These past weeks I was quite busy crafting bookbinding tools at my workshop. Spending two days working with power tools may not sound as a heavy agenda, but I still have a day job, and iBookBinding needs constant updates.
Recently one of my students asked me how to remove cigarette smell from books. I’m quite lucky not to have faced that problem ever in my life. My close relatives and I do not smoke, and I never bought any second hand things that needed deodorizing.
Eric Standley combines in his work traditions of book sculpting, modern laser-cutting technologies and graphic design to create astonishing three-dimensional structures.
I’ve just received a new batch of beeswax from my supplier. Yesterday was dedicated to melting and re-melting all that stuff to make it cleaner.
Last month’s digest of bookbinding, book arts, book history and book conservation posts was quite popular and we have decided to try establishing a new series of posts at iBookBinding.
Sixteen members of the restoration and conservation team of the National Library of Spain are in charge of millions of documents held in the collection. Watch them performing some of theirs tasks in that short video.
After almost cutting off a piece of my thumb several years ago with my utility knife while preparing boards for a book, I became quite cautious when using sharp instruments. Moreover, always try to pass that idea to my students.
Sherif Afifi is a book and paper conservator at the Bibliotheca Alexandrina in Egypt. He has a wonderful collection of videos dedicated to bookbinding, book conservation and care for the other paper-related materials.
Jay Tanner is experimenting with drying paper like it was done in the 18th century.
We return with five more Facebook accounts worth following if you are a book lover or bookbinder.
Every year two types of scholarships are awarded at the American Academy of Bookbinding awards scholarships: Open Scholarship and AAB Fine Binding Scholarship. The first one comes in the amount of $1000 that can be applied toward tuition. The latter one is a $3000 award, which can be used to cover tuition and housing fees. For the students who can show financial need there is also a Tuition Assistance option that covers $400 for a one-week course and $800 for a two-week course.
"Street libraries are popping up on the streets of Australia giving people the chance to browse, borrow or leave books without having to register for a library card."
Besides making books and teaching, bookbinding tools are one of my passions. Ten years ago, I’ve made my first presses, sewing frames and wooden folders. That happened almost simultaneously with binding my first book.
The Society of Bookbinders will be holding its Twenty-first Education and Training Conference from August 3rd – 6th 2017 at Keele University, Staffordshire, UK. Keele is a modern university set in parkland with the historic Keele Hall at its centre, and is easily accessible by road (M6), rail (Stoke-on-Trent or Crewe) and air (Manchester, Birmingham, Liverpool).
Wolfgang Bremer has been making books for more than fifty years. Here is a video from his studio in Bromma near Stockholm, Sweden.
