Resources For The Beginning Collector

Rosemary Jones and Diane McClure Jones
A Collector's Guide to Children's Books, 1850 to 1975, 3 vols.; c. 175 pp. ea
Boys' and Girls' Book Series: Real World Adventures, 1850 to 1975, c. 275 pp
Encyclopedia of Collectible Children's Books
Available in Spring/Summer 2008:

References

We use: Zempel, Edward N. and Verkler, Linda A.
First Editions: A Guide to Identifications.
Spoon River Press, Third Edition, 1995 and Fourth Edition 2001
Printings of editions are identified by publishers' statements. Especially in the case of picture books, these statements may not be accurate; we have been conservative. Please email with any additional questions.

COLLECTING CHILDREN'S LITERATURE

HOW CAN I DESIGN A COLLECTION?
WHERE CAN I FIND MY BOOKS?
WHAT PHYSICAL CONDITION SHOULD I AIM FOR IN MY BOOKS?
HOW CAN I BE SURE OF THE EDITION?
HOW SHOULD I CARE FOR MY COLLECTION?
HOW CAN I FIND OUT MORE ABOUT MY BOOKS?
WHAT WILL HAPPEN TO MY COLLECTION?

If you are reading this article, the stash of worn books left over from your childhood has begun to grow again. The immediacy which returns as we read these old books and the pleasures of passing them on to a new generation are unique to children's book collecting. I recently reread Little Women in an old Roberts copy just like the one from which my grandmother read for hours at a time to my cousin Julia and me. The same edition and the same worn binding brought back long summer days of sixty years ago, the book's characters were incarnate, my sisters of childhood. While I find Meg more sympathetic and Jo more irritating than I once did, there is no question of my casting this family aside. Blood is thicker than water!

The field of children's book collecting, formerly centered around fine illustrated editions and first printings of children's classics, has broadened enormously in the last few years. Our focus at Oldchildrensbooks.com is on children's literature of the last hundred and fifty years or so, books which children can still read and enjoy as a story. However, most of the observations below apply to all fields of children's book collecting.

With the expansion of children's book collecting and the ease of using the net, prices of rare children's books have risen and those of easily available books have fallen. While a collection of children's books in nice condition and edition acquired at today's prices will hold its monetary value well, it is a questionable investment of capital. Your collection's greatest rewards will be intangible. Below you will find ideas for shaping your collection and guidelines for choosing individual volumes so that they will be valuable to you and perhaps to others.

HOW CAN I DESIGN A COLLECTION?

Your collection is yours and no one else's. It should reflect your own interests and tastes. Somewhere in the world, an institution is collecting complete runs of just about anything published, so there is no need to duplicate the effort. Collect what pleases you. Here are some possible approaches, most based on ideas of friends and customers.

Personal collections

Unless you are quite famous or live a very long time, collections like these have little interest to the world at large, but they will enrich your life and the life of your family.

Books that please you: The most personal collection of all is just composed of books you like. I'd have to say that my own collection runs in this direction. Perhaps it can't be considered a collection at all, but when I see The Ear, the Eye, and the Arm next to Peter Newell's Alices, I think they are enjoying each other's company!

Loved books from your past: Tracking down the books you loved as a child can be an absorbing treasure hunt and the resulting shelf a pleasure to keep nearby. Wouldn't you like to have a shelf of your great-grandfather's favorite childhood books right now?... How about forming small collections of your own and your parents' favorites for each of your children to pass down to their children. Or what about nice copies of the books you used when you first taught, or the books you read to your children when they were very young? We had one customer who collected significant books written in the year of his birth, 1922, which was a good year as it turned out!

Standard Collections

Interesting to research and compile, these collections take almost limitless forms. Again, collect what you like, the more specific the better. Some resources to get you started can be found on the bibliography above and the booklinks on this site. Biographies of children's authors and illustrators are available, but bibliographic references, which detail the bindings and publication history of each of their books, are hard to find.

Author collections: Collect the author's work in the best condition and edition you can afford. If your interest is in one of the great names of children's literature, you may not be able to afford a significant collection, but you can still contribute. Many of the famous children's authors, like Beatrix Potter, have societies devoted to researching their lives and work, see our Booklinks. Join the author's society and participate in its conferences and journals. You will be able find ideas to shape your collection, so that it can be unique. If you are interested in a relatively unrecognized author, a complete run of an author's work, copies of letters, locations of institutional collections and any biographical material will be challenging to assemble and useful as well.

