An Interview with Terry Belanger of the Rare Book School,<br>Recipient of $500,000 MacArthur Award
- by Michael Stillman
Terry Belanger of the Rare Book School
By Mike Stillman
Money talks. When he was awarded one of the $500,000 MacArthur Foundation awards, Terry Belanger's name suddenly was heard by all kinds of people with little connection to the world of rare books. Of course, Mr. Belanger was already quite familiar to those deeply involved in the collecting and trading of rare and antiquarian titles. As Director of the Rare Book School at the University of Virginia, there is probably no one more knowledgeable in the field today. Still, just as there is likely no ABAA member or rare book librarian who does not know or know of Mr. Belanger, there must be 10,000 Abebooks and eBay dealers who do not. For them, half a million dollars served as an introduction.
Mr. Belanger received his award for the work he has done in education, for the history of books and printing, rare book librarianship, and antiquarian bookselling. The Rare Book School he heads up is the premier training grounds for those who will continue this mission in the years ahead. However, he is quick to look at the award as recognition of the importance of what he does, not some sort of personal honor. In a sense, this is an award in which all of us who are in some way connected to the preservation of old books share. It is recognition that antiquarian books are more than quaint relics of the past, but a part of who we are, worthy of our efforts at preservation. Of course, only Mr. Belanger gets to spend the money, but spiritually we all share in the prize.
Being named a MacArthur Fellow provided the perfect segue to an interview with Mr. Belanger. Despite being a specialist in things antiquarian, Terry Belanger is equally expert on the issues of today, many of which arise out of the huge technological advances of the past two decades. We asked about current issues and concerns, such as online bookselling, digitization of books, and the role of rare book libraries in a rapidly changing environment. Some of his answers may surprise you. All are worth hearing because, no slight intended, he almost surely knows more about this field than either you or I.
First, for those still unfamiliar, here is a brief account of the Rare Book School and its director. Terry Belanger established the Book Arts Press at Columbia University in 1971, and was serving as Assistant Dean in its School of Library Service in 1983 when he started the Rare Book School. Columbia was considering closing its School of Library Service. The Rare Book School offered an opportunity for Columbia's school to reach and educate others who could not participate in the degree program, providing added justification for keeping the library program alive. The RBS succeeded in educating many times as many students as was possible through the limited access degree program.
Bonhams, Dec. 8-18: Autograph Letter Signed ("Martinus Luther") to His Friend the Theologian Gerhard Wiskamp ("Gerardo Xantho Lampadario"). $100,000 - $150,000.
Bonhams, Dec. 8-18: An Exceptionally Fine Copy of Austenís Emma: A Novel in Three Volumes. $40,000 - $60,000.
Bonhams, Dec. 8-18: Presentation Copy of Ernest Hemmingwayís A Farewell to Arms for Edward Titus of the Black Mankin Press. $30,000 - $50,000.
Bonhams, Dec. 8-18: Autograph Manuscript Signed Integrally for "The Songs of Pooh," by Alan Alexander. $30,000 - $50,000.
Bonhams, Dec. 8-18: Autograph Manuscript of "Three Fragments from Gˆtterd‰mmerung" by Richard Wagner. $30,000 - $50,000.
Bonhams, Dec. 8-18: Original Preliminary Artwork, for the First Edition of Snow Crash. $20,000 - $30,000.
Bonhams, Dec. 8-18: Autograph Letter Signed ("T.R. Malthus") to Economist Nassau Senior on Wealth, Labor and Adam Smith. $20,000 - $30,000.
Bonhams, Dec. 8-18: History of the Peloponnesian War by Thucydides Finely Bound by Michael Wilcox. $20,000 - $30,000.
Bonhams, Dec. 8-18: First Edition of Lewis and Clark: Travels to the Source of the Missouri River and Across the American Continent to the Pacific Ocean. $8,000 - $12,000.
Bonhams, Dec. 8-18: Original Artwork for the First Edition of Neal Stephenson's Groundbreaking Novel Snow Crash. $100,000 - $150,000.
Bonhams, Dec. 8-18: A Complete Set Signed Deluxe Editions of King's The Dark Tower Series by Stephen King. $8,000 - $12,000.
Bonhams, Dec. 8-18: Autograph Letter Signed ("John Adams") to James Le Ray de Chaumont During the Crucial Years of the Revolutionary War. $8,000 - $12,000.
Sotheby’s Book Week December 9-17, 2025
Sotheby’s, Dec. 12: Hooke, Robert. Micrographia: or some Physiological Descriptions of Minute Bodies made by Magnifying Glasses. London: James Allestry for the Royal Society, 1667. $12,000 to $15,000.
Sotheby’s, Dec. 12: Chappuzeau, Samuel. The history of jewels, first edition in English. London: T.N. for Hobart Kemp, 1671. $12,000 to $18,000.
Sotheby’s, Dec. 12: Sowerby, James. Exotic Mineralogy, containing his most realistic mineral depictions, London: Benjamin Meredith, 1811, Arding and Merrett, 1817. $5,000 to $7,000.
Heritage Auctions Rare Books Signature Auction December 15, 2025
Heritage, Dec. 15: John Donne. Poems, By J. D. With Elegies on the Author's Death. London: M[iles]. F[lesher]. for John Marriot, 1633.
Heritage, Dec. 15: Edgar Rice Burroughs. Tarzan of the Apes.
Heritage, Dec. 15: F. Scott Fitzgerald. Tender is the Night. A Romance.
Heritage, Dec. 15: Jerry Thomas. How to Mix Drinks, or the Bon-Vivant's Companion, Containing Clear and Reliable Directions for Mixing All the Beverages Used in the United States…
![<b>Heritage, Dec. 15:</b> John Donne. <i>Poems, By J. D. With Elegies on the Author's Death.</i> London: M[iles]. F[lesher]. for John Marriot, 1633.](https://ae-files.s3.amazonaws.com/AdvertisementPhotos/8caddaea-4c1f-47a7-9455-62f53af36e3f.jpg "<b>Heritage, Dec. 15:</b> John Donne. <i>Poems, By J. D. With Elegies on the Author's Death.</i> London: M[iles]. F[lesher]. for John Marriot, 1633.")
