are due September 5; Fellowship applications and Mitchell Prize submissions are due October 2.

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Call for Nominations for Officers and the Council Class of 2027

The Bibliographical Society of America seeks seven new Officers and Council Members who will be elected at our Annual Meeting on 26 January 2024. This is an exciting opportunity to contribute to BSA’s many initiatives, and we welcome new voices and perspectives.

Deadline for nominations is August 15, 2023.

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Call for Small Grant Proposals: Create Video Content for BSA & BibSite

To make bibliographical studies more accessible to the next generation of bibliographers, the Bibliographical Society of America’s (BSA) BibSite hosting and discovery project welcomes funding proposals for the creation of short instructional videos demonstrating bibliographical analysis in action and/or the techniques and skills necessary for the study of varied material texts. All are welcome to apply; proposals from teams are welcome.

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Announcing the Dorothy Porter Wesley Fellowship and New Scholar Award!

An anonymous donor is celebrating Lisa Unger Baskin by matching her promised gift to fund the Dorothy Porter Wesley Fellowship for Black Bibliographers! This second major gift extends BSA’s capacity to honor Dorothy Porter Wesley with an endowment in her name funding not one, but two, awards: one Fellowship and one New Scholars award.

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Endowing the Dorothy Porter Wesley Fellowship

The Council is proud to announce that Lisa Unger Baskin has made a promised gift of $42,500, half of the total amount required, to endow the Dorothy Porter Wesley Fellowship in perpetuity. The Fellowship of $3,000 is awarded each year to a Black individual for research on any topic. In honor of Lisa Unger Baskin’s 80th birthday on June 27, 2023, the Council calls on our community to join her in the effort to fully endow the Fellowship.

Donate now.

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Announcing the 2022 St. Louis Mercantile Library Prize Winners

The Bibliographical Society of America (BSA) is thrilled to announce the winners of the St. Louis Mercantile Library Prize, an annual academic book prize honoring scholarship in the bibliography of American history and literature.

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Announcing BibliographyWeek.org

The Bibliographical Society of America (BSA) and the Antiquarian Booksellers Association of America (ABAA) are proud to announce a new collaborative project: BibliographyWeek.org.

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The 2023 Council Election: Slate of Nominees

At the upcoming BSA annual meeting on January 27, 2023 the Society will elect a new slate of members to the Council.

 

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Sponsor the 2023 Annual Meeting & Bibliography Week Events

Become a sponsor of a BSA Bibliography Week Event and introduce yourself and your business to our broad audience of collectors, curators, scholars, and students!

As a BSA Annual Meeting or Bibliography Week Event Sponsor your business will be featured prominently on registration pages and in the sponsor garden on the Bibliography Week website, bibliographyweek.org (coming in December). Sponsorship opportunities start at $250: there are options available for every budget.

Sponsorship menu

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Call for Nominations to the Council Class of 2026

The Bibliographical Society of America seeks one new Council Member who will be elected at our Annual Meeting on 27 January 2023.

Council members are the BSA’s current leaders and future Officers: members of the Council gain an understanding of the full picture of the organization. As a body, the Council is responsible for governing the Society in accordance with our mission and values. Duties related to governance include: setting strategic priorities for the short- and medium-term, planning for the future, approving the annual budget, and fundraising.

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Volunteer on a BSA Committee

The BSA seeks a diverse and inclusive roster of volunteers, and we welcome self-nominations from members of this community to contribute to our mission by serving. Our inter-professional and inter-disciplinary community seeks to continue building our reputation for inclusion, and for diverse and stimulating programming.

Our Committees and Working Groups help to steer the direction of the BSA and the field of Bibliography. By volunteering, you will take an active role in that process!

Complete Our Volunteer Form

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Council Heard You & Changed the BSA Membership Year

At the May meeting of the Council, members voted unanimously in favor of a revision to our bylaws changing our membership year from January through December to October through September.

Read the post for the reasoning behind this decision and what it means for renewals in 2023, and check out the Frequently Asked Questions (“FAQ”) page on this site for more information.

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BSA Members: Discounted Library Access for Print & Digital Resources

The BSA is pleased to announce a new benefit for members of the BSA: affiliate membership in the New York Society Library at a special rate.

