Hymnal that dates to 1640 could fetch $30M Associated Press Copyright 2013 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Updated 9:10 am, Friday, April 12, 2013 Only 11 copies of the Bay Psalm Book survive in varying degrees of completeness. Taylor says the church voted to sell one of its two remaining copies— both in "excellent condition" — to increase its grants, ministries and "strengthen our voice in general as a progressive Christian church." [...] Mark Dimunation, chief of rare books and special collections at the Library of Congress, says the almanac was more of a pamphlet or a broadsheet rather than a book. American poetry, American spirituality and the printed page all kind of combine and find themselves located in a single volume. "[...] there's also something much more modest and humble about this piece, which makes its survival all the most extraordinary," he said, noting that the hymnals were utilitarian books that were subjected to a lot of wear and tear.