Benefits of BSA Membership

The Bibliographical Society of America seeks to serve its members by crafting a benefits program that meets the needs members working across the professional spectrum. In addition accessing to our peer-reviewed journal online, members can sharpen their skills through affordable workshops in-person and online, and further their research with discounted access to physical and electronic resources.

Benefits overview

  • A subscription to BSA’s quarterly journal, The Papers of the Bibliographical Society of America (PBSA) in print and online.

  • Inclusion in the BSA’s digital membership directories.

  • Annual opportunities to apply for BSA fellowships, prizes, and events funding.

  • Access to a discounted subscription to the ACLS Humanities Ebook Collection at $25/year.

  • Access to discounted membership and electronic research resources at the New York Society Library.

  • A 30% discount on all books published or distributed by the University of Chicago Press.

  • Reciprocal membership benefits at the Center for Book Arts (NYC), including discounts at their bookshop, on classes (virtual and in-person), and studio/book-making equipment rentals.

Access PBSA in print & online ↑

Individual subscriptions come with membership in the Society, and include the full year’s issues in print and e-Book formats. This includes access to the full archive of PBSA, including recent issues not available in JStor.

In addition to downloadable PDFs and HTML access to full-length articles, BSA members also have exclusive access to the e-Book edition of every issue, which can be downloaded as an EPUB or MOBI file and read on an iPad, iPhone, Nook, Kindle, Android, or computer—even when the device is not connected to the internet.

Active members: log in below for online access to PBSA.

BSA membership directories ↑

The BSA website now features public and private directories of active members! Recognizing that members are the heart of this organization, the Society invested in creating a directory that would help members and the public learn more about who we are. Please peruse the public directory or login to consult the private directory.

The public directory displays member names, websites, profesional title, and flags members interested in speaking opportunities. The private directory also includes a brief biographical statement and email address. Active members can choose to appear in one, both, or neither of the directories.

ACLS Humanities Ebooks: discounted access ↑

The Humanities Ebook Collection is a collaboration among the American Council of Learned Societies (of which BSA is a member), Michigan Publishing, and the Fulcrum publishing platform. This curated-resource features over 5,700 scholarly books from over 125 publishers. These include C. Paul Christianson’s A Directory of London Stationers and Book Artisans, 1300-1500 and all 29 volumes of Sabin’s Bibliotheca Americana. As part of its ongoing work, the Publications Committee is adding more titles relevant to bibliographical scholarship. Coming soon: The Bibliography of American Literature!

Subscriptions align with annual BSA memberships, beginning October 1 and expiring on September 30. Subscribing members will receive an email message from Michigan Publishing with instructions for setting up their login and password on their system within 10 days of subscribing through BSA.

NY Society Library: discounted membership ↑

The BSA recognizes that independent scholars, precariously employed academics, and booksellers need research resources and services beyond what most public libraries can offer. Working with the Society Library, we crafted a special option for members of the BSA offering access to electronic resources; Interlibrary Loan services; 10 building visits per year, including access to most member-only spaces; and access to expert reader’s advisory and reference services, all at a cost of $170 per year.

Memberships and renewals will be handled directly by the Society Library; BSA members can access a special join link through the password-protected membership page on our website.

Discounts from the University of Chicago Press ↑

BSA members receive a 30% discount on all books published or distributed by the University of Chicago Press. Members can login to their account to access the discount code.

Center For Book Arts: reciprocal membership & discounts ↑

BSA members receive reciprocal membership benefits at the Center for Book Arts in New York City, including a 5% discount on course registration fees for in-person and virtual classes.

The Center for Book Arts promotes active explorations of artistic practices related to the book as an art object. Classes focus on skills and techniques related to book production, including printing, binding, papermaking, and typography.