After more than 18 years as head of viaLibri, the time has come for me to retire and step back from the day-to-day grind of being CEO. Someone younger, smarter, and more energetic needs to move forward and take my place. Fortunately, my long tenure has also given me the great good fortune of knowing exactly who that person should be: our long-standing CTO, Alasdair North.
Booksellers who have worked with Alasdair already know that the viaLibri-dependent parts of their business will continue in excellent hands. His deep technical understanding and commitment to our mission make him the ideal person to lead viaLibri into its next chapter.
As for me, fear not. I have no plans to disappear completely. While Alasdair will be taking over my former role as CEO, I’ll be moving into a more congenial position as retired founder and Chairman of the Board. I’m entirely at ease knowing that the operation of the company I founded is being left in such capable hands.
A special thank you is due to the many booksellers, collectors, and librarians who have taken an interest in viaLibri over the years and helped to make it what it is today.
The viaLibri Blog will continue as before, and I hope to make an occasional appearance there when I have something new to say. I also hope to see new voices join the conversation, making it livelier and, I trust, more frequent.
Jim Hinck
You can find more details in our press release, or leave a comment below the blog post.
Best wishes in your retirement Jim. What a resource ViaLibri is, it has been a boon to so many booksellers and collectors, me included. Thanks too for your support down the years for YABS. See you at a book fair sometime soon!
Anthony
We met many years ago when you were in the 16e in Paris. ViaLibri is the indispensable website for serious bibliophiles. ViaLibri and it auction-record cousin RareBookHub have changed the experience of book collecting profoundly, for the better. Collectors have the chance of hunting and capturing more books, at good prices, in the best condition, with interesting provenance, sometimes in a special binding.
I am pleased that ViaLibri will continue in safe hands. Good luck to you, with gratitude.
I am so grateful to have learned of viaLibri only a month ago. That was thanks to my Seattle choir retired Doctor friend whose daughter is a book guru. The reason I reached out with my “help me” voice was due to an entire science library (3600 linear feet of books and bound journals) at a federal agency being tossed in dumpsters in front of my eyes. I wanted to take action. I had to learn more. Due to a lack of budget funds, the agency had lost its librarian several years before, and the library was being transformed into office spaces. In the time since the loss of the library, many had tried to save books and find homes at other libraries, but with Covid and other complications, it became seemingly futile. The library’s contents were offered to other libraries and the scientists that work here, but its journal subscriptions were cancelled. That put its relevance at risk since so much of today’s information is on line and digitized. But, there is so much education in these books and journals and since September new volunteers have been trying to build more hope into saving its contents. And viaLibri is helping put wind in our sails! Thank you! We can see with your information when a book is rare and needs to be saved. Your vision and your hard work has given us a way to save some of the books and also to communicate their value. Thank you! I have a deadline of November 30 2025, so I’ll keep working at gathering information from your site, and also I want to wish you all Congratulations in your new roles!
Sincerely, Elizabeth, president of a small environmental nonprofit in Kenmore, Washington,
Via Libri is a singular achievement. My congratulations, with gratitude and thanks.
Thanks for building something so genuinely useful, Jim — I appreciate ViaLibri every day! I hope you and Ann Marie have some adventures planned.
Thank you, indeed, for the creation of a comprehensive site we all needed and continue to rely upon.
Thank you for your kind comment. I was pleased to hear from you.
Well done Jim! I remember some conversations we had way back when you just began ViaLibri and how exciting it was. Your ideas were novel then, not least for not trying to trap visitors to your site but on the contrary directing them to other sources and aids. Without a doubt your work resulted in a site that is one of the premier assets to booksellers and collectors alike! Now go and enjoy the fruits of your labors.
All the best,
Pia
(formerly of Randall House=
Hi Pia.
I remember well those conversations. You were among our very earliest subscribers. I hope I will continue to hear from you and look forward to enjoying those fruits, whatever they may be.
Jim, you have been a quiet Northstar in the digital age of bookselling and book collecting. We have had occasional connections and I have always been impressed with your steadfast willingness to help or guide. ViaLibri has always been my “go to” site for finding the books I sought. It is good to know that you will continue in an advisory capacity as Chairman of the Board. Thank you for your 18 years of service, and I wish you the very best in whatever other additional adventures you pursue. Also, best wishes to Alasdair North, but there will always be one Northstar.
Phil,
Thanks for the kind and generous comment. It’s a pleasant flattery I will let myself indulge in even knowing it is undeserved. It is enough to know that viaLibri has always been your “go to” site and I can hope it will remain so even as I look for other “additional adventures ” to pursue. When I find any new star to follow I will be sure to point my compass towards it and see where it takes me over the next 18 years.
Jim
Thank you Jim, for creating something so reliable and honest. A uniquely useful addition to the world of bookselling…….and buying !
Mike,
Thank you for your kind words. It’s good to hear from anyone, like yourself, who has been with us for so many years. I hope the connection will continue even as I roll on to the next chapter, whatever that may be.
Jim
viaLibri is a valuable (and major) player in the world of online rare books, and I am one of a great many collectors who have relied on — and greatly appreciated — Jim Hinck’s thoughtful, levelheaded management of this utility for the past, nearly two decades. -Terry Belanger
Thanks for your thoughtful and generous compliments. In the world of online rare books my own small contribution hardly merits mention. No opinion there, however, is more respected than your own.
I am pleased to hear reports that our utility is still finding books for collectors. As for thoughtful, levelheaded management, I have no idea where that rumour might have started. Maybe Al will find out and let me know.
Jim
Congratulations Jim, and looking forward to the continued growth of one of the most valuable services on the Internet under Al’s stewardship!
It’s good to hear from you. Continued major growth is definitely on the agenda. Stay tuned!
i’m a collector, and i think you’ve done a fantastic job–transforming my search habits.
many thanks.
I’m happy to hear that viaLibri has helped you build your collection. I hope it continues.
Una buona e serena periodo di pensione. Però non si deve mai finire di lavorare sino a quando sia possibile!
Thank you for your concern. So far I have been unable to stop working – For the moment it appears you have nothing to worry about.
Happy Retirement, and best wishes to the new man at the helm.
I’m happy to hear that viaLibri has helped you build your collection. I hope it continues to grow.