The BSA recognizes that independent scholars, precariously employed academics, and booksellers need research services beyond what most public libraries can offer. Working with the Society Library, we crafted a membership just for members of the BSA which includes access to electronic resources; Interlibrary Loan services; 10 building visits per year, including access to most member-only spaces; and access to expert reader’s advisory and reference services all at a cost of $170 per year.

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Support the BSA’s Spring Appeal

The BSA is a small, volunteer-led organization. We make the most of every dollar, and your gifts make a real difference in what we are able to do. The Annual Fund allows us to invest in programs that make a difference in this interdisciplinary, inter-professional community. Please, consider contributing to the Annual Fund with a gift of any amount.

Read the full letter from President Caroline Duroselle-Melish, and make your donation online today.

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Recommend Titles to the ACLS Humanities Ebook Platform

What books published between 1990 and 2015 would you consider “essential” to your work or your understanding of bibliography?

In 2022 the Bibliographical Society of America added a new benefit for members, discounted access to the ACLS Humanities Ebook Collection (ACLS HEB) at the rate of $25/year. We are gearing up to add value to that membership benefit by recommending new titles for digitization and inclusion to actively curate the collection. We want your help!

Suggest titles for the ACLS HEB.

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BibSite Beta is Here!

The Bibliographical Society of America is delighted to announce the redesign and beta launch of BibSite, the Society’s open access resource for discovering and sharing bibliographical research and pedagogical materials at bibsite.org.

Designed for scholars, instructors, professionals, and students of bibliography, in the broadest sense of the term, BibSite connects users to materials that can further their own research, teaching, and studies. Visit bibsite.org to search and browse a growing array of hosted and indexed materials.

This project was made possible by a grant from the Gladys Krieble Delmas Foundation.

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Congratulations the 2022 Fellows & the Justin G. Schiller Prize Winner

Congratulations to the 2022 winners of BSA Fellowships and the Justin G. Schiller Prize!

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The 2022 Council Election: Slate of Nominees

At the upcoming BSA annual meeting on January 28, 2022 the Society will elect a new slate of members to the Council.

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New Membership Benefit: Access to the ACLS Humanities Ebook Platform

The Society is excited to debut a new benefit for members in 2022: access to the ACLS Humanities Ebook Collection at the discounted rate of $25/year. This curated-resource features over 5,700 scholarly books from over 125 publishers.

Read the full post for information on how to subscribe.

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Sponsor the 2022 Annual Meeting & Bibliography Week Events

Booksellers are among the most prolific users of the bibliographical work the BSA supports, and the vital nexus through which passes so much of humanity’s primary source material. As such, we hope you’ll consider sponsoring the BSA Annual Meeting on January 28. Our menu of opportunities presents a broad range of sponsorship levels, offering benefits for every budget.

Read more, or secure your sponsorship menu here.

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Upcoming Virtual Events: Fall/Winter 2021

Our Fall/Winter 2021 Events are happening! Join us for conversations on the Bluestockings Bookstore, the Essence Book Project, and a speaker series, “Collecting, Knowledge, & Power: Perspectives from Latin America.”

 

Registration is required for all events. Click through for descriptions and registration links.

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2021 Annual Fund Update: Our New Goal!

This is a special year for the BSA Annual Fund. A group of Council members has banded together to offer a $21,000 matching grant challenge for the 2021, and we met that goal in September!

And now, members of Council have upped the ante! Make a donation today and your gift will be doubled until we reach our new goal of $25,000.

To sweeten the deal, give $75 or more and get a fabulous BSA tote bag as a thank you gift!

Donate Here

 

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Shape the Future of Bibliography: Volunteer for a BSA Committee or Working Group

Service on a Committee or Working Group is one of the most consequential and rewarding ways for members to be involved in the work of the Society.

The BSA seeks a diverse and inclusive roster of volunteers, and we welcome self-nominations from members of this community to contribute to our mission by serving. Our inter-professional and inter-disciplinary community seeks to continue building our reputation for inclusion and diverse and stimulating programming.

Our Committees and Working Groups help to steer the direction of the BSA and the field of Bibliography. By volunteering, you will take an active role in that process!

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Welcome, 80 New Members to BSA!

