Bolerium Books

Tagline Brand's website · 2026-11-08

Specialist antiquarian bookseller offering books and ephemeral materials on labor, radicalism, and other social movements.

Description Brand's website · 2026-11-08

Established in 1981 in San Francisco, Bolerium Books specializes in books and ephemeral materials concerning labor history and social movements, including Black and Chicano equality, gay liberation, feminism, Asian-American activism, and the Far Right. Its catalog includes tens of thousands of original leaflets, pamphlets, and posters, as well as materials in non-Western languages. Bolerium is a member of the Antiquarian Booksellers' Association of America (ABAA).

Mission Brand's website · 2026-11-08

To offer unusual and historically significant books and ephemeral materials, knowledgeably described, while helping libraries and archives build collections that support research.

Founders & leadership Brand's website · 2026-11-08

John Durham, original co-founder and senior owner; Alexander Akin, Ph.D., co-owner since 2013.

Website Brand's website · 2026-11-08

https://bolerium.com

Voice & tone Brand's website · 2026-11-08

Knowledgeable, specialized, scholarly, and irreverent.

Founded Brand's website · 2026-11-08

1981

Headquarters Brand's website · 2026-11-08

2141 Mission, suite 300, San Francisco, California, in the Mission District.

Problem solved Brand's website · 2026-11-08

Helps researchers, collectors, libraries, and archives find and acquire unusual, historically significant books, archival collections, and ephemeral materials related to labor and social movements.

Core capabilities Brand's website · 2026-11-08

• Specialist cataloging and sale of books and ephemeral materials
• Online searchable catalog of catalogued stock
• Sourcing and consulting on materials in storage and in process
• Institutional collection development and archival collection building
• Offering individual titles, lists, and entire archival collections
• Weekly new-arrival notifications by subject or keyword
• Buying or trading duplicate and surplus archival materials
• Consignment of duplicate or unneeded materials

Products / SKUs Brand's website · 2026-11-08

• Books
• Leaflets
• Pamphlets
• Posters
• Letters and other ephemeral materials
• Archival collections
• Institutional collection-development offerings
• New-arrival email notifications

Pricing Brand's website · 2026-11-08

Prices are listed individually for catalog items; examples on the site include $20, $75, and $250.

Target industry Brand's website · 2026-11-08

Antiquarian and rare bookselling; libraries, archives, and academic research.

Customer base Brand's website · 2026-11-08

Institutional libraries, archives, researchers, collectors, and individuals interested in labor and social-movement history.

Ideal customer profile Brand's website · 2026-11-08

Libraries and archives seeking unusual, historically significant books, ephemera, and archival collections in areas such as labor history, radicalism, Black and Chicano equality, gay and lesbian studies, feminism, Asian-American activism, and the Far Right.

Use cases Brand's website · 2026-11-08

• Building and expanding institutional library collections
• Acquiring archival collections and movement ephemera
• Researching labor and radical history
• Researching gay, lesbian, ethnic, and other social movements
• Finding rare or unusual books, leaflets, pamphlets, posters, and letters
• Receiving automatic notifications about new acquisitions
• Selling, trading, or consigning duplicate archival materials

Customer outcomes Brand's website · 2026-11-08

• More complete and research-oriented institutional collections
• Access to unusual and historically significant primary materials
• Discovery of newly catalogued items in selected subject areas
• Assistance locating materials beyond the online catalog
• Disposition of duplicate or surplus archival materials