Illustrator collections: The comments above about apply to illustrator collections, as well. You will be able to find bibliographies of famous illustrators: Dulac, Rackham, Sendak, and others. If examples of turn of the century illustrators are out of reach, what about an illustrator from the 20's or 30's (incidentally a good monetary investment), or a modern illustrator whole work you like? Most artists produced magazine illustrations and illustrations for juvenile novels before they went on to do their own books and these can be fun to track down. For a real challenge, modern illustrators often started out by illustrating jackets, and their early jackets can only be identified by the signature or style; no publisher's blurb is present. Original sketches and paintings by children's book illustrators are available from a few specialized dealers and sometimes come up at auction.

Title collections: The way in which different illustrators have interpreted a classic can make a fascinating collection, for example, Alice in Wonderland, Child's Garden of Verses, The Water Babies, Aesop. Collections of Mother Goose and ABC books, versions of fairy tales or Bible stories. All these have such a large range of books to choose from that you can specialize even further.

Topic collections: Just about any topic which interests you or relates to your life will make an interesting collection and one that need not be expensive. Some examples, Noah's ark, fire engines, donkeys, trade unions, trains, dandelions.

Genre collections: You can simply collect the books you like in your genre of choice, or you can investigate the changes in these books through history. Define your genre collection in narrow enough terms so that you can compile it successfully: science fiction set on Mars, Viking historical fiction, English time slip fantasies from the mid 20th c, mysteries set in California, nature poetry.

Ethnic/cultural collections: A type of collection of interest to both children's book people and "grown-ups" centers around your own state or region, or reminds you of a place that you love. This field is also ripe for developing an original collection of groups whose contributions are recently becomming known: early Latino illustrators, books by Indian writers in English, juvenile novels from Eastern Europe, political refugees.

Award collections: If you are interested in the history of children's book publication, a Newbery or Caldecott or Carnegie collection will be meaningful to you even though it is duplicated elsewhere. Be aware that some of these books, like the Little House, are virtually impossible to find in collectible first printings, and define your collection parameters accordingly. Please collect the Honor books as well! Other award collections might be of more interest to your local library should you eventually wish to donate them, such as the Mildred L. Batchelder Award for outstanding books in translation, the Coretta Scott King Award, the new Charlotte Zolotow Award for picture book writing, the Pura Belpre Award for books in the emergent field of Chicano literature, or even the Phoenix award for a book published 20 years previously which did not win an award.

Publisher/Binding collections: Hardcover bindings can be fun to search out and a treat to look at: Volland books, Lang fairy tales in first edition, Dent classics (I just like the endpapers), Altemus books. Early Puffin paperbacks and Puffin club material show a respect for quality in children's paperback publishing that has not been equalled. Children's softcover collecting can involve illustration, as well, for instance one could collect the beautiful work of Rojan (kovsky) and Helene Guertik in early Pere Castor books.

The materials and shapes of children's books provide more ideas for binding collections: Dean's Rag Books, Kohler Felt books, house shaped books, Japanese crepe paper books, panoramas, a few pop-ups, books with dolls and toys in them. Our "playbook" listings at oldchildrensbooks.com comprise stories a modern child would enjoy, with amusing writing and strong characters, or simple baby books which to us look sweet but not saccharine.

On-line

Millions of books are for sale on-line. You can use addall.used.com as a metasearch of large online databases if you don't mind wading through the duplicate listings. However, Abebooks has most of the material listed online, except for individual dealer sites. I will just mention a few sources to get you started.

Abebooks.com: The Advanced Book Exchange (ABE) has the best search engine on the internet (except ours!) and the largest number of books. However it helps us in searching abe that we know the dealers and understand how to spot honest listings. Some search hints: Remember that many thousands of dealers list on abe, and they do not all stick to the rules or format their information in the same way, so be flexible when you use the Advanced Search. Put the publisher in Keyword, try variant misspellings,(Streetfield, streatfield...); try easily spelled parts of authors or titles (Noel.... Shoes). Almost all of the children's specialist dealers listed on the de Grummond webpage list on ABE even though they may list elsewhere, and the opportunity to communicate with the dealer and leave permanent wants is invaluable. When you purchase directly from us through our website at oldchildrensbooks.com, we discount our prices 5% from our abe listings.