We are thrilled to report that the Bibliographical Society of America’s first-ever membership drive has been a resounding success.  This membership drive was part of the Society’s efforts to bring our vision of a broader, more inclusive, and exciting bibliographical community to life. 

We extend a hearty welcome (back!) to each and every new and returning member, and offer our sincere thanks to the existing members who renewed their memberships early or purchased gift memberships for others.

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Calls for Fellowship, New Scholars, Prize Applications

The Fellowship, New Scholars, and Schiller Prize Committees all welcome applications and submissions for the 2022 awards cycle. Deadlines are as follows:

New Scholars Program – September 3, 2021

Fellowship Program – October 1, 2021

Justin G. Schiller Prize for Bibliographical Work on Pre-20th-Century Children’s Books – October 1, 2021

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Through July 15! Get A Membership, Give A Membership

BSA membership offers many great benefits (including some new ones for members only!), most of which we make available to the greater bibliographical public: our eventsFellowships, the New Scholars Program, and more. The Society has been working hard to bring our vision of a broader, more inclusive, and exciting bibliographical community to life. To do this, we want to bring more people in! To strengthen and develop the membership of the Bibliographical Society of America, today we are launching our first-ever membership drive!

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Dr. Jesse R. Erickson & Dr. Sarah Werner Appointed Editors of PBSA

We are delighted to announce that the new editors of Papers of the Bibliographical Society of America will be Dr. Jesse R. Erickson and Dr. Sarah Werner.

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Call for Nominations

The Bibliographical Society of America is looking for a new President and two new Council Members who will be elected at our Annual Meeting on 28 January 2022. The President serves for a two-year term, renewable once, and Council members serve for a three-year term, renewable once. Please consider nominating yourself or other possible candidates! We strongly value the expertise and collegiality of all of our members and especially welcome nominees who represent the racial and ethnic diversity of bibliographic communities in the United States. The Nominating Committee seeks individuals who are committed to helping the Society fulfill the goals laid out in its Equity Action Plan.

 

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$21,000 in 2021 Matching Challenge

This is a special year for the BSA Annual Fund! A group of Council members has banded together to offer a $21,000 matching grant challenge for the 2021 Annual Fund! Help us to earn that matching gift by making your donation today.

Donate now.

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Call for Volunteers: BibSite Editorial Board – Updated!

We are so pleased to announce that Eric Ensley (General Editor, University of Iowa), Adriana Cásarez (University of Texas at Austin), and Emma M. Sarconi (Princeton University Library Special Collections) have been appointed to form the BibSite Editorial Group. Erin McGuirl, Scott Ellwood (BibSite Project Manager), and the Digital Strategy Working Group are delighted to collaborate with this group as we work toward the BibSite launch this fall.

Click through to read the original call for volunteers and for more on BibSite.

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BSA Seeks a New Editor for PBSA

The Bibliographical Society of America (BSA) seeks a new Editor or co-Editors of the Papers of the Bibliographical Society of America (PBSA). The Editor is responsible for the editorial direction of the journal, which serves to fulfill the mission of the BSA to foster the study of the material text.

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Congratulations to 2021 Fellowship & Mitchell Prize Winners

The BSA Council, Officers, and members of the Fellowship Committee extend their congratulations and best wishes to this year’s Fellowship recipients.

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Nominees for the Council Class of 2024

The Nominating Committee is pleased to present the following nominees for Council in 2020. A vote will be held during the virtual Annual Meeting on January 29, 2021.

Elizabeth Denlinger (New York Public Library) Chaired the Nominating Committee, which also included Jose Guerrero (Sutro Library, California State Libraries), E. Haven Hawley (Smathers Library, University of Florida), and Michael F. Suarez, S.J. (Rare Book School). The Society thanks them for their service.

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Radical Publishing in CDMX | La Imprenta Radical en CDMX

The “Radical Publishing in CDMX” speaker series highlights creative bibliographic research and practice originating in Mexico City and aims to highlight transnationalism in bibliographic studies and tie bibliographic history to the current sociopolitical context. Co-sponsored by BSA and UCLA Library, these four virtual events will be presented in Spanish with simultaneous English interpretation by Antena Los Angeles.

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Council Approves Equity Action Plan & Events Code of Conduct

Read a statement from BSA Council President Barbara A. Shailor about the approval of the Society’s Equity Action Plan and Code of Conduct.

