"Books often aren’t recognized as art in the same way that paintings or sculpture are. But they should be...", says fine-art book printer Peter Koch of Berkeley.  And the 2011 Codex Conference being held at Berkeley this weekend showcases why books should be recognized as art.  With more than 180 book artists, private presses, college and university book art centers and departments exhibiting at their book arts fair, they are certainly demonstrating how book is art and art is book.  Combining that with panel discussions and symposiums, this is the place to be for 2011.  So get those airline tickets and get outa the snow and into the sunny climate of California and hit this book fair.  For more information on vendors, etc., go to www.codex.foundation.org/bookfair.html and click here to read more about why the book as art is becoming an accepted medium in our culture ...  http://newscenter.berkeley.edu/2011/02/04/book-fair/.   Following on the heels of the Codex Conference is the Book Arts Fair of the ABAA Organization.  This also provides outstanding examples of traditional bookmaking techniques and art through the centuries.  Such great presses like Oak Knoll will be there along with other antiquarian book dealers.  Their book fair is in the fair city of San Francisco.  So go out and get your fill of books in the sunny, warm climate of California.  For more information on ABAA, go to www.abaa.org which stands for the Antiquarian Booksellers of America.   And, one more item of interest from The New York Times on "Designing Books in the Digital Age" showcasing how a designer of books, Joost Grooten, takes a different stance of creating his books...he is definitely thinking outside of the box...or, let's say book in this instant...here's the link:   http://www.nytimes.com/2011/01/31/arts/31iht-design31.html?_r=2&emc=eta1