If only one copy of your book comes up, look up the prices of other books offered by that seller and compare them to prices of established dealers before you buy. Be especially careful of overpriced ex-library books. To compare listing language, try to find ABAA children's specialist dealers. Look up a fairly common valuable book (House at Pooh Corner 1st trade edition) and read their condition descriptions, publication data, and prices carefully. There are excellent, established dealers who are not members of the ABAA and they will have similarly detailed listings.

Ebay: Ebay has a huge range of dealers, from professionals, to enthusiastic beginners who are eager to learn, to people who absolutely refuse to grade and pack carefully. If you do not care at all about condition or edition or if you are looking for a book which is not in great demand, Ebay is a good place to buy. Otherwise you need to spend time interviewing the seller. There are good booksellers on Ebay and they don't mind being asked about their books or shipping practices. Very popular books are usually cheaper and in better shape on Abe.

Want Lists: The Abe Permanent Want service is a great resource, but if you are looking for popular books, like Mushroom Planets, contact the seller as early in the morning as possible or the early-birds will beat you to it. Ebay's works well too.

Websites: Most children's specialist booksellers maintain separate sites and collections on-line. The best source of this information, again, is the page of de Grummond collection listings. All these dealers are knowledgeable and trustworthy.

Auctions: Bookwire.com has a good list of Auction Houses. You can order a catalogue or buy lots at auctions on-line by a proxy bid. Make sure to read the buyer's premium percentage and shipping costs carefully and factor them in. Different auction houses have different condition grading standards. Your books will probably not be returnable, so you need to offer a sight unseen price.

Offline

Although the net has brought a general awareness of the value of children's books, so that garage sales and Goodwills are becoming picked over, offline books still offer the best opportunities for a children's literature hunter.

Local bookstores: Many small bookstores now sell on the net, but you can still find inexpensive titles on their shelves, especially their paperbacks (check your Book Hunter's Guide). Bookstores will also search for you.

Library book sales: If you have a large, well-run library booksale in your area and you are willing to arrive as early as the book scouts (about 4:30 AM for the best sales in Western Oregon), you can still find wonderful treasures. However, unless you are seeking a wide variety of titles, as with a topic collection, you'll expend lots of effort for just a few books. Great fun though!

Catalogues: Many of the Children's Specialist dealers on the de Grummond list publish written catelogues and will mail them to you. Pouring over a catalogue is certainly the pleasantest way outside of a bookstore to purchase books. You may find the prices in catalogues surprisingly reasonable and, since you'll have time to look at the inventory carefully and buy a few books, you will save on shipping. Books generally appear in catalogues weeks to months before they are uploaded to the net. We publish an annual illustrated catalogue in May with about 500 listings of Pre1922 books, Modern Picture Books, and Modern Juveniles, see Catalogue 21, our most recent. Please contact us if you would like to receive it.

By appointment: Although specialist dealers do not usually have open shops, they have large collections and regular work hours. You will be welcome to call and ask to visit them by appointment. You can use the Bookhunter Guide, see www.Bookhunter.com, or purchase their frequently updated books, to find specialists in your area. We have a small Book House with the books arranged for browsing on the shelves. You are welcome to stop by.

Secret source! Your obscure title lies waiting in the unlisted back stock of children's book specialist dealers: twenty or so in the United States, many in England, some in Canada, and a few in Australia and New Zealand (in English language books, that is). Many have thousands of carefully selected books that are sitting on shelves but are not yet catalogued or offered on-line. All of us, I think, have boxes that have not yet been entered and are stacked in storage. It takes most of an afternoon to call around, but you'll get to talk to some pleasant people who know your book.

Book fairs: At present there are no regular children's book fairs in the United States, although ABAA and major regional fairs always have six or seven booksellers who deal exclusively in children's books. It's worth going to these fairs to see what a book in Very Good or Near Fine condition really looks like and to enjoy the beautiful colours and bindings of first editions. You may be surprised to find quite affordable copies tucked among the $300 books. If you can't afford the show books, always ask the dealer if he has less expensive copies of your book at home. Only a few dealers in the United States stock nothing but show quality material.

Where do these amazing books at fairs come from? Some from the same sources you use yourself, with a lot more time spent looking, some from books or collections offered by customers, some from large lots from estates and auctions, some from brokers of large estates who sell them to specialists, some from book scouts, and some purchased from other dealers.

