Antiquarian Booksellers' Association of Canada / Association de la Librairie Ancienne du Canada (ABAC/ALAC)

Established in 1966, the Antiquarian Booksellers' Association of Canada (ABAC) or Association de la Librairie Ancienne du Canada (ALAC) became an ILAB member in 1970. Robert Wright serves as current president of the ABAC which unites 56 Canadian booksellers today.

The ABAC is the premier organization of professional antiquarian booksellers in Canada who provide books in all collecting areas, and for all tastes. It was founded with the aim of fostering interest in rare books and manuscripts and maintaining high standards in the antiquarian book trade. To further these objectives the ABAC sponsors book fairs and endeavours to stimulate interest in book collecting by private collectors and public institutions. In 2005, the ABAC welcomed the ILAB Presidents to their annual meeting in Montreal.

Membership is open to antiquarian booksellers of good character and reputation who have been actively and solely engaged for at least three continuous years in the buying and selling of antiquarian books, and whose principal place of business is Canada. Applicants have to provide four recommendations from members in good standing who vouch for the applicant's expertise and integrity.

ABAC booksellers offer a broad variety of antiquarian and rare material which they are qualified to describe, authenticate and guarantee. They have one or more fields of expertise. This expertise is partially demonstrated through scholarship, bibliographic descriptions, collations, catalogues, lists, quotes and appraisals. An ABAC bookseller must also have a good reference library of bibliographies and standard reference works.

The ABAC Mission & Ethics Statement

President

Aimee Peake

Term of office

2 years

Committee

Marvin Post, Treasurer
Karol Krysik, Secretary
Megan Webster, Director-at-Large
Jean Daoust, Director-at-Large
Debra Dearlove, Director-at-Large

Members Emeriti

Martin Ahvenus
Giacomo Falconi
Asher Joram
Yvonne Knight
Jerry G. Sherlock
Hugh Anson-Cartwright

Annual Meeting

October/November

Book Fair

The annual Toronto Antiquarian Book Fair takes place at the Art Gallery of Ontario.

Articles and Interviews with ABAC since 2010

>>> The desire to learn something new every day and an undying passion for antiquarian books - Interview with Eric Waschke [May 2010]
>>> Not Going for the Jugular - An interview with retired Canadian bookseller and long-time ILAB Committee member Helen Kahn by Sheila Markham [July 2010]
>>> First Impressions. By Anne Lamort and Liam McGahern [November 2010]
>>> ILAB on Top! Eric Waschke, with his friend, Canadian book collector James MacCallum, and an ILAB flag at the summit of Uhuru Peak, Kilimanjaro [January 2012]
>>> Robert Wright, President of ABAC on bookselling in Canada [September 2017]