From the well–known Milan family of publishers, booksellers and printers that dates back to the 18th Century, Antonio Vallardi took part in the World Congress of Libraries and Bibliography in 1929 was a member of the Italian Libraries Association from 1931 until at least 1937 and remained involved in Lombardy regional library Committee until 1964. He became President of the Italian Publishers Association in 1946, a position he held for ten years.