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In the "random" (this week's nomination for a word that's been misused to death) way typical of buying trips, last week's journey through Maine, New Brunswick, and Nova Scotia yielded some interesting and unexpected finds. But the biggest purchase, and I mean biggest, was John Scott Russell's Modern System of Naval Architecture. The book, in three large folio volumes, measures 20 ½ x 27 ½ inches and weighs in at well over 120 pounds. I've sold three or four copies over the years. Once I had to mail one. Took me all day to wrap it.

A global "ILAB School" without borders: The International League of Antiquarian Booksellers offers internships to students and beginners in the rare book trade who wish to widen their knowledge through practical learning and to plug into the worldwide network of antiquarian bookselling. All ILAB booksellers are very welcome to join the ILAB Internship Program and to provide young students an opportunity to gain invaluable hands-on experience in the international rare book business at any time and in any place in the world. Applicants are carefully chosen after they have contacted ILAB Vice-President Norbert Donhofer, who has initiated the Internship Program in 2009 together with Eric Waschke (Canada) and Professor Dr. Olga Tarakanowa (Moscow State University of the Printing Arts). Former interns spent six to eight weeks in Austria, Netherlands, Germany and Hungary (Alena Lavrenova and Anastasya Zhikhareva), Australia (Pavel Chepyzhov), the United Kingdom (Valentina Rudnitskaya), the United States (Julia Kulyamzina), and in Spain (Ksenia Batueva). Right now ILAB is looking for the following internship:

Bookriot shows the Libraries of the rich and famous. Have a glance at the book shelves of Karl Lagerfeld, Diane Keaton, Woody Allen, Keith Richards, William Randolph Hearst, Sting, Julia Child, Richard A. Macksey, Mark Badgley and James Mischka. The latter is "only" the library in the weekend house. Look at them all, and you will become envious.

Once again, Melburnians, Victorians and interstate visitors will be drawn to Melbourne for a week full of interesting, amazing and outstanding events dedicated exclusively to the wonderful world of rare books and book collecting. Melbourne Rare Book Week commenced in 2012 as a partnership between the Australian and New Zealand Association of Antiquarian Booksellers (ANZAAB), the University of Melbourne and eight other literary institutions. In 2014, over 40 free events were held at libraries, literary and historical societies and bookshops throughout Melbourne, attracting local, national and international visitors. Now in its fourth year, Melbourne Rare Book Week is well established in the City of Melbourne's event calendar. It is a major attraction for book collectors, librarians and all who have a love of words, print on paper and literary heritage.

In April 2011 the first issue of BookFare has been released. ANZAAB's new electronic newsletter, edited by Jörn Harbeck, informs about everything you need to know about the antiquarian book trade in Australia with articles on new books about books such as Stuart Kells' fascinating biography of Muriel and Kay Craddock Rare: A Life Among Antiquarian Books, catalogue announcements, a book fair and auction calendar as well as a very special review of the book fair season 2010/2011 written by ANZAAB members who have been busy participating in and visiting many book fairs in Australia and overseas.