BENNINGTON — The great Roman statesman and orator Marcus Tullius Cicero once nicely summed up his view of the spiritual: “A room without books,” Cicero mused, “is like a body without a soul.” Regional bibliophiles of all stripes will have an opportunity to channel Cicero on Sunday in Bennington, at the 2024 Vermont Summer Books and Ephemera Fair. The fair, which is sponsored by the Vermont Antiquarian Bookseller’s Association (VABA), will be held from 10 a.
m. to 4 p.m.
at Grace Christian School on Kocher Drive. Bennington has hosted the affair since 2016. Typically, the VABA holds two book fairs a year: one in the north and the other in the southern part of the state.
VABA president Karen Austin, of Austin Antiquarian Books in Wilmington, said book fairs are fun to go to because “you will always find dealers who share your interests and can suggest to you items that might fall within your area of interest.” Additionally, Austin continued, they can direct attendees to others who might help build their collection. “Antiquarian booksellers love books and paper, and all the lovely printed materials of the past,” Austin said.
“They can educate you about illustrated books and prints made by processes we consider to be fine art in this century. They can explain what a first edition means, and how to identify them, why it is or is not important, and why some command high prices. They are always willing to share their knowledge and explain why an item is important, how it was produced, and what impact the piece had in its time.
” Austin said that there would be 17 to 20 dealers in this year’s show, and while mostly Vermonters, several will come from Massachusetts, Maine and Virginia. This year, there will be an added feature to the book fair, a free book appraisal period from 1 to 3 p.m.
Appraisals will be conducted by esteemed historian, author and curator J. Kevin Graffagnino, former executive director of the Vermont Historical Society. Graffagnino was also the longtime curator of Vermont history, and head of special collections at the University of Vermont library.
He has written 22 books on American history, book collecting, history administration and related topics. Graffagnino said he’s been doing free appraisals at various book venues for more than 30 years, adding that it’s interesting to meet people who bring things for him to evaluate. “Most of the time folks hand me an old book that has been in their family for generations and has an interesting back story but isn't worth much in monetary terms,” Graffagnino said.
“Occasionally, though, I get to handle and enjoy something special, such as a rare piece of Vermont or American history, a first edition of a famous novel, a diary of a Civil War soldier, a 16th-century European imprint. That brightens my day. Telling an owner they have something rare and valuable is a lot of fun, for me and for them.
” VABA past president John Hess, owner of Catamount Books in Arlington, said the association’s decision about a decade ago to conduct its summer book fair in Bennington has proven most fruitful. “The spot on Route 7 where we conduct the book fair, and where we will return to this year, is like a gateway,” Hess said. “We continue to get a considerable amount of visitors from the Berkshires to the south, and New York to the west, as well as locals from points north and east.
It’s a very accessible location with easy parking for day trippers and other visitors.” Given the occasional bazaar-like vibe of a book show, Ben Koenig, owner of The Country Bookshop in Plainfield, was quick to disabuse the idea that the event is like a flea market — a popular assumption. One of the greatest benefits of attending such a fair, Koenig emphasized, is the careful, and expert selection of materials that the dealers must think through and decide on prior to committing resources to setting up a booth at the event.
And the value, Koenig insists, goes beyond just making a sale. “The antiquarian book business has gone through many changes in the 47 years that I have been doing this,” Koenig said. “However, one thing remains the same: We are finding and preserving pieces of history which might otherwise be discarded forever.
” By way of example, Koenig recalled that he once found a postcard signed by Wilbur Wright at the bottom of a trash heap in an old barn, a discovery he called “priceless.” He noted that such moments arm dealers with knowledge they are happy to share. “I’ve been able to tell the children of collectors just how important were the books their parents collected,” Koenig said.
“I’ve educated librarians about why certain of their books should not be discarded. I’ve helped individuals and institutions to discover the value of their collections.” Finally, Hess sent out a spirited bit of advice for visitors this Sunday: All books and ephemera will be priced, but unless otherwise designated, few prices are fixed.
“It doesn’t hurt to ask for a discount, or to negotiate a lower price,” Hess said. The 2024 Vermont Summer Book and Ephemera Fair will he held from 10 a.m.
to 4 p.m. Sunday at Grace Christian School, 104 Kocher Drive, Bennington.
Admission is free. For more information, call 802-233-3076 or visit ..
