Antiquarian Booksellers Association of Canada
Encyclopedia
The Antiquarian Booksellers' Association of Canada (ABAC) is the International League of Antiquarian Booksellers
’ (ILAB) affiliated organization of professional antiquarian booksellers in Canada
. The Antiquarian Booksellers' Association of Canada was founded in 1966 with the aim of fostering interest in rare books and manuscripts and maintaining high standards in the antiquarian book trade. To further these objectives the ABAC sponsors antiquarian book fairs and endeavours to stimulate interest in book collecting
by private collectors and public institutions.
ABAC firms are qualified to provide appraisals of manuscripts, antique maps and prints, and antiquarian and rare books; for estate, tax, insurance or sale purposes.
The antiquarian bookseller has one or more fields of expertise. This expertise is partially demonstrated through scholarship, bibliographic descriptions, collations, catalogues, lists, quotes and appraisals. An antiquarian bookseller must also have a good reference library of bibliographies and standard reference works.
1969-1971 Hugh Anson-Cartwright
1971-1973 Grant Woolmer
1973-1975 Jerry G. Sherlock
1975-1976 H.E. Heinemann
1976-1979 David Mason
1979-1981 Patrick McGahern
1981-1983 Gail Wilson
1983-1985 John D. Townsend
1985-1987 Helen Kahn
1987-1989 William Matthews
1989-1991 Michel Brisebois
1991-1993 Gary Shoquist
1993-1995 Don Lake
1995-1997 Richard Shuh
1997-2000 Michael J. Thompson
2000-2002 Steven Temple
2002-2004 Bjarne Tokerud
2004-2006 Wilfrid de Freitas
2006-2008 Roger Auger
2008-2010 Eric Peter Waschke
in rare and antiquarian books, and related material;
to provide booksellers with a forum of association with colleagues;
and to provide buyers with sources of books, etc.,
where the highest professional and ethical standards will be observed.
To that end, the ABAC and its members will:
Establish and further friendly co-operation amongst antiquarian booksellers in Canada and abroad.
Stimulate interest in collecting books by private individuals and public institutions.
Uphold the status of the antiquarian book trade and maintain its high professional standards, and assure the public that they have recourse in the event of a dispute with a Member of the Association.
Promote the advancement of the technical and general knowledge of those engaged in the book trade.
Act on behalf of the antiquarian book trade when individual action would be less likely to succeed.
Benefit the trade as a whole by sponsoring co-operative exhibitions, and by supporting the publication of materials relevant to the book trade
Collect funds to be used for the specific and general purpose of this Corporation.
of the International League of Antiquarian Booksellers.
This provides customers with certain guarantees
so that they may buy with confidence from ABAC members.
These guarantees include:
That all items offered for sale will be fully and accurately described, and that all known defects will be disclosed.
That all items are authentic, and clearly priced.
That all prices are accurate and professional.
That all valuations and appraisals are fair and in keeping with the antiquarian book market.
ILAB site http://www.ilab.org/
TIABF site http://www.torontoantiquarianbookfair.com/
International League of Antiquarian Booksellers
The International League of Antiquarian Booksellers is a non-profit umbrella organization of bookseller associations, with its legal location in Geneva, Switzerland. It federates 22 National Associations of Antiquarian Booksellers, representing nearly 2000 dealers in 32 countries...
’ (ILAB) affiliated organization of professional antiquarian booksellers in Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. The Antiquarian Booksellers' Association of Canada was founded in 1966 with the aim of fostering interest in rare books and manuscripts and maintaining high standards in the antiquarian book trade. To further these objectives the ABAC sponsors antiquarian book fairs and endeavours to stimulate interest in book collecting
Book collecting
Book collecting is the collecting of books, including seeking, locating, acquiring, organizing, cataloging, displaying, storing, and maintaining whatever books are of interest to a given individual collector. The love of books is bibliophilia, and someone who loves to read, admire, and collect...
by private collectors and public institutions.
ABAC firms are qualified to provide appraisals of manuscripts, antique maps and prints, and antiquarian and rare books; for estate, tax, insurance or sale purposes.
ABAC Toronto International Antiquarian Book Fair (TIABF)
The Antiquarian Booksellers’ Association of Canada sponsors the Toronto International Antiquarian Book Fair (TIABF), the only international antiquarian book fair in Canada.Membership
Membership in the Association is restricted to booksellers who have a minimum of three years' experience and can provide four recommendations from members in good standing who can vouch for the applicant's expertise and integrity. Election is at the discretion of the executive.Joining the ABAC
Membership is open to antiquarian booksellers of good character and reputation who have been actively and solely engaged for at least three continuous years in the buying and selling of antiquarian books and manuscripts and related materials, and whose principal place of business is Canada.The antiquarian bookseller has one or more fields of expertise. This expertise is partially demonstrated through scholarship, bibliographic descriptions, collations, catalogues, lists, quotes and appraisals. An antiquarian bookseller must also have a good reference library of bibliographies and standard reference works.
