In this lecture Tanselle will address books that collectors, scholars, and librarians call "association copy"—that is books which were owned or annotated by their authors or which belonged to someone associated with the author or the book’s production. In his discussion, Tanselle will address such questions as, why should scholars concern themselves with a book’s previous owner? In doing so, he'll provide a more precise definition of "association copies," explain their particular importance to scholars as historical evidence, and survey the history of and interest in collecting such books. In the process, he’ll place association copies in a broader historical context, defending the collecting of these books against the charge of sentimentality.
Bibliography Week happens each year in New York City at the end of January when the principal national organizations devoted to book history have their annual meetings. For more details about Bibliography Week, see the Grolier Club's homepage, http://www.grolierclub.org/
For questions contact Gerald Cloud (gc2339@columbia.edu) or Matt Hampel (mh932@columbia.edu).