The Bibliographical Society of America (BSA) is the oldest learned society in North America dedicated to the study of books and manuscripts as physical objects. Established in 1904, the society promotes bibliographical research and issues bibliographical publications. It holds its annual meeting in New York City in late January, during which time an annual address is presented by a guest speaker followed by three papers from young scholars selected as part of the society's New Scholars Program. It also sponsors lectures, an annual fellowship program, and three prizes for work published in the fields of printing and publishing history.
In addition, the society publishes the quarterly Papers of the Bibliographical Society of America. The first issue of what was then called The Bulletin of the Bibliographical Society of America was published in May 1907.
Membership is open to anyone with an interest in bibliography, including bibliographers, collectors, librarians, professors, and students.
History of American Bibliographies
Charles Evans(1850-1935), supported by a myriad people, wrote the first book on the history of printing and books, from Colonial times to the Federal Era, entitled American Bibliography. Almost 50 years following Evans, Ralph Shaw (1902–72) and Richard Shoemaker (1907–70) began to catalogue where Evan left off. This began a regional catalogue that evolved into a national catalogue called the National Union catalogue.