Join us on Thursday, April 25, at 7:00 PM, when book collector and bibliophile Bridget Crosley will regale us with tales of collecting medieval manuscripts and early printed books. She’ll bring examples from her collection for us to see!

We’ll meet in-person at Loganberry Books, but if you prefer to participate virtually, you may do so via Zoom:

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86421259405?pwd=d090aGNrdVdrU3ZEbS9wZVZaSHUyQT09

Meeting ID: 864 2125 9405

Passcode: 340301

Interested in book collecting? Heading to the Akron Antiquarian Book & Paper Show this March? Have no idea where to begin? Or, perhaps you are looking to up your collecting game? Join us at February’s NOBS Forum with Norman Graubart, proprietor of the Cleveland Book Company, to learn where to start. Growing up in Atlanta, Georgia, the son of another antiquarian bookseller, he has been collecting books since his childhood, but has sharpened his skills through the discipline of the trade. His talk will cover some of the basics of how to go about starting a book collection, how to identify a first edition, how to navigate the online marketplace, how best to maintain your books, and red flags to look for when you’re buying books.

We’ll gather at Loganberry Books at 7:00 PM on Thursday, February 22. If you prefer, you may join us via Zoom:

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84309573879?pwd=UmtlaDRocGtzRlpwR3hEMVYwbHdJZz09

Meeting ID: 843 0957 3879

Passcode: 302371

Join us on Thursday, January 25, 2024, for our annual Show & Tell event! This special Forum is dedicated to hearing from you! Bring a favorite new acquisition, or an oldie-but-goodie from your collection, and tell us all about it! We look forward to seeing you in person at Loganberry Books at 7:00 PM. If you prefer, you can join us via Zoom:

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83746166502?pwd=ZWo2QWRoTytaRHFtY2dtRmZjdVFqQT09

Meeting ID: 837 4616 6502

Passcode: 390869

In this month’s Forum, Jim Edmonson, PhD, Emeritus Chief Curator of the Dittrick Medical History Center, will explore the history and composition of the Cleveland Medical Library Association’s rare book collection at the Allen Memorial Medical Library. The CMLA collection began with the 1893 gift of a rare medical book, a 1555 edition of Vesalius’ anatomy classic De Humani Corporis Fabrica, and today contains a plethora of rare illustrated medical texts, including several incunabula. We’ll have the opportunity to preview some stunning photographs taken by Laura Travis, which will soon be featured in a forthcoming volume showcasing the collection, Masterworks of Medicine: Selections from the Rare Book Collection of the Cleveland Medical Library Association.

We will meet in person at Loganberry Books at 7:00 PM. For those who prefer, you may join us via Zoom:

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85942052114?pwd=T3lhZ2Y1dnA1MHlYTnpMNHUvTjRkdz09

Join us on Thursday, September 21 (please note that this is the 3rd Thursday, not the 4th!), for a very special Forum featuring artist Lisa Meek. Lisa Meek creates extraordinarily beautiful botanical sculptures from the pages of books. Incorporating the language of flowers and topical books, these works allow her to use her art for activism in conservation and other issues she feels strongly about.

Her work has been shown throughout the United States, captivating gardeners, art lovers, conservationists and book lovers alike.  Most recently, she exhibited at the Phipps Conservatory in Pittsburgh and in NYC. She is currently represented by Fremin Gallery NYC.

We will gather at Loganberry Books to meet Lisa and hear about how she creates her unique biblio-art. If you can’t join us in person, please Zoom in:

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87644338314?pwd=Z0MvMFhCcVJ3VEpEZS9kZE12bXlSZz09

Meeting ID: 876 4433 8314

Passcode: 856324

NOBS member Dan Freidus has been collecting cookbooks for his entire adult life. He stumbled into collecting expat cookbooks when he found a community cookbook from an Episcopalian church in Cairo, Egypt. As Dan says, “I found the genre to be incredibly interesting and diverse - everything from books by and for Peace Corps volunteers in Nepal to families of U.S. occupation forces after WWII in Japan, as well as clubs of expats in many cities and countries around the world. Even better, most titles have been quite inexpensive!” Dan’s collection now numbers about 1,000 expat cookbooks from dozens of countries going back to before 1920. Join us on August 24th to hear about and see examples from Dan’s unique collection!