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Call for Nominations to Council Class of 2024

The Society’s call for nominations to fill one seat in the Council Class of 2024.

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Honoring Dorothy Porter and ‘Early American Negro Writings’ at 75

As recent social justice movements have brought renewed attention to institutional collecting practices and systemic racism in the scholarly community, the Bibliographical Society of America seeks to honor Dorothy Porter’s contributions to bibliography, and Black bibliography specifically. Click below to read more about our ongoing celebration of Porter’s achievements, coinciding with the 75th anniversary of the publication of her essay “Early American Negro Writings” in PBSA.

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Calls for Applications, Proposals, & Prize Submissions in 2020

Find information about the open and soon-to-be open calls for applications, proposals, and prize submissions offered by the Society in 2020 for awards in 2021.

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Describing the Material Text: A New Program funded by the Gladys Krieble Delmas Foundation

Thanks to a collaborative effort by the Development Committee, the BSA has received a grant from the Gladys Krieble Delmas Foundation to fund an exciting new initiative, “Describing the Material Text.”

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The BSA Unequivocally Condemns Racism: An Open Letter from the BSA Council & Executive Director

The Bibliographical Society of America stands alongside our peer humanities organizations and learned societies in unconditionally condemning the ongoing destruction of Black life in the United States. We unequivocally oppose racism, state violence, and both overt and subtle forms of oppression.

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BSA Webinars: Everything You Need to Know

As of June 2020, this post is no longer being updated. For information on BSA’s ongoing series of webinars and other virtual events, please see the “Virtual Events” page under the “Programs” page heading above.

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Online Instruction Resources: Digital Repositories for Book History Teaching, Research, & More

The basis of this post is Dr. Megan L. Cook’s crowd-sourced list of digital repositories for book historical study. We have also shared various resources shared or offered by other ACLS member societies. Almost all are freely available.

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News, Webinars, and Opportunities for Mutual Aid – Updated as of 1 May

Find out about virtual offerings for BSA members and friends, program updates, and other information about the Society’s response to the novel coronavirus crisis in 2020.

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BSA Programs for Spring 2020 – UPDATED (In-Person Only)

The BSA Program Committee and Working Group for International Development and Collaboration are pleased to announce nine events for the spring and summer of 2020.

Several events have been canceled as hosting organizations and institutions initiate preventive measures against the spread of the COVID-19 Coronavirus. Please check this post regularly for updates on the cancellation or postponement of specific events.

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Program Committee Call for Proposals (April 2020)

The Program Committee calls for proposals for events, inviting collaborations between the Committee, BSA members, and a broader bibliographical public.

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BSA 2020 Fellowship Awards

Announcing the 2020 Fellowship Award Winners.

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St. Louis Mercantile Library Prize Winner Announced

The Bibliographical Society of America is pleased to announce the winners of its triennial prize for American bibliography.

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2020 Slate of Nominees for Office and Council

The Nominating Committee is pleased to present the following nominees for Council in the upcoming 2020 election. A vote will be held at the Annual Meeting in New York City on January 24, 2020.

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Announcing BSA Bibliography Week Events

Join your BSA colleagues for two events during NYC Bibliography Week this January! We’re hosting a Party for New Members and Friends at the American Jewish Historical Society on Wednesday 1/22, and, as always, our Annual Meeting and New Scholars Program on Friday 1/24.

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Program Committee Call for Proposals (January 2020)

The Program Committee calls for proposals for events, inviting collaborations between the Committee, BSA members, and a broader bibliographical public.

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BSA Fellowship Applications Now Open

The Fellowship Committee welcomes applications to the Fellowship Program for the 2020 cycle. Click here to visit the Fellowship Application website for more details, including eligibility and application requirements, and for a link to the application forms.

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BSA 2019 Annual Appeal

Please remember to support the BSA with a gift to the annual appeal. Donations in any amount help us  expand our events programming to reach new and established audiences across the United States and beyond, offer more to New Scholars, and continue to build our fellowship program.

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Call for Applications: BSA New Scholars & St. Louis Mercantile Library Prize

We are excited to announce another season of the BSA New Scholars Program, and a call for submissions to the St. Louis Mercantile Library Prize. Click below to learn everything you need to know to apply.

