Bob will give speech at University of Delaware

On Wednesday, October 26 at 4:30pm,  Bob will give a presentation titled “The Gift that Keeps Giving: Tales of Collectors and Their Library Beneficiaries in America,” at the Reserve Room of the Morris Library at the University of Delaware. The presentation will be held in conjunction with their exhibition, “A Decade of Donors 2000-2010.”

Bob’s speech will highlight books, letters, manuscripts, photographs, printed ephemera, artwork, and other items that have been donated to Special Collections over the past ten years, as well as discuss some serious and not so serious tales of collectors and their gifts to libraries. The UDaily wrote an article about his upcoming speech including a brief biography of Bob and Oak Knoll Books and Press. Click here to read the article

Guild of Book Workers features the Thread that Binds

The latest issue of the Guild of Book Workers Newsletter features an article on Pamela Leutz and the Lone Star Chapter of the Guild of Book Workers’ exhibition featuring Leutz’s new publication The Thread that Binds: Interviews with Private Practice Binders. The exhibition features fifty-five copies of her book bound by various artists, making it the largest exhibit to date held by the Lone Star Chapter.

From June 3 to August 12, the exhibition was displayed in the main hall of the DeGolyer Library on the Southern Methodist University Campus in Dallas, Texas. Now, from September 29 to January 14, 2012, the exhibition will move to the Museum of Printing History in Houston, Texas. The exhibition includes bindings from Eric Alstrom, Scott Keller, Don Etherington, Julie Sullivan, Esther Kibby, and more.

Click here for more information on the exhibition at its new location.

A successful mini-fair

This past Saturday, The Bookshop in Old New Castle hosted a mini-book fair sponsored by the Mid-Atlantic Chapter of the ABAA. Thirteen booksellers participated in the fair, and author Joel Silver signed copies of his new publication Dr. Rosenbach and Mr. Lilly. The day was very successful, and we were excited to see those involved enjoying the opportunity to sell and purchase books. One participating bookseller, George Krzyminski from Certain Books, had wonderful words to say about the event:

“Speaking only for myself, I did very well, in buying as well as selling – better than some all-day or all weekend events I’ve exhibited at in the recent past. I met at least 3 new customers, quoted them some other material afterwards and met several dealers with which I’d had no previous contact – all to the good. I believe others at the show had similar experiences. We also had the opportunity to purchase & have Joel Silver sign his newest book, “Dr. Rosenbach & Mr. Lilly.” And of course, we all dipped into shopping the shelves at Oak Knoll the entire time…

I repeat Penny’s compliments and thanks to Bob & Millie & Rob Fleck and their staff, to all the other Bookshop in Old New Castle dealers – Bordentown, Kelmscott, Between the Covers- for their willingness to ‘share the space’ and custom with us all – and to all the dealers and their partners and staff that showed up for the workshop & show, who fully participated and had a good, profitably-spent time!”

Thank you, George for your kind words. We are happy you had such a great experience, and we hope all the rest of the booksellers had a great time as well! We look forward to participating in other similar events in the future.

Click here to view more pictures on facebook.

Saturday Book Fair!

Come out to The Bookshop in Old New Castle this Saturday between 10am and 2pm to check out the mini-book fair and sale held by the Mid-Atlantic Chapter of the ABAA. With thirteen booksellers showcasing their finest materials, you are sure to find some excellent books, all which will be available for purchase.

The event will also feature a book signing by Joel Silver of his new publication, Dr. Rosenbach and Mr. Lilly: Book Collecting in a Golden Age. This book is a microcosm of a great age of book collecting, in which choices were made by booksellers and collectors alike that shaped the contents of some of the greatest research libraries of today.

In addition to Oak Knoll, Antipodean Books, Between the Covers Rare Books, Black Swan Books, Brian Cassidy Bookseller, Certain Books, Hammer Mountain Book Hall, The Kelmscott Bookshop, Bruce McKittrick Rare Books, the Old Bookshop of Bordentown, Willis Monie Books, Philadelphia Rare Books & Manuscripts, and Wellread Books will be participating in the fair.

Oak Knoll Books will be open all day Saturday from 9am to 5pm.

Click here for more information.

Is it time for us to update our website?

