Bookbinders are craftsmen and craftswomen who put together a book. Some specialize in repairing old books while some work putting together new books.
Bookbinding is an art that goes back many years, way before any machines could be used. Bookbinders would use ornate fabrics and designs to cover books. It was and still is a trade that is learned mostly on the job. That trade can eventually turn into an art.
The cover of a book protects and helps preserve the pages in the middle so that it can be passed down through the years, as books often are, and read by many. The actual binding of a book is what makes is possible to read all the pages as you do. With out the binding, you would just have pages flying everywhere, and one missing page would ruin a story or make information incomplete.
The process of binding
The process of binding a new book starts with the pages that are to be bound. Large sheets of paper that contain the text are folded and cut to assemble what is called a ‘signature'. That is, you have the pages of the book in order, yet no cover on it, just the pages. Bookbinders then sew, staple and glue the book together.
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By Jeanne Rongitsch
