Friends of the Oakland Public Library
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"Public libraries receive less than 1% of all tax dollars and are used by more than 50
percent of the population." |
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Friends of the Oakland Public Library
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Written by Sophie Fynland
Souroujon On Wednesday, February 21, 2007, I had the honor of interviewing Bibliomania’s co-owners Jean and Daryl Van Fleet. We arranged for a 10:00 a.m. meeting, an hour before the store officially opened, and I was genuinely amazed, when I eventually left the store, that the time was 12:30 p.m. What happened? In addition to a most warm and welcoming greeting of one of Oakland’s independent bookstores, located at the corner of 19th Street and Telegraph Avenue, I was overwhelmed by the guided tour of seen and unseen treasures, of used books on numerous subjects, of historical pamphlets of different eras, of special sections on military history, social movements, modern literature, children’s books, and so on, all arranged in a most orderly fashion, and easily and readily available to find without a problem. I’m speaking of what the public views upon entering the store itself, spending time in leisurely browsing for books, hopefully purchasing some, and sometimes also bringing books to sell. Upstairs, the tour was of a different sort. This is where the overflow of books, brochures and pamphlets are stored, where general cataloging is performed, and where many files and general reference books are kept. For example, if one wants to read “Gone with the Wind” in Dutch – it’s available - upstairs. Just ask, “Do you happen to have…?” The answer would probably be, “Yes, we do.” Or, “We don’t but we’ll be glad to conduct a search and let you know as soon as we have the information.” Daryl van Fleet said that his first used bookstore was started in 1974, in the North Beach area of San Francisco (between Stockton and Powell) and was aptly named “P.M.” since the store was only open in the P.M.! This was the time of the remnants of Bohemia, where jazz was performed at the Keystone Corner, where poets performed in the evenings and booklovers converged. A heady time! In 1977, the Van Fleets moved their bookstore to Berkeley and remained on Telegraph Avenue (across from the Center for Independent Living) until 1987, when they moved to San Pablo Avenue in Oakland, adjacent to City Hall. In 1995, the Van Fleets moved to Telegraph Avenue and 19th Street, their current location. The Van Fleets explained that the logo for Bibliomania depicts a man with a mad passion for books, a graphic originally appearing in the 1494 edition of “The Ship of Fools.” It was reproduced on the title page of the 1809 first edition of “Bibliomania” by Thomas Frognall Dibdin.
Jean Van Fleet, who has worked side-by-side with her husband, Daryl, since 1983, gave me a personal insight into her avid interest in books. After Jean’s mother, an elementary school teacher in Chester, West Virginia, married and had two daughters, she started a kindergarten at home. When Jean was just three years old her mother took her to the magnificent Carnegie Library (built in 1903) in East Liverpool, Ohio where Jean acquired her own library card. She was the youngest person ever to receive a card from that library! Some favorite books that Jean read from the Carnegie Library: "Manuela's Birthday in Old Mexico" by Laura Bannon, a story about a Mexican girl who wanted to have a blond doll; Mary Poppins; the series of Twins books, such as Dutch, French, and Irish (by Lucy Fitch Perkins). Today, Jean’s interests are eclectic, ranging from June Jordan's autobiography, Soldier to a reread of Kenneth Grahame’s Wind in the Willows.
As a child, Daryl enjoyed the Oz books, Winnie the Pooh, and Wind in the Willows among many choices as well as the stories of Edgar Allen Poe. Daryl’s favorite illustrators include Fritz Eichenberg, George Grosz, Frans Masereel, Alfred Kubin, and others. Who visits Bibliomania? This is an all-age destination (though more young readers would be most welcome), including newcomers to the area, pedestrians who stroll by, or drivers (like myself) who are on their way to someplace else and see a sign for “Bibliomania” and decide to stop by at a later date. People know about Bibliomania via word-of-mouth, through website connections, and collectors with unique and special interests. Seekers of old magazines, books by a particular author, old covers advertising products such as Quaker Oats or Cream of Wheat, etc. Interested in a magazine called “The Queen of Fashion” from 1893, 1903, 1905? Bibliomania has them. Various books are available in German, French, Spanish, and a good-sized selection in Yiddish. A large section is devoted to various social movements - labor, socialism, union files of newspapers, convention proceedings, pamphlets and tracts. Daryl calls this section his “vertical file materials.” Books by German Exiles (1933 – 1950) such as Lion Feuchtwanger, Bertolt Brecht and other, less-famous authors are available as well. Bibliomania carries a large selection of African-American and African literature, fiction and non-fiction, including children’s books.
Before I left, Jean gave me a number of catalogues of special items that are available from Bibliomania:
I took one more glance before leaving the store and enjoyed looking at the various book-related posters that embrace Bibliomania, including Walt Kelly’s Pogo and a 1968 photograph of Creed’s Books on Telegraph Avenue in Berkeley (near the present location of Moe’s Books). Creed’s Books does not exist anymore but retains its presence through the image of what was there - once upon a time, as all good stories begin. Please visit FOPL’s BookFriend where each story has something special to tell! In 6,000 sq. ft. of space, Bibliomania has over 90,000 books and 100,000 pamphlets (including international ones) in stock plus approximately 30,000 listed on line. Items are packed and shipped worldwide. Special collecting interests or a want list may be submitted by email to: books@bibliomania.ws. The Van Fleets check their stock and quote or keep the information on file for future reference. To browse the books, please click on http://antiqbook.com/books/bookseller.phtml/bibman To check online, please click on http://antiqbook.com/books/bookseller.phtml/bibman and then scroll down to view the subjects listed on the right.
Bibliomania
Phone: (510) 835-5733 Email: books@bibliomania.ws Fax: 001-510-835-1008 |
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