CABS Minnesota: Supporting a diverse and inclusive rare book trade

A message from CABS-Minnesota
by Gwendolyn D. Reese, MLIS PhD (she/her)

CABS-Minnesota is committed to diversity in the used and rare bookselling profession and is currently seeking applications for its 2026 Diverse Voices Fellowship. We believe that a diverse and inclusive book trade will benefit booksellers, collectors, and the cultural heritage community at large by expanding perspectives and encouraging new collaborations with talented professionals in the bookselling and cultural heritage fields who do not see themselves reflected in the traditional rare book trade. Fellowship activities will include a two-day field school (location to be determined), the week-long CABS seminar in Minnesota (July 26-31), and a variety of virtual events.

Eligible applicants will:

- Identify as a person of color, LGBTQ+ person, person with disabilities, person from a low-income background, woman, gender nonconforming and/or trans person. Applications from Black, Indigenous, Asian, Latinx, and other people of color are especially encouraged.
- Be an early- or mid-career bookseller or a person with a strong interest in participating in a program of professional and career development focused on used and rare bookselling, including the trade in archives and ephemera. Library, archives, and museum professionals, as well as private collectors and members of the book arts community, are eligible to apply if they have a strong interest in moving into the work of selling used and rare books.
- Be a resident of the United States.
- Be a minimum of 18 years of age.

For further information and application instructions, please visit: bookseminars.com/fellowship.php. We will be holding an informational session on Zoom - Thursday, February 19, 2026 at 5pm EST, at which prospective applicants will have an opportunity to learn about the fellowship and get questions answered. Register for the group informational session here and/or for one-on-one office hours with me here.

ABOUT CABS-MINNESOTA & Antiquarian Book School Foundation (ABSF)

The Antiquarian Book School Foundation (ABSF) is an independent, non-profit, and tax-exempt educational institution focused on promoting, maintaining, and expanding the standards of the antiquarian book trade. CABS-Minnesota, which is administered by the ABSF, is an annual week-long intensive seminar for booksellers, prospective booksellers, and others with an interest in the antiquarian and second-hand book market.

More information: www.bookseminars.com