International League of Antiquarian Booksellers (ILAB)

ILAB International Bookseller Directory

ILAB International Rare Book Fairs 2025/2026

ILAB Member Associations Worldwide

ILAB – The global federation of 22 national antiquarian booksellers associations, established in 1947. Over 1600 individual rare book businesses based in 39 countries worldwide belong to the ILAB community.

ILAB Congresses, Symposia & Presidents' Meetings

Bookseller Education & Mentoring

ILAB Bookseller Catalogues

"Hardly anyone finds their way into this business by chance"

04 Jul 2025

Georg Schneebeli, new president of the Swiss antiquarian booksellers' association, shares his path into the rare book trade, current priorities for…

ILAB at the RBMS Conference in New Haven

01 Jul 2025

Strengthening Ties Between the Trade and the Library World

ILAB supports CINOA's international advocacy efforts for the arts and antiques trade

23 Jun 2025

Earlier this month, on June 4th and 5th, ILAB once again participated in the annual meeting of CINOA — the international art and antiques trade…

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History of ILAB

In 1947 representatives from five countries, Denmark, France, Great Britain, the Netherlands, and Sweden, met in Amsterdam to discuss the formation of an International League of Antiquarian Booksellers (ILAB), with the aim of establishing new hope for international peace through open markets, to foster friendship and understanding, and to counteract the animosity and suspicion engendered by World War II. ILAB was formally incorporated in Copenhagen in September 1948.