ABA Educational Trust

The ABA Educational Trust works to support a continued awareness of the heritage of the book and the printed word. It aims to promote and support education and research across the wide field of rare book studies and antiquarian bookselling. At present it is doing this by providing backing or funding for courses, seminars, conferences, publications, prizes and lectures. It also awards bursaries to individuals for study on relevant courses.

Antiquarian booksellers play an important part in sustaining interest in the history of the book and the dissemination of knowledge through the books they sell. They have often learnt a great deal throughout their time in the trade which they can pass on to others. It is not surprising therefore to find that booksellers are often some of the best people to teach others about books and bookselling.

The Educational Trust is aware of the need to boost the number of younger people entering the trade in order to keep it alive and flourishing. It turned to the revival of a traditional practice which had almost disappeared as a means of entering the trade. It set out to create an ABA Apprenticeship Scheme for new entrants to this very old and interesting trade. In the autumn of 2014 the first two apprentices were in place with ABA booksellers.

To know more email – adouglas@peterharrington.co.uk – Educational Trust Chairman.

The current Trustees of the ABA Educational Trust are: Adam Douglas, Simon Beattie, Leo Cadogan, Justin Croft, Daniel Crouch and Anthony Smithson.