Please note that this Forum will be in person at Loganberry Books beginning at 7:00 PM. You may also join via Zoom:

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/88024420013?pwd=VzhyU3JjZDlrNFU0bFEvdlltV0lOdz09

Meeting ID: 880 2442 0013

Passcode: 907804

Join us at the Cleveland Museum of Art for a guided tour of current exhibits that feature books! With Laura Martin as our expert guide, we’ll see the Book of Hours and other highlights throughout the Museum. Meet in the beautiful atrium at 1:00 PM. Watch your e-mailboxes for more details on this exciting outing!

Slipcases often get a bad wrap (!),  but if done well they can be a less expensive alternative to the clam-shell box. In this NOBS Forum, Cris Takacs, Book Binder/Conservator Extraordinaire, will construct a simple slipcase and show examples for using it to protect and enhance books, loose papers, and even small objects.

Join us in person at Loganberry Books for this live demo! Can’t make it to Loganberry? Join via Zoom:

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85244838519?pwd=ZVdnSHdjYXB4TmNua1hDNFBxMkkzdz09

Meeting ID: 852 4483 8519

Passcode: 731895

Ron Hill has been a book lover his whole life. He read Twenty-Thousand Leagues Under the Sea in third grade and The War of the Worlds in fifth grade. But, it was his first Doc Savage book in 1975, at age 14, that sparked his imagination to pursue a career as a commercial artist and writer. In 2022, Ron started on a new adventure: documenting the “creators, collectors and characters” who keep the legacy of Doc Savage alive. Ron’s passion for a 1930s-era pulp hero has led him to dive into the wild world of pulp fandom. Ron will be sharing clips of his developing film, We Are Doc Savage: A Documentary on Fandom, as well as books from his 2,000-book collection of Doc Savage, science fiction and fantasy books; a library which dates back to his grandfather’s early edition hardcover of Tarzan of the Apes from 1911.

This program will be held in person at Loganberry Books. There is also an option to join the meeting via Zoom:

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89009595786?pwd=bjhzQ2dCQWZoSEhJUm1WWkh2WUdLdz09

Meeting ID: 890 0959 5786

Passcode: 270002

Join Jennifer Larson, Professor of Classics at Kent State University, for an exploration of miniature and little books. In her presentation, Dr. Larson will use books from her own collection to explore how diminutive format was related to content in the 16th, 17th, and 18th centuries. Miniature and small formats were favored not only for devotionals, almanacs, and children’s literature, but also for inexpensive school books, forbidden or “obscene” works, and as samples of fine printing. With regard to literature, selection for publication in small format has always been a gauge of high popularity, and there is a “canon” of authors and works thus distinguished (Horace and Terence, but also Tasso and Guarini’s Il Pastor Fido). Publishers from Aldus and Paganini in the 16th century, to Plantin and the Elzevirs in the 17th century, to the Foulis brothers and the French Imprimerie Royale in the 18th century have experimented with small formats, much to the delight of collectors.

Please note that will be a Zoom-only event held on Wednesday, February 22, 2023. Here are the Zoom details:

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85648761238?pwd=QnhjZ0o5Qm5BbHJYYUpVZkk5SklJZz09

Meeting ID: 856 4876 1238

Passcode: 341510

Join us on January 26, 2023 for our annual Show & Tell extravaganza! We will meet in person at Loganberry Books, and we’ll also have an option for you to join us via Zoom*. Scour your shelves and bring your favorite book(s) to share.

*Join Zoom Meeting

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82675181258?pwd=K0cwUXF4cVV0ZHRZdW94Y2hBbk1IZz09

Meeting ID: 826 7518 1258

Passcode: 105701

Join us for a very special Forum featuring Jason Chin, award-winning author and illustrator of children’s books. Chin’s latest book, Watercress (authored by Andrea Wang), won a Caldecott Medal. In awarding the medal, the book was described as “Simply stunning. Andrea Wang and Jason Chin’s Watercress is the thought-provoking, gorgeously illustrated story of a first-generation girl coming to terms with, and ultimately celebrating, her Chinese heritage. There is so much to glean from Watercress that you’ll want to read it over and over.”

During the Forum, Jason Chin will be interviewed by NOBS member Will McCullam, a specialist in collecting children’s books and owner of Cattermole Books. This event will be held via Zoom.