Book searches: Real offline/online book searches are hard work, involving experience and careful record keeping. Such a search is very different from the automatic electronic matching offered by certain large on-line firms, which you can easily duplicate yourself, see Want Lists above.

If you establish a working relationship with a children's book specialist dealer, she may call you or mark your catalogue when the right book comes in but this service is not a real book search. Please don't ask for a popular instant seller (Tasha Tudor) or for anything outside the dealer's specialty area; the book has to be one the dealer can afford and wouldn't mind keeping in stock.

We highly recommend Jeryl Metz, a pleasant and highly knowledgeable children's specialist dealer who has been conducting book searches for children's books for many years. Jeryl Metz, Books 697 West End Ave, #13A, New York, NY, U.S.A., 10025-6823. Contact: Tel: 212-864-3055 or Email: Jmwbooks@aol.com,

WHAT PHYSICAL CONDITION SHOULD I AIM FOR IN MY BOOKS?

Unless a title is extremely rare, extremely old, and extremely significant, a children's book is considered collectible only when it is in Very Good condition or better, in the original condition as issued. You will hear that children's books are always in terrible shape and that condition does not matter in this field. This is not true. It is true that the absolutely pristine books seen in collections of Modern Firsts appear less frequently in children's offerings, but, as with other fields of collecting where books are expected to have been read, very nice condition is still important.

Of course, you can collect books in any condition you prefer. Personally, I enjoy scrawly little inscriptions written in beginner's printing, but, for most people, these are defects which detract from the value of the book. We have customers who are assembling large private research collections of certain genres and accept VG ex-libraries in nice cleaned jackets; it would be almost impossible to build their collections otherwise. However, we are all aware that the resale value of books in Good condition or less is uncertain. These books are of value in the context of their collection.

Ex-libraries: Because the original condition has been greatly altered, a juvenile or picture book ex-library is not considered a collectible book. Certain dealers on the net work on a pure here and now, supply and demand model and thus they used to put outrageous prices on popular children's ex-libraries; you will still see the occasional left-over $250 "withdrawn from suburban library". When these books were reprinted, the prices of the ex-libraries fell dramatically. However, if a rare book has come from an uncirculated Special Collection and thus has few marks and little wear, it still has some value; the same applies to scarce children's reference titles.

Books without jackets: Actually jackets have been used on children's books since the mid 1800's and were issued on most early 20th century books. Initially they were plain covers made to protect the book on the bookstore shelf. I have found jackets like these with lovely designs, but they were made to be discarded. As time went on, jackets began to take on some of the functions which were originally incorporated in the book: an attractive cover, an author biography, a title list, a price, a book advertisement, perhaps a date.

Unfortunately, there is no clear cut-off date before which a book is collectible without its jacket and after which it is considered incomplete without its jacket. As a general rule, books published in the 20's and beyond should be listed as missing a jacket (VG/0). Books before that time are not usually identified as missing jackets, although, as I mentioned above, they were often issued with them. However, the collectibility of a jacketless book depends more on how much essential information is missing. Early editions of Dr. Suess need their jacket for full identification. Illustrated plate books that were issued with jacket are still collected without the jacket. In general, the older the book, the less important the jacket.

How consistent are condition grades?: Children's specialist dealers who also do business offline with catalogues, shows, and private customers grade very consistently: that is if you gave each of them the same box of books to grade, the grades would be nearly identical. With an established dealer, you can usually assume that any flaws mentioned are the worst ones (i.e. if there is a quarter inch closed tear in the jacket mentioned, the hinges are not broken). There is a wide variation in grading standards on the net, especially on Ebay. I tend to trust descriptions that mention small flaws and do not use overblown adjectives or stock phrases, such as "good for its age". If you do not know an on-line dealer, you need to pay more attention to the specific details of condition and pretty much ignore the grading.

Dealers who primarily hand-sell books at shows and by appointment write shorter condition descriptions, but their grading reflects the book's condition. It is perfectly acceptable to email for more information. If you seem to be working with an experienced dealer, say "What are the worst flaws in the book, in the jacket?" If the dealer seems unsure, just ask what the particular parts look like, "What does the top of the spine look like?" etc.

HOW CAN I BE SURE OF THE EDITION?

