Join Kristen St. John, bookbinder and collections conservator for the UCLA Library, in exploring the diverse possibilities of hand bound book structure.
The materials and methods used to bind books are simple, but deciding how to apply them determines more than the appearance of a book. A bookbinder’s decisions directly influence a reader’s experience of a text. Paper type, sewing technique, spine lining – all these elements affect the way a book opens, flows, balks, or shifts in a reader’s hands.
Whether you’re surprised people are still making books by hand or have been experimenting with bookbinding or creating artist books, this afternoon should give you a deeper understanding of how books work.
Kristen will bring samples of books that illustrate variations in binding styles and invites participants to bring their models or books to share as well.