The ABAA Book Fair Returns to San Francisco

- by Bruce E. McKinney

Special Collections & Exhibits: 

The Fair will have a special focus on music this year, including a stunning exhibit of rare musical books and manuscripts, dating back as far as the 1300’s, from the Jean Gray Hargrove Music Library of the University of California at Berkeley

Seminars & Events: 

Saturday, February 12th 

1:00 pm: Seminar: The Promise and Peril of a Universal Library

A discussion by Adrian Johns, professor in the Department of History and chair of the Committee on Conceptual and Historical Studies of Science at the University of Chicago. He is the author of Piracy: The Intellectual Property Wars from Gutenberg to Gates, the award-winning The Nature of the Book: Print and Knowledge in the Making, and Death of a Pirate

3:00 pm: Lecture: The Abduction from the Scenario

A special lecture on collecting early music and musical autographs, by Donald W. Krummel, one of the world’s authorities on the subject and professor emeritus at the University of Illinois. 

4-6:00pm: Benefit Reception: SFEMS ($50.00 admission)


The Fair will host a Benefit Reception for the San Francisco Early Music Society and the 2012 Berkeley Music Festival. The reception, hosted by SFEMS Board of Directors and John Shepard (Head Librarian of theJean Gray Hargrove Music Library) will include a private viewing of the special exhibit of rare musical books and manuscripts from the Jean Gray Hargrove Music Library, wine and hors d’oeuvres, as well as early music provided by noted early musicians of SFEMS, Shira Kammen, David Morris, Yuko Tanaka and Voices of Music and more. Benefit Reception tickets are $50 and include admission to the Fair throughout the weekend as well as reserved seating for the Donald W. Krummel lecture. Proceeds from the Benefit will enable SFEMS to continue and strengthen programs in education, performance, and outreach in the Bay Area. Click here for information and a ticket order form.