About

Welcome! My name is Michele Wan, and I'm the proprietor of Head to Tail Books, a bookstore for rare, vintage, and collectible books, open online and by appointment in Westport in Fairfield County, Connecticut. I offer rare books and ephemera at various price points, carefully examined, described, and photographed. I will be adding more books to this site monthly. Whether you are a book collector, librarian, or curator, I can help you find rare books to develop your collection and enhance your home or institutional library. If you are looking to sell your rare books, please contact me at info@headtotailbooks.com or (203) 293-6462 to discuss further. Reciprocal trade courtesies are offered, and institutions may be billed according to their needs.

I am interested in books of all eras, from handpress to modern, that reflect the experiences of marginalized communities, particularly communities of color. I am also interested in historical bindings, the quirky and unusual, and books and ephemera about dogs. Previously, I cataloged rare books and manuscripts as the Special Collections Cataloging Librarian for Columbia University Libraries. I'm a graduate of the Colorado Antiquarian Book Seminar (CABS) (Class of 2021), and I've taken courses on rare book cataloging and the history of bookbindings at Rare Book School. I helped launch and manage the CABS-Minnesota Diverse Voices Fellowship program from 2021-2023. 

When I don't have my hands in old books, I have a dog training and behavior consulting practice. 

Follow Head to Tail Books on Instagram: @headtotailbooks