Melbourne Rare Book Week promises to be a treat. Melbourne Rare Book Week promises to be a treat. Photo: Louie Douvis

Aristotle, Petrarch, Pepys and J. Pierpont Morgan did it. So did Richard de Bury, although he went too far. 
They were all avid bibliophiles who built up great collections of books (or in Aristotle's case, scrolls). De Bury, a 13th-century English bishop, wrote one of the first guides to book collecting, Philobiblon. "A library of wisdom is more precious than all wealth," he wrote.

Sadly, he took his own advice too literally. He was such a manic collector that by the time of his death, he left nothing but huge debts, and his precious library had to be sold and dispersed.

Today's book collectors are more canny and after far more diverse things than wisdom. They have a treat coming up in Melbourne from July 16, when a galaxy of events, talks and exhibitions awaits them during Rare Book Week, culminating in the Melbourne Rare Book Fair (July 24-26).
Now in its fourth year, the rolling book show truly has something for everyone, whether you're a sophisticated connoisseur with years of experience or just a keen reader who'd like to fill up a bookshelf or two with some interesting tomes.