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BSA Community Grants: Winners Announced

We are delighted to announce five winners of community grants in our recent pilot project. They are: Katherine Alexander, Genevieve Coe, Mary Catherine Kinniburgh, Alison McCormack, and Nick Wilding. Learn more about their projects by clicking the link below.

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Announcing the Community Grants Pilot Program

The Bibliographical Society of America is pleased to announce the launch of its Community Grants pilot program. In 2019, the Society will disburse five (5) grants, in amounts of up to $200 each, to support gatherings that promote the BSA mission and values and that can introduce the BSA to new audiences. Read more for details.

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The 2019 Annual Meeting: Awards & the Council Class of 2022

The BSA Annual Meeting took place on January 25, 2019 at the Cosmopolitan Club in New York City.  Click to read a description of the events, and announcements of the Council Class of 2022, our Fellowship and Prize Winners.

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BSA Archive Adds to its Collection

The Grolier Club Library and the Archives Working Group of the Bibliographical Society of America are pleased to announce the addition of the John Bidwell papers and The Ascensius Press production files to the BSA Archive, on deposit at the Grolier Club Library.

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Letter from the Incoming Executive Director

It is my great pleasure to write to you as the new Executive Director of the BSA.

I am honored to be at the helm with Council and Officers as we enter a new phase of growth in bibliographical community. Under the steadfast leadership of Presidents Martin Antonetti and now, Barbara Shailor, our organization has developed and is now implementing new statements of mission and values to guide us in our work to play a more visible role in the larger scholarly community. 

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Call for Nominations

At our Annual Meeting in January 2019 the Bibliographical Society of America will elect the Council Class of 2022. Three councilors will serve three-year terms (2019–2022).

BSA members are welcome to nominate their colleagues in the Society for seats on the Council. Read on for more information.

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Letter from the President: Erin Schreiner Appointed as Executive Director

I am pleased to announce the appointment of Erin Schreiner as the new Executive Director of our Society. After a year-long discussion, the Council decided at the annual meeting in January 2018 to recruit a full-time Executive Director.  Council took this decision to better meet the diverse needs of its members and to more effectively promote the importance of bibliography in the 21st century.  Because of the prudent management of our financial assets, and the strong leadership of the Council, it has been possible to create a full-time position.

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Announcing the 2019 Annual Meeting

The Annual Meeting of The Bibliographical Society of America will be held on Friday, January 25, 2019, in New York City.

Papers from New Scholars will precede the meeting at 2 pm.

The Meeting will commence at 4 pm and conclude with a presentation.

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BSA seeks a full-time Executive Director

The Bibliographical Society of America (BSA) seeks qualified applicants for the position of Executive Director.  This is a new, full-time position that will provide dynamic leadership to one of the country’s oldest and most important humanistic societies.

As BSA looks to revitalize itself and play a more visible role in the larger scholarly community, the Executive Director will bring creativity, imagination, and energy to this new strategic direction. The Executive Director will work closely with BSA leadership to expand and diversify membership, enhance programing, create a more robust communications profile, and forge new partnerships with other scholarly organizations and societies. In addition, the Executive Director will work with BSA leadership on major issues of planning, finance, fundraising and development, and the general business of the Society.

This is an exciting opportunity for someone with proven initiative, a demonstrated knowledge of the field, and a desire to further the mission and values of BSA.  The successful candidate will bring to the position a combination of scholarly and administrative skills that will uniquely position her/him to fulfill the challenges of the job.

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A message from the Nominating Committee

The Nominating Committee presents the following slate for approval at the Annual Meeting on January 26, 2018:

​President: Barbara Shailor
Vice President: Michael T. Ryan
Secretary: Jennifer Lowe
Treasurer: G. Scott Clemons

Council Class 2021
Thomas Goldwasser
Adam G. Hooks
Michael Suarez, SJ
Nick Wilding

Council Class 2020
Nina Musinsky
Douglas Pfeiffer
Simran Thadani
Heather Wolfe

Council Class 2019
John Buchtel
Sonja Drimmer
Marcia Reed
Jackie Vossler​

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2018 Mitchell Prize to be awarded to Dr. Paul Tankard of the University of Otago

At its annual meeting in January 2018, The Bibliographical Society of America will award the sixth triennial William L. Mitchell Prize for Bibliography or Documentary Work on Early British Periodicals or Newspapers to Dr. Paul Tankard for his edition Facts and Inventions: Selections from the Journalism of James Boswell (Yale University Press, 2014).

