2020 Berkshire Antiquarian Book and Ephemera Fair is Canceled
Great Barrington and Northampton, MA - The 2020 edition of the Berkshire Antiquarian Book and Ephemera Fair, due to be held in Great Barrington, Massachusetts on Saturday, July 25th, has been canceled to protect the health and safety of exhibitors and fair attendees. While there will be no Berkshire Book Fair this summer, the producer of the fair, is already planning to stage a fair at the Berkshire South Regional Community Center in July 2021, should public health conditions allow large gatherings in indoor spaces, says Mark Brumberg, director of Book Fair Promotion. “We look forward to renewing our friendships with book buyers and collectors in Great Barrington at the Berkshire Antiquarian Book and Ephemera Fair in July 2021,” he said.
For further information, go to: www.berkshirebookfair.com
In the meantime, Book Fair Promotion welcomes prospective exhibitors to request a space reservation for the Sixth Annual Northampton Antiquarian Book, Ephemera, and Book Arts Fair on Friday, December 4th from 5-8 pm and Saturday, December 5th, 2020 from 9am - 4pm at the Center for the Arts, at the Northampton Community Arts Trust, 33 Hawley Street, Northampton, MA 01060. For an exhibitor contract, email: mdb@northamptonbookfair.com
Exhibit space is available for antiquarian booksellers, ephemera dealers, and book artists in booth configurations ranging from a single six-foot long table, to the typical 3-table u-shaped stall. A limited number of larger booths are available, please inquire by email to the fair producer. Reservations will be accepted on a first-come, first served basis, until the capacity of the venue’s space is reached. The Northampton Antiquarian Book, Ephemera, and Book Arts Fair is co-sponsored by Southern New England Antiquarian Booksellers and Northampton Center for the Arts. Media sponsor is New England Public Radio.
“Book Fair Promotion is proceeding on the assumption that bricks and mortar book fairs may not be a viable option, in December, due to continuing public health & safety concerns related to the Covid-19 pandemic. If gatherings of more than 50 people are possible in December; with social distancing, and personal protective equipment (gloves & masks) required, we will determine whether it is feasible to produce the Northampton book fair as planned at the Center for the Arts,” says Brumberg.
“If we cannot produce a fair that is safe for exhibitors and buyers & collectors, we are moving forward with parallel contingency plans for a virtual book fair. We anticipate a virtual fair with a portal on our website that replicates, as closely as possible, the experience of going to a live book fair. While still in the formative stage, we expect that virtual exhibitors could choose from a variety of options to showcase their on-line booths: hosting a Zoom session, creating a Facebook Live Event or You Tube video, using a Pinterest board, or Instagram hashtag, showing a Power Point slide show; links to a designated book fair page on the exhibitor's website; feature a PDF or blog of recent work, new acquisitions, and catalogs. As usual, exhibitors will be responsible for collecting and processing payment from buyers through their own links to their websites, PayPal, or by links to their on-line catalogs at ABAA, IOBA, Biblio, ABE Books, and other on-line marketplaces,” Brumberg says.
For further information, go to: www.northamptonbookfair.com