Here at Oak Knoll, we have been talking a lot about upgrading our website to offer easier browsing and navigation. We want to make sure that that time you spend on our site is enjoyable and efficient. So what do you think? Is it time for us to upgrade, or are you happy with our website as it is? Let us know your thoughts by emailing oakknoll@oakknoll.com or posting on our blog. Be sure to tell us what you like most about our website and what frustrates you the most. We would love to hear any suggestions you might have that would make your browsing experience the best it can be. We look forward to hearing from you!

Ten in ten: The top ten Oak Knoll Press titles over the past ten years

These books are perennial Oak Knoll best-sellers: the ten titles we’ve published that have sold the most copies in the past ten years. Check them out, if you haven’t already—they’ve been well vetted and have withstood the test of time!

10.  An Elegant Hand, The Golden Age of American Penmanship by William E. Henning. We published this book in 2002 and went back to the presses in 2006. As well as appealing to those who study calligraphy, this book has sold to a surprising market—homeschooling parents who want their kids to learn classical penmanship.

9.  Historical Scripts from Classical Times to the Renaissance by Stan Knight. The Oak Knoll edition was first published in 1998 and reprinted in 2003 and 2009. Another great title on calligraphy, this is the only Oak Knoll title so far to be translated and published in Japan. Stan Knight is currently working on a companion volume on Historical Types.

8. Headbands, How to Work Them by Jane Greenfield and Jenny Hille. We published this in 1990 and have reprinted it five times since. This one is a surprise best-seller—who would’ve thought a book on such a specific topic (how to make a headband, that little strip of cotton or silk at the top and bottom of a spine) would be so popular! This book was recently translated and published in France.

7.  ABC of Bookbinding by Jane Greenfield. Published in 1998 and reprinted in 2002 and 2007. Jane Greenfield is the only author to have two titles on the best-sellers list. She takes apart the structure of the book, defining and illustrating almost every conceivable part. A great reference book.

6. The History of the Library in Western Civilization Volume I by Konstantinos Sp. Staikos. The first volume of this epic series came out in 2004. Additional volumes showed up in 2005, 2007, and 2010, and part five is due to arrive the start of 2012. The series will be completed in 2013 with the publication of the index and bibliography. An excellent comprehensive history on the topic.

5.  The Repair of Cloth Bindings by Arthur Johnson. Published in 2002 and reprinted in 2005, this long-lasting title is probably due for another reprint soon! A useful manual giving sound repair techniques for cloth bindings.

4.  Letterpress Printing, A Manual for Modern Fine Press Printers by Paul Maravelas. First published in 2006, this one went right back to the press in 2007, and again in 2010. The comprehensive source book for beginning and intermediate letterpress printers.

3.  The Typographic Desk Reference by Theodore Rosendorf. The newest title on the list, TDR was published in 2009, and quickly sold out! It’s currently on its third printing, and Theo Rosendorf is working on a new edition to be published in 2012 or 2013. Designed for quick consultation, it contains 1000 entries that are concise and factual, making it handy for the desk.

2.  A New Introduction to Bibliography by Philip Gaskell. Oak Knoll issued its first printing of this classic manual in 1995, and we’ve reprinted it five times since then. An important reference work for students and practitioners of bibliography.

1. ABC for Book Collectors by John Carter (revised by Nicolas Barker). 1992 was a landmark year for Oak Knoll, as we acquired the rights to publish John Carter’s book collecting classic. We published the sixth edition in 1992, the seventh in 1995, and the eighth in 2004, with several printings of each edition in between. If you only have one book about books in your library, this should be the one!

All of these titles are still in print, and all are included in our 2011 Sale Catalogue, published last week. If your library is missing any of these titles, now is a great time to fill in the gaps, as all titles are 25-50% off!

A mention and a video review of ABC for Book Collectors!

Check out this great article on AbeBooks titled Shelf Help: The Best Guides to Book Collecting. The article mentions ABC for Book Collectors as the single indispensible book for the beginner collector. At the bottom of the article is a great video review of the book explaining more of how ABC for Book Collectors is a great resource for both beginner and veteran collectors.

ABC for Book Collectors is also on sale in our new 2011 Oak Knoll Press Sale Catalogue.

Click here to read the article, and click here for more information on the book.