In A Bind
Sydney Morning Herald
Wednesday October 10, 2001
Trisha Valliappan (top), 25, has worked as a publishing assistant at antiquarian booksellers Hordern House in Potts Point for two and a half years. She has completed a course in book restoration. Derek McDonnell, 51, is a director of Hordern House. He has dealt in many aspects concerning the colonial history of Australia for more than 30 years. He established Hordern House with his partner Anne McCormick in 1985.
Trisha Valliappan: How did you get started in this field?Derek McDonnell: I was an academic at Oxford University and decided to get a job in the real world at a bookstore [where] I worked in the antiquarian books section.TV: What's involved in running an antiquarian bookstore?DM: We buy and sell rare books and catalogues, among other things. Staff work together on everything from researching and writing to doing photography and desktop publishing.TV: How does Hordern House differ from other bookstores?DM: Value is the big difference. Most of our objects [usually dated before 1850] are valuable. We don't have an obvious shopfront. We have about 3,000 pieces of stock at any one time and more reference books than actual stock. TV: What sort of skills and qualifications do you need?DB: You need to be able to stay on a case, and a good command of the research material available. The Internet has become very important so it would be advantageous to have Web and desktop publishing skills. Languages would be of some help so you are able to translate [part of] a book in French, Italian, German or Latin.TV: How do you get a job in the industry?DV: We advertise positions and ask academic institutions for recommendations. Spend time in a special interest part of a museum or library. Also, attend something such as the upcoming Australian Antiquarian Book Fair. TV: What do you like most and least about your job?DM: No one day is like any other and the material is very exciting. It's the thrill of the chase and the satisfaction of putting the right objects in the right place [in terms of cataloguing]. The only downside I could identify would be the typical tasks associated with running a small business.The Australian and New Zealand Association of Antiquarian Booksellers presents the Australian Antiquarian Book Fair from October 12 to 14 at the Masonic Centre, 279 Castlereagh St, Sydney.
© 2001 Sydney Morning Herald