Archival Conversations (A Two-Part Series): The Ethics of Selling and Acquisitions

Date: 4 November 2024
Time: 3:00–4:30 p.m. ET
Location: Zoom
Presented by: The Andrew W. Mellon Fellowship for Diversity, Inclusion & Cultural Heritage at Rare Book School

Featuring a mix of dealers, curators, and scholars, this virtual panel will focus on the ethical issues in selling and buying rare books and manuscripts, particularly those produced by and about marginalized communities. The panel’s themes will be shaped by the speakers’ diverse backgrounds and interests. Topics may include provenance research, the impact of rising prices as institutions diversify their collections, responsibilities when handling archival materials with living creators or descendants, and/or sustainable growth in new areas where staff might lack cultural or linguistic expertise.

This event is free and open to the public; however, advanced registration is required here.

Jose Guerrero, Cataloging Librarian, Berkeley Public Library

Jonathan Kearns, Rare Book Dealer, Lorne Bair Rare Books

Lisbet Tellefsen, Oakland-based Archivist, Collector & Documentarian

Sara Powell (moderator), CHF Fellow, Associate Curator of Early Books and Manuscripts, Houghton Library, Harvard University

Click here to learn more about the Andrew W. Mellon Fellowship for Diversity, Inclusion & Cultural Heritage at Rare Book School.