Past Presidents
1966-1969 Bernard Amtmann1969-1971 Hugh Anson-Cartwright
1971-1973 Grant Woolmer
1973-1975 Jerry G. Sherlock
1975-1976 H.E. Heinemann
1976-1979 David Mason
1979-1981 Patrick McGahern
1981-1983 Gail Wilson
1983-1985 John D. Townsend
1985-1987 Helen Kahn
1987-1989 William Matthews
1989-1991 Michel Brisebois
1991-1993 Gary Shoquist
1993-1995 Don Lake
1995-1997 Richard Shuh
1997-2000 Michael J. Thompson
2000-2002 Steven Temple
2002-2004 Bjarne Tokerud
2004-2006 Wilfrid de Freitas
2006-2008 Roger Auger
2008-2010 Eric Peter Waschke
ABAC Mission & Ethics
The mission of the ABAC is to foster an interestin rare and antiquarian books, and related material;
to provide booksellers with a forum of association with colleagues;
and to provide buyers with sources of books, etc.,
where the highest professional and ethical standards will be observed.
To that end, the ABAC and its members will:
Establish and further friendly co-operation amongst antiquarian booksellers in Canada and abroad.
Stimulate interest in collecting books by private individuals and public institutions.
Uphold the status of the antiquarian book trade and maintain its high professional standards, and assure the public that they have recourse in the event of a dispute with a Member of the Association.
Promote the advancement of the technical and general knowledge of those engaged in the book trade.
Act on behalf of the antiquarian book trade when individual action would be less likely to succeed.
Benefit the trade as a whole by sponsoring co-operative exhibitions, and by supporting the publication of materials relevant to the book trade
Collect funds to be used for the specific and general purpose of this Corporation.
Code of Ethics
All members of the ABAC adhere to the Code of Ethicsof the International League of Antiquarian Booksellers.
This provides customers with certain guarantees
so that they may buy with confidence from ABAC members.
These guarantees include:
That all items offered for sale will be fully and accurately described, and that all known defects will be disclosed.
That all items are authentic, and clearly priced.
That all prices are accurate and professional.
That all valuations and appraisals are fair and in keeping with the antiquarian book market.
See also
- International League of Antiquarian BooksellersInternational League of Antiquarian BooksellersThe International League of Antiquarian Booksellers is a non-profit umbrella organization of bookseller associations, with its legal location in Geneva, Switzerland. It federates 22 National Associations of Antiquarian Booksellers, representing nearly 2000 dealers in 32 countries...
- Australian and New Zealand Association of Antiquarian BooksellersAustralian and New Zealand Association of Antiquarian BooksellersThe Australian and New Zealand Association of Antiquarian Booksellers , formed in 1977, is the professional body which represents the members of the antiquarian book business in Australia and New Zealand. It aims to promote the standing, welfare, and growth of the local antiquarian book business...
- Antiquarian Booksellers Association of AustriaAntiquarian Booksellers Association of AustriaThe Antiquarian Booksellers Association of Austria, formed in 1949, includes those Austrian antiquarian booksellers who exclusively or primarily buy and sell antiquarian books, magazines, prints, autograph letters or music....
- Antiquarian Booksellers AssociationAntiquarian Booksellers AssociationThe Antiquarian Booksellers Association is the senior trade body in the British Isles for dealers in antiquarian and rare books, manuscripts and allied materials.-History:It was founded in 1906 and is the oldest organization of its kind in the world...
- Syndicat National de la Librairie Ancienne et Moderne (SLAM)Syndicat National de la Librairie Ancienne et Moderne (SLAM)Syndicat National de la Librairie Ancienne et Moderne , the national antiquarian book association of France, was created in 1914.Its primary objectives is to make the public aware of the world of antique books...
- Antiquarian Booksellers' Association of AmericaAntiquarian Booksellers' Association of AmericaThe Antiquarian Booksellers' Association of America is an organization of rare and antiquarian book dealers.-History:Founded in 1949, the ABAA is the benchmark for professionalism and ethics in the rare book trade in the US...
- Danish Antiquarian Booksellers AssociationDanish Antiquarian Booksellers AssociationThe Danish Antiquarian Booksellers' Association , is the premier Danish organization of professional antiquarian booksellers. It is the oldest league of antiquarian booksellers in Scandinavia as well as one of the oldest of its kind in the world, only preceded by the English ABA and the French SLAM...
- Belgian Antiquarian Booksellers AssociationBelgian Antiquarian Booksellers AssociationLa Chambre Professionelle Belge de la Librairie Ancienne et Moderne /Belgische Beroepskamer van Antiquaren , is the Belgian professional chamber of antiquarian booksellers....
- Antiquarian Booksellers Association of JapanAntiquarian Booksellers Association of JapanThe Antiquarian Booksellers Association of Japan was established in November 1964 by ten major antiquarian booksellers from Tokyo, Osaka and Kyoto...
- Antiquarian Booksellers Association of KoreaAntiquarian Booksellers Association of KoreaThe Antiquarian Booksellers Association of Korea , the national antiquarian book association of Korea, was founded in 1989 and joined the International League of Antiquarian Booksellers in 1990 during the Tokyo Congress, thus becoming its 18th member....
- Nederlandsche Vereeniging van AntiquarenNederlandsche Vereeniging van AntiquarenNederlandsche Vereeniging van Antiquaren , the Dutch antiquarian booksellers' association, was founded in 1935 with the object of promoting reliability in the trade of old books and prints.-History:...
- Vereinigung der Buchantiquare und Kupferstichhändler in der SchweizVereinigung der Buchantiquare und Kupferstichhändler in der SchweizVereinigung der Buchantiquare und Kupferstichhändler in der Schweiz , the antiquarian booksellers association of Switzerland, was founded in 1939 and has been a member of the International League of Antiquarian Booksellers since 1947....
External links
ABAC site http://www.abac.org/ILAB site http://www.ilab.org/
TIABF site http://www.torontoantiquarianbookfair.com/