The short answer is: You can't unless you have a working relationship with a specialist dealer. It is difficult to determine the publication data, especially with picture books, published before the number line came into use: the editor in charge of a particular picture book might not have followed the stated procedure of the house; illustrated title page dates may have been retained in later printings; a 1st American edition may not have been identified as such; a missing jacket may have contained printing data and publication dates; there may have been a "marriage" between book and dustjacket, which would significantly lower its value; on the other hand, the publisher may have commonly used left-over earlier jackets on later printings of that particular book.

A reliable dealer will assess publication data conservatively and call an early printing just that; her or she will be cautious of statements like "might be a first edition", "probably a first," "presumed first" etc. On our newer listings at oldchildrensbooks.com we put the justification for our printing statement with the publication data for books without number line.

"First editions": Children's books are usually collected in the first printing of the first edition, commonly, and confusingly, referred to as "first editions." Collectors of illustrators look for the first copy of a book published with certain illustrations. These can be called "First thus illustrated." However, illustrated copies of Bible stories, Aesop, or Mother Goose (or the Alphabet!) are often listed as first printings with each new illustrator or adapter. Undistinguished reprints by a different publisher should not be designated as "First thus" and are not collectible firsts, although they may be of interest to a collector who wants every version of a title.

Two references useful in identifying first printings, both listed above, are McBride's, which is inexpensive and handy, and Zempel, which is expensive but can be found at the library and contains publishers' own statements. For children's books, we rely on Zempel and our best judgement.

Double checking edition data: If a book is listed as a first, but not a "stated first" and is not recent enough for a number line, it is quite all right contact the seller for further information. Ask an experienced bookseller (respectfully) how he arrived at a designation of first edition. Ask a new bookseller what is on the title page, what is on the back of the title page, what price is on the jacket, and especially what books are listed on the jacket.

At that point you will have to research to see that no later books are mentioned; Twentieth Century Children's Writers, above, has reliable lists of British and American publication dates for hundreds of books. Other peculiarities, or "points" exist that will identify some other first printings: book sizes, printers, bits of text. If you are collecting one author or illustrator, it is worth buying the bibliographic reference books which specialist dealers own, for instance Hanrahan's Works of Maurice Sendak 1947-1994. Ahearn's Collected Books contains invaluable data on children's books of interest to "grown-up" collectors, and McBride's Points of Issue also lists these books.

Book clubs: Most children's book clubs, for example Weekly Reader, were printed on poor paper with trimmed side margins and their prices should be very low. They are not considered collectible, although you may need them to fill some holes. Junior Literary Guilds vary. Some older ones were quite nicely produced but your should still expect lower prices whether or not they say "first edition", and to be safe you should only purchase them in at least Near Fine condition. (A few of these are considered true firsts, and some constitute desirable American editions of an English books, but be very cautious about your source). If you know that a book has been widely circulated in a Book Club edition, and you feel the dealer might have overlooked book club signs, it doesn't hurt to ask, especially on Ebay.

Going through a specialist dealer: If you are seeking a highly expensive older book whose printing is difficult to determine, you will want to go through a very experienced specialist dealer who will be familiar with the appearance of the first edition of your book. This person will also be aware of those books which rarely appear in first edition in jacket, such as The Little House by Virginia Burton, and will be able to advise you about when it's best to settle for an early reprint. Look through the stock of the Children's Specialist dealers listed on the de Grummond site to find the four or five US dealers who handle only antiquarian material of this type.

HOW SHOULD I CARE FOR MY COLLECTION?

Children's books are particularly perishable objects: spines can break, boards can warp, edges can tear and fray, cloth can fade and deteriorate in sunlight, paper can stain from acids, and molds can start up with heat and humidity.

Storage:Your book collection should be stored away from direct sunlight, away from cold walls and drafts, at a relative humidity of 45-55% in constantly cool house temperatures. Books should be dusted frequently. Place your books straight on the shelf or flat with no pressure on the spines and with even pressure on the boards to prevent splaying. When you first get the book, remove bookmarks, clippings, and other stray objects, and clean the boards and pages. Never store a box of books on a concrete floor.

Handling:Teach your children (I'm being tactful here!) to handle a book with clean hands and to take a book off the shelf by grasping both sides or reaching above and around,not by pulling on the spine top. Remove a book with decorated boards or a cover plate by gently pushing aside the adjacent books so there is no rubbing. Cradle an old book in one hand, opened to a less than 180 degree angle and, of course never place an open book upside down. If it's someone else's book, or if you are at a book fair, it's thoughtful to hold the book over a counter so that if you drop it, it won't fall far. Turn the pages gently from the upper right hand corner. In this business, I see books which have clearly been read many times, but which have remained in nice condition through respectful handling.

