BIBLIO Launches The Auction & Book Sales Archive
BIBLIO, the independent marketplace for antiquarian and rare books, has announced the public launch of its new The Auction & Book Sales Archive (ABSA).
ABSA offers information on the provenance, identification, scarcity, and value of antiquarian books and manuscripts by providing access to millions of curated rare book and manuscript auction records. Including records previously curated by American Book Prices Current, ABSA encompasses auction dates, hammer prices, provenance, identification, and bibliographical references from the past 50 years. Records will be added on a regular basis as current and upcoming auctions finish.
BIBLIO acquired the rights to American Book Prices Current's database earlier this year through a joint partnership with the Antiquarian Booksellers Association of America.
"American Book Prices Current has been the gold-standard authority on the value and scarcity of rare books and manuscripts for nearly 100 years, making it crucial to book dealers and book collectors," said former bookseller Brendan Sherar, CEO of BIBLIO. "It is an honour to be entrusted with continuing this important work. Our technology platform and market position offers a unique and exciting opportunity to build on the venerable legacy of American Book Prices Current."
The new ABSA service is available via quarterly or subscription and is open to professional book dealers, libraries and institutions, appraisers, auction houses, archivists, private book collectors and anyone who is interested in the history and trade of rare books.
"As important artefacts of our collective history, knowledge and culture, it is crucial that books are appreciated, protected, and preserved," Sherar added. "By providing a record of the market value, provenance and history of rare books and manuscripts, we help ensure that both they and the scholarship surrounding them remains available for generations to come."
