ILAB Congress Amsterdam 2024: ILAB - Founded in Amsterdam in 1947 / The History of ILAB and the Dutch book trade

Image above: The Preliminary Conference in September 1947 in Amsterdam

In 1947, under the guidance of Dutch bookseller Menno Hertzberger, representatives from five countries—Denmark, France, Great Britain, the Netherlands, and Sweden—met in Amsterdam to discuss the formation of an international organization for the antiquarian book trade. ILAB was formally incorporated in Copenhagen in 1948 and has since promoted a global network for antiquarian booksellers, bringing its members together in a spirit of international collaboration and business but also often nurturing lifelong friendships and fostering a shared commitment to the trade and the broader appreciation of the history and art of the book.
The Dutch Antiquarian Booksellers Association, Nederlandsche Vereeniging van Antiquaren (NVvA), has played a key role in this continuing success.

One of the NVvA's most notable contributions was the proposal for an international bibliography prize. This prize would recognise and reward the critical work and scholarly contributions of bibliographers. To quote the minutes of the 1951 ILAB Presidents' Meeting:

"The Dutch Association considered it necessary to raise the level of bibliographical research and proposed that the League institute a prize to be awarded annually or triennially to the author of a work on bibliography or bibliophily".
The ILAB Prize for Bibliography, now named "ILAB Breslauer Prize for Bibliography" has been a successful initiative and will be awarded for the 19th time in 2026.

On the NVvA's recommendation, ILAB published the first "International Multilingual Dictionary of Terms Used in the Book Trade" in 1955, organised training courses for the international trade in Amsterdam in 1966, and advocated a scholarship programme for young booksellers in 1992. These ideas and programmes have evolved over time; generations of booksellers have benefited from it.

Over the years, three Dutch booksellers served as ILAB Presidents: Bob de Graaf (1978-1981), Anton Gerits (1991-1996) and Arnoud Gerits (2010-2012).

ILAB Congresses and Presidents' Meetings have been hosted in the Netherlands in 1947, 1960, 1975, 1982, and 1994. The first international antiquarian book fair affiliated with ILAB was established in 1965 in Amsterdam, laying the groundwork for the renowned network of ILAB international book fairs that exists until today.
Now, thirty years after the last ILAB Congress in Amsterdam, a new generation of booksellers from around the world will gather once again.

Following this year's ILAB Congress, the Dutch Antiquarian Booksellers Association invites booklovers and collectors and the international trade to its annual flagship event.

The Amsterdam International Antiquarian Book Fair 2024 will commence with a Preview on Friday, October 18, and continue through Saturday, October 19, and Sunday, October 20, at the Passenger Terminal Amsterdam.

Tot snel - see you soon - in Amsterdam!