A Note of Thank You to our Former Chair

Written by Ralph Stanton

As the new Chair of the Alcuin Society, I would like to record some of the contributions of my immediate predecessor, Spencer Stuart.

As Chair of the Board from 2019 to June 2024, Spencer worked to maintain the society through the COVID-19 crisis. By initiating and expanding the society’s web based education activities, he helped secure the society’s connections with its membership and expand the reach of the society across Canada and around the world. He also dealt with the inflationary situation and helped ensured the financial health of the society. Under his leadership the Board of the society began to meet via Zoom as a way to protect the health of board members and this proved an efficient and time saving action.

For the information of our newer members, Spencer holds a master’s degree in the History of Art from the Courtauld Institute in London, England. After graduation, he took a position with Bonhams Auctioneers in London, where he worked closely with the North American Rare Books and Manuscripts department in Toronto and New York. He is an alumnus of the Colorado Antiquarian Book Seminars and has completed course work through the Rare Book School at the University of Virginia. His professional work is as a Collections Advisor, Spencer works with new, expanding and mature collections throughout the world both in private and institutional contexts. His work is focused on facilitating collection development, cataloguing and deaccession strategies. Spencer is the author of the book Contemporary Issues in Rare Book and Manuscript Collecting as well as the organizer of the three-part, monthly webinar program Collecting Insights held on a quarterly basis.

The Board wishes to thank Spencer for his significant contribution to the society during a difficult period.

Spencer Stuart at the Alcuin Awards Jury Day in March 2024