Protecting the jacket or binding:Protect jackets with clear archival covers available from library supply companies like Highsmith or Brodart or from large bookstores. Sources are listed on www.Bookwire.com. The stiff mylar which booksellers use on books without jackets unfortunately comes in long rolls, besides being expensive and very hard to cut. As a substitute, remove the white paper from an archival jacket protector and make a clear cover, loose enough to allow for air flow. If your collection is large enough you will want to purchase archival acid free tape from a library supply house to keep large tears from worsening and to tape home made-covers. Don't ever use Scotch tape on a book or jacket!

Appraising and insuring your books: Consult your insurance agent if you feel your books should be listed, otherwise the invoice should suffice. You will want to create a database to keep track of the books in your collection. Let us know if you would like some suggestions; of course, you can also purchase one, but that seems an unnecessary expense and a more inflexible method, as well. As to appraisals, a reputable dealer will not appraise sight unseen, aside from telling you to find a comparable book on abebooks.com. A bookseller will not appraise a book he or she intends to purchase. Look for an Antiquarian Booksellers Association of America (ABAA) dealer in your area who lists children's books as a specialty. www.abaa.com. We do not do appraisals.

HOW CAN I FIND OUT MORE ABOUT MY BOOKS?

As your collection grows, you will want to do some research. Interlibrary loan makes a huge amount of material available; use the World Cat link on the Booklinks page to find a library near you. More obscure 19th century authors can be researched through thesis collections in any university library. For 20th century authors and illustrators, in addition to biographies, look through contemporary children's literature journals, like The Horn Book, contemporary bibliographies published by libraries, and books on children's publishing (Treat yourself to Dear Genius, the letters of Ursula Nordstrom).

Research on your collection may lead you far afield: you can visit Beatrix Potter's farm, spend a week at the Kerlan collection collection, or even spend a summer studying your favorite author at Simmons College. From your home, you can become a member of an author association or visit the major collections on-line.

As you continue to learn more about your field, it's likely that you will know more about your particular topic than anyone else. You may want to publish an essay in a collector's magazine or an on-line journal or review. You may create a blog. You may even build an entire website! An amazing example of what private collectors can create can be seen at www.1stedition.com. Look at its beautiful pictures, study first edition points, and find their research into the collectability of authors and illustrators.

WHAT WILL HAPPEN TO MY COLLECTION?

At some point in your life, you will have to decide the fate of your collection. Since you are the expert, it is much better for you to handle this yourself than to leave the task to your heirs or an executor.

Selling your collection: If you have been careful to collect desired works in first edition and lovely condition, a children's specialist dealer or a dealer with a listed children's specialty may offer you 40-60% of their value (do not consult a general bookseller). You may also put your collection up for auction at a variable fee, preferably with other lots of children's books.

Donating to an institution: If you have an author or topic collection that you have shaped, catalogued, researched and written about, and you give your collection a maintenance stipend, an institution may accept your collection, keep it intact, and use it. A larger library will have a resource like the following:

Fraser, James H. [Compiled by and with the Assistance of Renee Weber] CHILDREN'S AUTHORS AND ILLUSTRATORS A Guide to Manuscript Collections in United Stated Research Libraries New York K. G. Saur 1980

Collectors sometimes donate an initial collection to an institution and then add to it, helping to build the collection for the rest of their lives. This allows them to see others using and enjoying their books, more rewarding than a tax deduction alone! You may find that a small college library is more open to receiving and maintaining your collection than a large research library, which will want to sell duplicate copies. Selecting and negotiating a collection donation may stretch over many months, so again, early planning is best.

Passing the collection on to your family: If your collection has been formed for the enjoyment of yourself and your family, you have a treasure to pass down. It's quite likely that you will have assembled more than the average household can absorb, but you and your children can have fun sitting down and deciding which books to keep. Be sure your family knows what each book meant to you and where you were when you first read it. Include dates. You could write notes in the books or on acid free pages laid in. Even if the books somehow leave your family, someone, some day, will enjoy reading your thoughts and memories.

c. 2007 Suzanne Price. A version of this article appeared on the Advanced Book Exchange (ABE) Rare Book Room in 2002