To join the Zoom meeting, go to:

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87981602693?pwd=b0JBNzRsY0lOUlBpVko2RXdlck1kQT09

Meeting ID: 879 8160 2693

Passcode: mtgsR4catz

Please note the 7:30 starting time.

Phylis Brody is a life-long experimenter and doer of arts and crafts, including dimensional quilts and textiles, encaustic painting, assemblage, and altered books. In her words, “Each book is a small and intimate work of art that compels the viewer to pay attention and, hopefully, come away with a new perspective.” Join us as we learn from Phylis about altered books and see some spectacular examples of her art.

This Forum will be held in-person at Loganberry Books. There will be an opportunity to attend virtually; stay tuned for details. Please note time change to 7:00 PM to accommodate store hours. Masks are required.

Join us for a behind-the-scenes peek into the Archives of the Cleveland Orchestra as Archivist Andria Hoy shares stories about the scores, photos, programs, and objects that reside inside Severance Hall.

This Forum will be held in-person at Loganberry Books and virtually via Zoom. To join the meeting via Zoom, use this link:

Meeting ID: 811 2496 4877

Passcode: mtgsR4catz

Please note time change to 7:00 PM to accommodate store hours. Masks are required.

Spend a Sunday afternoon exploring Jane Austen Books, the only store dedicated exclusively to books by and about Jane Austen. We’ll meet at the store, which is located in Novelty, Ohio, where we’ll be welcomed by owner Jennifer Weinbrecht. Watch your email boxes and the NOBS website for more details as the date nears.

This year marks the 100th anniversary of the publication of James Joyce’s masterpiece, Ulysses. Join Bill Kennedy, Irish music show host and former organizer of Nighttown’s Ulysses read-a-thon, which was held annually on Bloomsday (June 16). Even though we won’t be meeting on Bloomsday, we can still raise a glass of whiskey or Guinness (metaphorically or literally, depending if we are meeting via Zoom or live) and toast to this most profound/confusing/challenging/add-your-own-adjective-here piece of literature.

This Forum will be held in-person at Loganberry Books. There will be an opportunity to attend virtually; stay tuned for details. Please note time change to 7:00 PM to accommodate store hours. Masks are required.

Join fellow NOBS members and guest to learn about the art and science of making paper with Tom Balbo, artistic director of Cleveland’s own Morgan Conservatory.

Tom Balbo is a Cleveland-based artist whose work has been collected for well over 30 years. In 2007, Tom teamed up with noted Cleveland-area artists and national hand papermaking artists to improve and conserve the art of paper & book arts educational programming in the US. Knowing that these were art forms worth preserving, the Morgan Art of Papermaking Conservatory and Educational Foundation officially opened its doors in October 2008.

Zoom link to follow. Or, if we are able to meet in person, location info will follow.

Welcome spring by joining librarian, archivist, and educator Amy E. Dawson for a discussion of a collection of rare herbals and guidebooks owned by The Herb Society of America, located in Kirtland, Ohio. Learn more about The Society, which is dedicated to promoting the knowledge, use, and delight of herbs through educational programs, research, and sharing the expertise of its members with the community. Dawson has worked at appraising and describing archival collections and completed rare book cataloging projects for organizations such as The Rowfant Club, The Golden Group, Library Cataloging Solutions, and the Herb Society of America. She is the former Special Projects Coordinator of the Special Collections Department of the Cleveland Public Library.

Zoom link will be provided before the event. Non-members please email Freddy@logan.com for the link.

Image: Plate 8, from Romance of Nature, by Louise Anne Twamley, 1836.

Join Herb Ascherman on an illuminating journey into his experiences as Cleveland’s most prominent portrait photographer. Since opening his portrait studio in 1975, Herb has photographed international leaders such as Henry Kissinger and Presidents Carter, Reagan, and Bush Sr.; more than 200 Cleveland area artists, 750 Northern Plains Native Americans and, for twenty years, he served as the portrait photographer to the Cleveland Orchestra. Herb has produced well over 9,000 black and white film-based portraits in his 47-year career. In addition, he has a library of 2,387 books on or about photography.

Zoom link will be provided before the event. Non-members please email Freddy@logan.com for Zoom link.

