Years in the making: The Programme for the 45th ILAB Congress

"The antiquarian booksellers of the Netherlands (NVvA) welcome you to Amsterdam for the 45th ILAB Congress, 14-18 October 2024 and the Amsterdam International Book & Print Fair, 19-20 October 2024.

Following the 2022 Congress held in Oxford, we are honoured to welcome you to the capital city of the Netherlands! Amsterdam was the world capital of book production in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, and even today, books are a big part of the city.

The city is filled with numerous wonderful, world-famous libraries. To name a few: the oldest Jewish library in Europe, “Ets Haim”, the natural history library at Artis Zoo, the special collections of various institutions, and many more!

Enjoy visiting one of the many renowned museums Amsterdam has to offer, for example, the Rijksmuseum, the Van Gogh Museum, the Rembrandthuis Museum, and Maritime Museum (Scheepvaartmuseum).

Our transportation will mainly be by canal boat, taking advantage of the famous waterways in and around Amsterdam.

Fine wining & dining options are available for all tastes. We will also have some time to spend in several smaller towns in the Netherlands.

The ILAB Congress is an opportunity to exchange ideas and experiences and to catch up with colleagues from around the world. As is traditional, the Congress will be followed by the Book Fair."

Below are some highlights of the Congress Programme:

Tuesday, 15th October 2024

Guests start the day with a boat tour to the Rijksmuseum where they will be welcomed by curators Alex Alsemgeest and Saskia Scheltjens.

Five rotating groups will then take a special tour of books, prints and manuscripts in the Library of Rijksmuseum by curator Alex Alsemgeest, alternated with viewing of highlights in the museum during a guided tour.

A special concert “Songs in time” by Edoardo Valorz (harpsichordist) and Sophia Faltas (mezzo-soprano) will transport the congress participants into yet another area of the museum's collections. Guest will enjoy a special introduction by Prof. Dr. Giovanni Paolo di Stefano, curator of musical instruments at Rijksmuseum Amsterdam.

Wednesday, 16 October 2024:

Participants will be divided into groups to visit the Scheepvaartmuseum and the Artis Library and take a boat tour to dock at the Amstel for visits to nearby museums:
A: Six Collection
B: Ets Haim and Portuguese Synagogue
C: Museum Willet-Holthuysen
D: Artis library

All congress participants will join up for lunch and the ILAB General Assembly at the Scheepvaartmuseum with a special lecture by Dr. Reinder Storm, curator of cartography, geography and travels at Allard Pierson University of Amsterdam.

In the afternoon, the groups will alternate the programme.

Thursday, 17th October 2024

The congress will be again divided into groups, visiting on Thursday those bibliophile highlights:

A boat tour to the Allard Pierson Museum and the Stadsarchief, a visit of the private collection of Wolbert Vroom and we will take a walking tour ‘Historical mapmakers in Amsterdam, such as Blaeu’ by Reinder Storm.

The congress will finish with a beautiful farewell dinner.
What a wonderful bibliophile gathering ahead!

For more detailed information about the 45th ILAB Congress, please visit our congress website: www.ilab2024.com