Oak Knoll Books and Press

Oak Knoll
Company type	Private
Industry	Bookselling, Publishing
Founded	1976 in Newark, Delaware, United States
Founder	Robert D. (Bob) Fleck Jr.
Headquarters	New Castle, Delaware, United States
Area served	Specialized markets including book collecting, bibliography, fine printing, bookbinding, typography, and related graphic arts
Key people	Mildred Fleck (owner), Rob Fleck III (Director)
Products	Rare and antiquarian books; publishing of titles on printing history, bibliography, and book arts
Number of employees	Not specified

Adapted from the English Wikipedia article Oak Knoll Books and Press, available under CC BY-SA 4.0Updated 25 July 2025

Oak Knoll operates as both a bookseller and publisher based in New Castle, Delaware, United States. It consists of two main branches: Oak Knoll Books, which specializes in rare and antiquarian volumes, and Oak Knoll Press, a publisher and distributor of currently available titles. Both sectors concentrate on "books about books," emphasizing subjects such as printing history, bibliography, and the book arts. Additionally, Oak Knoll organizes the Oak Knoll Fest, an event celebrating book arts.

About

Established in 1976 in Newark, Delaware by entrepreneur Robert D. (Bob) Fleck Jr. (1947–2016), Oak Knoll expanded its operations in 1978 by launching Oak Knoll Press. The company’s strategy targets specialized markets including book collecting, bibliography, fine printing, bookbinding, typography, and related graphic arts.

Fleck, an avid collector of works by A. Edward Newton—an important figure in the realm of book collecting—chose to name the company after Newton’s residence in Daylesford, Pennsylvania. The design of Oak Knoll’s branding and its motto, "Sir, the biographical part of literature is what I love most," were inspired by Newton’s bookplate, underscoring the firm’s commitment to bibliographic scholarship.

After several relocations within Delaware, Oak Knoll established its headquarters at 310 Delaware Street in New Castle in 1998. Upon Fleck’s death in 2016, ownership passed to his wife Mildred Fleck, while their son Rob Fleck III assumed the role of Director.

The company holds memberships with prominent industry organizations such as the Antiquarian Booksellers' Association of America, International League of Antiquarian Booksellers, and Association of American Publishers, strengthening its position and competitive edge within the niche book trade market. Previously, Oak Knoll published a newsletter titled Oak Leaves, which contributed to community engagement and demonstrated thought leadership.

Oak Knoll Books

Oak Knoll Books offers a collection of approximately 29,000 titles and produces frequent catalogs centered on antiquarian books, especially those related to books and bibliography. Leadership within the Antiquarian department has included Andrew Armacost (1994–2004) and Rob Fleck III (2008–present). The company employs a distinctive pricing code system to label books while tracking their origins and expenses.

Significant catalogs have focused on particular themes or collections such as:

A. Edward Newton collections (Catalogs 8, 86)
Alida Roochvarg Collection of Books about Books (Catalogs 10, 11, 14, 17, 19, 22)
History of Bookbinding (Catalog 69)
Paper History and Technique (Catalog 122)
Printing History & Technique from Norman Blaustein's collection (Catalogs 177, 179, 181)
Bibliography and Reference Books (Catalog 200)
Americana Reference Library of Robert G. Hayman (Catalog 208)
William Morris and the Kelmscott Press (Catalog 219)
Typographic Book series (Catalogs 223, 225)
Contemporary Private Press & Artists' Books (Catalog 229)
Bookbinding History & Technique from Phiroze Randeria & Alfred Brazier collections (Catalog 246)
Reference Library of H.P. Kraus (Catalogs 254, 257, 258)
Fine Printing & Private Press in 20th Century North America (Catalog 255)
Works from Questor Rare Books (Catalogs 266–268)

Oak Knoll Press

Established in 1978 by Bob Fleck and based in New Castle, Delaware, Oak Knoll Press focuses on publishing original titles, reissuing out-of-print classics, and distributing works related to book history and bibliography. The press has been led by publishing directors including Paul Wakeman (1988–1996), John von Hoelle (1996–2006), Mark Parker Miller (beginning in 2006), and Matthew Young. A detailed history and bibliography of the press appeared in 2008.

The company's first release was a reprint of Bigmore and Wyman's A Bibliography of Printing, produced in collaboration with Holland Press. Starting in 1991, Oak Knoll partnered with the British Library under Director David Way to jointly publish important works such as:

Marianne Tidcombe's The Doves Bindery (1991) and Women Bookbinders (1996)
David Pearson's Provenance Research in Book History (1994)
Sigfrid Henry Steinberg's Five Hundred Years of Printing (1996)
Richard-Gabriel Rummonds's studies on iron handpress printing (1998, 2004)
Bernard Middleton's A History of English Craft Bookbinding Technique (2006)

During the early 1990s, Oak Knoll began co-publishing with St. Paul's Bibliographies and assumed U.S. distribution responsibilities in 1993. In 1997, Oak Knoll acquired St. Paul's Bibliographies and continued issuing its series under their imprint until 2015. A collaboration initiated in 2000 with Konstantinos Staikos resulted in several publications focused on libraries and Greek publishing history, notably the five-volume History of Libraries in Western Civilization (2004–2013).

Noteworthy titles published by Oak Knoll include:

John Carter's ABC for Book Collectors
Philip Gaskell's A New Introduction to Bibliography (1995)
Ronald B. McKerrow's An Introduction to Bibliography for Literary Students (1994)
Fredson Bowers's Principles of Bibliographical Description (1994)

In addition to its own publications, Oak Knoll Press serves as a distributor for esteemed organizations such as the American Antiquarian Society, Center for Book Arts, Bibliographical Society of America, Codex Foundation, Grolier Club, John Carter Brown Library, Library of Congress, and Center for the Book.

Oak Knoll Fest

Oak Knoll organizes a festival dedicated to book arts and fine printing held annually in New Castle, Delaware. Founded in 1994, this event brings together letterpress printers and book artists to present their creations. Typically scheduled for the first weekend of October, the festival features a two-day fine press bookfair, an Oak Knoll bookshop sale, and weekend lectures. While initially an annual gathering, it shifted to a biennial schedule starting in 2010. Oak Knoll Fest XXI was postponed from October 2020 to 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The festival has hosted speakers including press owners, dealers, collectors, and librarians such as Carolee Campbell (Ninja Press), Jan and Crispin Elstead (Barbarian Press), Colin Franklin, Jerry Kelly, Simon Lawrence (Fleece Press), Ian Mortimer (I.M. Imprimit), Graham Moss (Incline Press), Henry Morris (Bird & Bull Press), Barry Moser, Frances and Nicolas McDowall (Old Stile Press), Nicholas and Mary Parry (Tern Press), Robin Price, John Randle (Whittington Press), Gabrielle Rummonds, Gaylord Schanilec (Midnight Paper Sales), and Claire Van Vliet (Janus Press).

For several editions of the festival, limited-edition poster portfolios featuring letterpress broadsides have been produced:

Oak Knoll Fest I (1994): 10 broadsides from 10 presses; edition of 50 copies.
Oak Knoll Fest II (1995): 17 broadsides; 50 sets produced.
Oak Knoll Fest X (2003): 35 broadsides; limited to 125 sets.
Oak Knoll Fest XX Portfolio (2018): edition of 80 numbered copies.

Oak Knoll Books also publishes catalogs showcasing fine press books displayed at the fair, including Oak Knoll fest 1995: A Day of Book Arts. The Fine Press Book Association (FPBA) was established at Oak Knoll Fest in 1996 and frequently holds its meetings concurrent with the event.

Additional resources

References