My day at the Book Fair

   At the Dublin City Book Fair, 2006

This month as the lawn bowling season draws to a close, I had vague twinges of wanting to participate in the Dublin City Book Fair again.  I made a half-hearted attempt to get a table but I was too late – all the tables had been allocated.  I was actually spurred on to try to get a table by a customer at Kilternan Market who told me I should try to get a table as I filled a particular niche there at the Fairs – i.e. my books are mainly for readers as opposed to collectors.   Well, she might feel I fill a niche but I never did have a rush of paying customers.  I just had a good time but it was costing me too much money so I decided to cease trading for a while.

 So yesterday I went along as a browser as opposed to being a would-be seller.  It’s almost more fun that way – I get to see lots of friendly faces and I get more time to browse.  And I don’t lose the rent money for a table.  I found several miscellaneous “treasures”.  I had a chat with a number of friends.   One of the sellers was wearing a T-shirt identifying her as a member of the Society of Indexers.  I didn’t know such a society existed.  I’m a member of the Cataloguing and Indexing SubGroup of the Library Association of Ireland, but so far as I know this subgroup doesn’t have a T-shirt.  So I was intrigued.  I tried to find out more but she was more interested in selling me a big volume of some index or other.  She kind of switched off when she sensed I wasn’t interested in buying such a big tome.  That was a pity.  When I have a table at the Book Fair I love talking with people about their interests in books and reading, or mountain climbing or whatever.  

Here are my acquisitions from yesterday’s Dublin City Book Fair.     Nothing terribly exciting.  Two music books, a book about the American West, a book about Rommel in the Desert in World War II, and an old Puffin book with lovely illustrations of British cattle breeds.