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Call for Nominations

At our Annual Meeting in January 2018 the Bibliographical Society of America will elect the officers of the Society and Council Class of 2021. The officers (President, Vice President, Secretary, and Treasurer) will serve two-year terms (2018–2020), and four councilors will serve three-year terms (2018–2021).

Please suggest possible candidates before November 25 by contacting the chair of the Nominating Committee:

David Vander Meulen, Chair
Nominating Committee
dlv8g@virginia.edu

Nominating Committee members: John Crichton, Claudia Funke

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CFP: posted on behalf of the Renaissance Society of America

Call for Papers

Translation Theory and Practice during the Renaissance: A Medium, a Genre, a Risk

Sessions sponsored by the Toronto Renaissance and Reformation Colloquium at the
Renaissance Society of America annual meeting in Chicago, 30 March-1 April 2017

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Andrea Immel and Brian Alderson Win the 2016 Schiller Prize

Having read and discussed a very strong field of eight submissions, the Schiller Prize Committee unanimously agreed that Tommy Thumb’s Pretty Song-Book: The First Collection of English Nursery Rhymes. A facsimile edition with a history and annotations by Andrea Immel and Brian Alderson (Cotsen Occasional Press, 2013) is its choice for the 2016 Justin G. Schiller Prize. The award was announced at BSA’s Annual Meeting on January 29, 2016.

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BSA Archive Established at the Grolier Club

The Grolier Club Library and the Bibliographical Society of America are pleased to announce the completion of the processing of the records of the Bibliographical Society of America. The archive consists of 67 boxes (84 linear feet) and includes correspondence, financial records, publication drafts and proofs, and copies of publications and monographs, among other materials generated by BSA between 1904 and 2015.

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2016 Fellowship Winners Announced

The winners of BSA’s fellowships for 2016 were announced at the Annual Meeting on January 29, 2016, in New York City. Awards were made to 12 scholars from four countries on a wide range of bibliographical topics.

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A message from the Nominating Committee

The Nominating Committee presents the following slate for approval at the Annual Meeting on January 29, 2016:

​President: Martin Antonetti
Vice President: Michael T. Ryan
Secretary: Barbara Heritage
Treasurer: G. Scott Clemons

Council Class 2019
John Buchtel
Sonja Drimmer
Marcia Reed
Jackie Vossler

​Council Class 2018
Christina Geiger
Jennifer Lowe
Michael Suarez, S.J.
Michael Thompson​

Council Class 2017
​Nina Musinsky
George Ong
​Douglas Pfeiffer
​Heather Wolfe​

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Michael Suarez to address the 2016 Annual Meeting

The Annual Meeting of the Bibliographical Society of America will be held on Friday, January 29, 2016, at 4:00 at the Cosmopolitan Club, 122 East 66 Street in New York City. (As usual the meeting will be preceded by Papers from New Scholars at 2:00.)

The Annual Address will be given by Michael F. Suarez, S.J.: Hard Cases: Confronting Bibliographical Difficulty in Eighteenth-Century Texts.

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Papers from New Scholars at the Annual Meeting

Immediately preceding the Annual Meeting on January 29, 2016 at the Cosmopolitan Club in New York we will present Papers from New Scholars, at 2:00. This year the speakers are

Hannah Marcus, Stanford University
License to Read: Licit Reading of Prohibited Books in Early Modern Italy

Laura Forsberg, Harvard University
Multum in Parvo: The Nineteenth-Century Miniature Book

Chris J. Young, University of Toronto
The Collation Game: Identifying the Bibliographic Variances Between The Last of Us and The Last of Us: Remastered

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Nominations

In January 2016 BSA will elect the officers of the Society and Council Class of 2019. The officers (President, Vice President, Secretary, and Treasurer) will serve two-year terms (2016–2018), and four councillors will serve three-year terms (2016–2019). Please suggest possible candidates before November 25, 2015, by contacting the chair of the Nominating Committee:

