Florida Antiquarian Book Fair
The Florida Antiquarian Book Fair, and its related events, celebrate the written word and its important role in the human experience. Our mission is to promote literacy, to encourage the collecting and preservation of written and printed materials, and to support educational programs and research into the study of rare books, throughout the state of Florida.
RELATED ACTIVITIES: Pursuant to our stated mission are the following activities associated with the Florida Antiquarian Book Fair:
(1) Ticket proceeds benefit the St. Petersburg Public Library: One dollar of each ticket sold to the Book Fair is donated to the St. Petersburg Public Library.
(2) Supportive measures for local historical societies, museums, and literacy programs: The Book Fair makes space available, each year, for the use of a variety of area libraries, museums, historical societies, and literacy organizations. These organizations have included: Tampa Bay History Center, St. Petersburg Museum of History, Wordier than Thou, St. Pete Literacy, Keep St. Pete Lit, Florida Bibliophile Society, University of Tampa Printing Press Society, University of Florida Special Collections and Map Library, Rare Book School, Florida History Society.
(3) Educating the public: The Book Fair hosts, each year, free appraisal services for the public. Volunteers guide members of the public through the complex procedures involved in determining the historical significance and subsequent value of various reading materials.
(4) Educating the public: Each year, the Book Fair launches a comprehensive campaign to raise awareness of the rare book trade; to highlight printed items of cultural and historical significance; to spotlight individuals who’ve devoted their time and resources to identifying, preserving, and collecting printed items of historic or cultural interest; through a variety of articles, photographs, and live interviews.