In the FABS Spring Online Event, Boston-based Brattle Book Shop proprietor/television appraiser Kenneth Gloss will talk about some of his favorite finds and describe the joys of “the hunt.” He will explain what makes books and manuscripts rare and what determines whether they increase in value. He has many fascinating anecdotes to share about private and institutional collecting, as well as guidelines for starting a collection. There will be a Q & A session after his presentation, followed by appraisals.

Register HERE or visit the FABS calendar of free online bibliophilic events.

Designing typefaces has undergone amazing changes since the 1450's when the first movable metal type was used. In 1996, Russell Maret began teaching himself to design letterforms, and in 2009 he was awarded the Rome Prize in Design from the American Academy in Rome. Since 2011, he has created four new metal typefaces for letterpress. Join Russell and NOBS to explore current state of the art.

Zoom link will be provided before the event. Non-members please email Freddy@logan.com for Zoom link.

Join us for our annual first Forum of the year: Show & Tell.  Book-lovers of all ages have their favorites, whether a treasured old copy of a classic, a lovely edition of a new book, or a book left to you by a beloved relative.  Now’s the time to share these interesting tomes and their stories with other bibliophiles at this Show & Tell session. There’s always something to learn and some great books to discuss.

Zoom link will be provided before the event.

This year, we’ve learned about witchcraft, zines, pop-up books, and collage. We’ve traveled virtually to the England of Jane Austen, peeked at the early days of Cleveland with the Wade Family, traced the Underground Railroad in Ohio, and envisioned the future of Philip K. Dick. Join us on one last journey of 2021 as guest speaker Betty Weibel leads us along The Ohio Literary Trail and regales us with stories from her experience writing the new guide to Ohio’s literary landmarks.

The business portion of meeting will begin promptly at 7:00 PM; Betty Weibel will join us at 7:30. Zoom information has been provided in an email. Please email freddy@logan.com if you did not receive the link.

Twenty years ago, Joan Southgate set off on a journey, during which she retraced the steps of the Underground Railroad from Southern Ohio to Canada. When she returned, she and local writer and historian Fran Stewart wrote a book, IN HER PATH, about her walk and the Underground Railroad in Ohio. Southgate also started an organization called Restore Cleveland Hope to continue telling the stories of the heroic Freedom Seekers who escaped and those who helped them. HOPE was Cleveland's code name on the Underground Railroad.

Join NOBS, Fran Stewart, and Restore Cleveland Hope board member Jeanne Van Atta, as they recount Joan Southgate's 519-mile walk from Ripley, OH, to Canada, and onward to the creation of her dream: the restoration of the historic Cozad Bates house. Southgate’s walk and her book were the beginning of this dream, which has culminated most recently with the opening of the Underground Railroad Interpretive Center in July 2021. It is a journey worth taking.

Zoom link will be provided before the event.

After selling his first fiction in his teens, Alex Krislov spent his first decade writing for anyone who would pay him, learning to create horror, comics, humor, and straight journalism. He went on to work for 35 years running book features for the country's largest online services, CompuServe and America Online. Happily retired, he now enjoys being able to read entirely for pleasure, rather than to keep up on whatever happens to be new. A long-time collector of science fiction, fantasy, and horror, he prizes his Philip K. Dick collection more than almost anything else he owns.

Zoom link will be provided before event.

Join us as NOBS welcomes Rachel Hackenberg and Katie Martin of The Pilgrim Press, North America’s oldest English language publishing tradition, located right here in Northern Ohio! Their presentation will focus on the history of curiosity embodied in The Pilgrim Press across four hundred years, with a focus on the most recent hundred years of provocative work. Journey with us as they share some of their favorite books and printing folklore, from The Bay Psalm Book (published in 1640) to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s The Measure of a Man (published in 1958) to The Anti-Muffins by Madeleine L’Engle (published in 1980); Rachel and Katie will discuss The Pilgrim Press’ rich history of marrying religion and…social justice, pop culture, politics, and more.

Zoom link will be provided before event.

Why DO we still love Jane Austen? JoAnne M. Podis, Emerita Professor of English, Ursuline College, has had a long career in higher education and is the co-author of three textbooks on writing. JoAnne's particular interest is in Jane Austen's novels and uncovering the reasons behind this 200-year-old fascination. She will focus on the values and themes that permeate Austen's books and adapted movies and continue to resonate today.

Zoom link will be provided before event.