Claudia Funke
Chair, BSA Nominating Committee
Email: claudiafunke@mac.com

Nominating Committee Members:
Kathryn James, Alice Schreyer

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Announcing: a new fellowship in Hispanic Bibliography

The Pine Tree Foundation has generously agreed to underwrite a fellowship in Hispanic Bibliography that supports the bibliographical study of printed and manuscript items 1) in the Spanish language produced during any period and in any country; or 2) in any language provided they were produced in Spain, or in its overseas dominions during the time of Spanish sovereignty; or 3) the bibliographical study of book and manuscript collections in Spain, or in its overseas dominions during the time of Spanish sovereignty; or 4) the bibliographical study of Spanish-language book and manuscript collections during any period and in any country. The fellowship is for $3000; for more information see the fellowships page on our website.

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Mind the Gap: Recent Provenance of Antiquarian Materials

A two-day symposium sponsored and organized by the Bibliographical Society of America
Friday November 6 and Saturday November 7, 2015
At the Grolier Club, 47 East 60 Street, New York

Scholars researching book history have focused increasingly on the history of collecting and chains of ownership known as provenance. Yet these studies rarely touch on recent owners: Where has the book been for the last century? This conference investigates why detailed and complete provenance is integral to contemporary collecting and to bibliographical scholarship, documenting and often authenticating each work as a historical object, establishing its significance and providing its social and political context. Tickets are $75 ($25 for students), advance reservations are required, and space is limited to 150 seats. To register contact Michele Randall, BSA Executive Secretary, at bsa@bibsocamer.org.

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Announcing the 2016 BSA Fellowship Program

The Society invites applications for its ninth annual Katharine Pantzer Senior Fellowship in Bibliography and the British Book Trades as well as its annual short-term fellowships, all of which support bibliographical inquiry and research in the history of the book trades and in publishing history. Eligible topics may concentrate on books and documents in any field, but should focus on the book or manuscript (the physical object) as historical evidence. Such topics may include establishing a text or studying the history of book production, publication, distribution, collecting, or reading. Thanks to the generosity of donors, certain special fellowships support research in particular areas of study. Note that this year there are two new fellowships, one supporting bibliographical research in the Pforzheimer Library at the Harry Ransom Center, the other on culinary bibliography supported by the Pine Tree Foundation. For further information on all the fellowships and application guidelines see the Fellowships page on our website. The deadline for applying is December 1, 2015.

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Books and Print between Cultures, 1500-1900

This interdisciplinary symposium at Amherst College on September 18-19, 2015, will investigate the role that books (codices, rolls, scrolls, and other related media), prints, and their associated technologies played in mediating and instantiating cultural difference in the early modern period. By framing the history of books and prints as meandering and material, this symposium aims to contribute new dialogues to the study of the global early modern.

For more information, including the full program and paper abstracts, please see the symposium website: http://booksandprint.sites.amherst.edu/

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Materialities of American Texts and Visual Cultures

A symposium at Columbia University, April 9-10, 2015. From current historical work on material and visual cultures, to anthropological research on the social life of things and new approaches to seeing and reading in historical scholarship, the study of the physical evidence of culture has become a pressing issue. This interdisciplinary symposium will bring together conservators, curators, and scholars of art history, literary studies, book history and bibliography to reflect on the historical relation between materials, objects, and practices and different forms of visual and textual production in nineteenth-century America.

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2015 Mitchell Prize Announced

The Bibliographical Society of America awarded the fifth triennial William L. Mitchell Prize for Bibliography or Documentary Work on Early British Periodicals or Newspapers to Simon Macdonald, Banting Postdoctoral Fellow, Department of History and Classical Studies, McGill University. His winning publication, “English-Language News-papers in Revolutionary France,” was published in The Journal for Eighteenth-Century Studies, 36, no. 1 (2013), 18–33.

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Call for papers: Mind the Gap

Mind the Gap: Recent Provenance and Antiquarian Material, a conference on provenance, planned for November 2015 at The Grolier Club, New York City

In light of recent thefts and forgeries, provenance has served to verify authenticity and legal ownership. But how do common practices such as sophistication, restoration, and rebinding effectively banish significant evidence of past owners, institutional collections, and readers? This conference investigates why detailed and complete provenance is integral to contemporary collecting and to bibliographical scholarship, documenting each work as a historical object and providing its social and political context.

