21st Century Book Collecting

Spencer W Stuart, Collections Advisor

Every other year, Southern California hosts one of the largest and most important opportunities to see and buy rare books, manuscripts, ephemera, prints and maps on the West Coast. The Antiquarian Booksellers Association of America’s International Book Fair takes place over three days with scores of dealers from around the world. For first time attendees, these fairs can seem overwhelming, but building a collection is not as intimidating or expensive as it could be. It’s also no longer straight-forward. More than a quarter of the way into the century, traditional models of developing collections, both privately and institutionally, are no longer common practice. While book fairs have been held for centuries, they are now only one of many options for acquiring materials. The implications of these structural changes for emerging collectors, seasoned professionals, and those in the process of estate planning are important.

Join Collections Advisor, Spencer W Stuart, as he outlines these transformations and how to navigate them as a collector. Using collector case studies from his professional practice, Spencer will demonstrate generational changes in the outlook and intent around building collections of rare books and ephemera brought on by technological and economic changes to the trade and auction arena.

Spencer W Stuart is a Collections Advisor working with new, expanding, mature, and de-accessioning collections throughout the world, both in private and institutional contexts, aiding to facilitate collection development, cataloguing, and de-acquisition strategies.

In tandem with his advisory work, he is author of Contemporary Issues in Rare Book & Manuscript Collecting, the host of the monthly webinar series COLLECTING INSIGHTS as well as the weekly Rare Book industry roundup The Antiquarian Outlook. His articles have appeared through Rare Book Hub, Amphora, and Manuscripts. He also occasionally appears on CBC Radio to present segments on Book History.

The lecture is free to attend with advance registration. It will be held in-person at the Clark Library. Seating is limited at the Clark Library; walk-in registrants are welcome as space permits. The registration form will be posted here approximately one month in advance of the program.

Photo credit: Photo courtesy of Spencer W Stuart