On Collecting Books



NY Times: "Judge Rejects Google's Deal to Digitize Books"

By Susan Benne

On Tuesday, a New York federal judge rejected Google's settlement with authors and publishers to digitize books and make them freely available. Judge David Chin said that the agreement would have "granted Google a 'de facto monopoly' and the right to profit from books without the permission of copyright owners". Legally, it seems the largest factor for rejection of the settlement is its inclusion of orphan works, which are books whose rights holders are unknown. Judge Chin implied that if the settlement was amended and limited only to books that authors or publishers opted in, then the majority of legal obstacles would be removed. Google argues that leaving orphan works out of the agreement would significantly diminish the value of their digital library, both to the company and the public. Pamela Samuelson, a copyright expert at UC Berkeley who has worked to prevent the settlement, commented that “even though it is efficient for Google to make all the books available, the orphan works and unclaimed books problem should be addressed by Congress, not by the private settlement of a lawsuit.” I have absolutely no familiarity with copyright law but, in my inexperienced opinion, Ms. Samuelson's statement sounds spot on. What do you think? Clearly, this ruling can also open a discussion on rare books and the trade in general; please post any ideas, opinions, etc. Judge Rejects Google's Deal to Digitize Books [more NY Times: "Judge Rejects Google's Deal to Digitize Books"]



Rare Ratzer Map Discovered and Restored

By Susan Benne

Last May, the Brooklyn Historical Society discovered a rare 1770 Ratzer map in its possession. The map was delivered to the society's office in May along with a shipment of other maps and prints from their warehouse in Connecticut. There was no catalog listing the map or any record of how the map was acquired, but the society was thrilled with the discovery nonetheless. Prior to this finding, it was widely believed that only three copies of this exact map, Bernard Ratzer's 1770 "Plan of the City of New York", were in existence. The map was in dismal condition, as it had been heavily shellacked, mounted onto linen and cut into strips so it could be easily stored. Jonathan P. Derow, a paper conversationalist, was commissioned with the monumental task of restoring the famous map. The map was so fragile that Mr. Derow was unable to move it to his Brooklyn office; instead, he had to set up shop in a makeshift tent in the society's office. Thus began the labor intensive process of restoration, which culminates with a private viewing party at the society tonight. In order to repair the map in areas where it had been ripped and white lines appeared, Mr. Derow visited the Argosy Book Store (ABAA member!) and purchased several obscure titles printed on cloth paper, which he subsequently baked and boiled. He then used the remaining substance to fill in the white lines to match the rest of the map. (Check out the before and after pictures in detail here.) Being unfamiliar with the proces... [more Rare Ratzer Map Discovered and Restored]



San Francisco’s Bookstores and Readings reflect a Lively Literary Scene

By Susan Benne

An interesting New York Times article on Litquake and the literary scene in San Francisco; several ABAA firms are mentioned- Bolerium, Libros Latinos, Meyer Boswell- and there's a nice paragraph on John Durham, proprietor of Bolerium. Thanks to Joe Luttrell from Meyer Boswell for bringing this to our attention! San Francisco's Bookstores and Readings reflect a Lively Literary Scene [more San Francisco’s Bookstores and Readings reflect a Lively Literary Scene]



Very Rare Mormon Text Offered on eBay

By Susan Benne

An extremely rare Mormon book, an 1837 first edition Parley P. Pratt's A Voice of Warning, has been offered for sale on eBay with a buy-it-now price tag of $75,000; at auction, the book would be expected to bring in between $75,000-$100,000. The Library of Congress, the Community of Christ (formerly the RDLS Church), the LDS Church and Brigham Young University all have at least one first edition copy of A Voice of Warning, but there have only been three public sales of the edition in the past two decades. After his baptism as a Mormon in 1830, Pratt delved into the religion and was called to be a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles in 1835, and soon thereafter became the most influential writer in early Mormonism (he was dubbed "the Father of Mormon Pamphleteering"). A Voice of Warning "established the basic arguments and expository formulas for Mormon missionary tracts", and is a very influential piece of work, considered by some bibliographers to be "the most significant book in all of Mormon literature after the canonized scripture." The seller says that "all offers will be reviewed" and is not charging for shippinghe or she will personally deliver the book to anywhere in the world. One of the Rarest of the Rare Mormon Antiquarian Books on eBay for the First Time Parley Parker Pratt A Voice Of Warning 1837 Mormon Pratt LDS Rare Book [more Very Rare Mormon Text Offered on eBay]