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Announcement from the Nominating Committee

The Nominating Committee (John Hoover, chair; Stephen Ferguson; and Karen Nipps) proposes for election to the BSA Council Class of 2017:

Jennifer Lowe
Rare Books Librarian
Pius XII Memorial Library
Saint Louis University

This is the only position on the BSA Council that needs to be filled this year. The election will take place at the Annual Meeting in New York on Friday 23 January 2015.

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PBSA to be published by the University of Chicago Press

The Bibliographical Society of America and the University of Chicago Press (UCP) have entered into an agreement whereby UCP will assume all responsibilities for the production, marketing, and distribution of our journal, the Papers of the Bibliographical Society of America, commencing with volume 109 (2015).

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Stoddard/Whitesell Bibliography wins prestigious MLA prize!

Congratulations to Roger E. Stoddard and David R. Whitesell, who have won the MLA Prize for a Bibliography, Archive, or Digital Project for their Bibliographical Description of Books and Pamphlets of American Verse Printed from 1610 through 1820, published by Penn State University Press for the Bibliographical Society of America.

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Save the date: the 2015 Annual Meeting

The next Annual Meeting of the Bibliographical Society of America will take place on Friday, January 23 at 4:00 pm at the Cosmopolitan Club, 122 East 66th Street, New York.

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Announcing the 2015 BSA Fellowship Program

BSA invites applications for its seventh annual Katharine Pantzer Senior Fellowship in Bibliography and the British Book Trades, as well as its annual short-term fellowships, all of which support bibliographical inquiry and research in the history of the book trades and in publishing history. Applications for the 2015 program are due on 1 December 2014.

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A important new reference work is now available on BIBSITE

A new and important reference work, British Book Auction Catalogues 1801–1900: A Preliminary Version of Munby-Coral 2, is now available on our online bibliographical resources site, BIBSITE.

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Applications due July 31 for BSA’s 2015 New Scholars Program

Each year the Bibliographical Society of America invites three scholars in the early stages of their careers to present 20-minute papers on their own current unpublished research in the field of bibliography as members of a panel at BSA’s Annual Meeting, which takes place in New York City in late January.

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The Society announces the 2014 BSA Research Fellows

Congratulations to the awardees of the 2014 fellowships!

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Joseph J. Felcone awarded 2014 St. Louis Mercantile Library Prize

The Bibliographical Society of America has awarded the 2014 St. Louis Mercantile Library Prize for outstanding scholarship in the bibliography of American history and literature to Joseph J. Felcone for his book Printing in New Jersey 1754-1800: A Descriptive Bibliography (American Antiquarian Society, 2012).

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Military Historians and Bibliographers

A Panel Discussion Jointly Sponsored by the Bibliographical Society of America and the Society for Military History, held at the 2014 Society for Military History Annual Meeting

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Bibliography, Collections and the History of Science

The Caxton Club & The Bibliographical Society of America in cooperation with the University of Wisconsin, Madison Libraries present “Bibliography, Collections & the History of Science.”

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An Endowment Honoring William B. Todd

The Harry Ransom Center, a humanities research library and museum at the University of Texas at Austin has plans to establish an endowment honoring William B. Todd (1919-2011). The endowment would support an annual research fellowship in bibliographical study at the Center.

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Papers of the Bibliographical Society

Our distinguished journal, the Papers of the Bibliographical Society of America, continues under the leadership of new Editor David Gants, with the assistance of Meaghan J. Brown. Please see the revised schedule for publication of all issues in Volume 107 by year’s end.

The St. Louis Mercantile Library Prize in American Bibliography

Funded by the St. Louis Mercantile Library at the University of Missouri, St. Louis, an institutional member of the Society, this prize is intended to encourage scholarship in the bibliography of American history and literature.

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The Bibliographical Society of America Nominations

In January 2014 the BSA will elect the officers of the Society and Council Class of 2017. The officers (President, Vice President, Secretary, and Treasurer) will serve two-year terms (2014–2016), and four councillors will serve three-year terms (2014–2017).

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Report from the 2014 BSA Nominating Committee

The committee is pleased to announce the following nominations for officers and council members.

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