3 + 25 Years and 7 Months - Retirement from Syracuse University Libraries

On July 1st, 1995, I began my career at Syracuse University Libraries. To me, it began as the ultimate work-study job because, 1) I was hired as a librarian while working on my degree at the university's School of Information Studies, and 2) I was able to establish the library's first conservation lab for special collections materials on a two-year grant. That worked out well, because it would take me 2 years to complete my degree. My long term goal was to become a preservation librarian/administrator somewhere, something that would allow me to combine my experiences with both circulating and special collections, as well the then still semi-nascent digitization. I became fascinated with the possibilities of digitization while working at Yale and Cornell. 

Conservation work was centered on the Library's Leopold von Ranke Collection. 400 unidentified books to conserve and 1000 enclosures to make. Coming from a background of item-level collection conservation treatment surveys and having nothing to go on, I got to work identifying treatment needs. the collection was an interesting one as was gathered by Leopold von Ranke, [the] father of modern history, included all subjects, and was brought to Syracuse as the University's first library. It only became a special collection later. So, much to do, to which were added heavily used items from class presentations, and other sources.

Although classed as a librarian, I was not eligible for the "promotion and tenure process" as I was grant funded. Not really an issue for two or three years, but long term I wanted more. The "labor" associated with that process – publication, presentation, service, ... – were things I enjoyed anyway.

1997 Preservation Staff

Two years became three when I was moved to year-to-year funding, but then there were questions about where the money would come from. This was not exactly what one wants to hear after purchasing a house and having a child ... So, time to think fast. Fortunately, I had developed contacts and relationships with people at Gaylord Brothers, a large library and archival supplier, based here in Syracuse. I was grateful that they hired me as the archival product manager in July of 1998. I had never worked in a corporate environment, but also rarely turned down a challenge. My experiences and contacts in the conservation and preservation fields that provided me with a certain credibility at Gaylord so I was able to develop several new products and modify others to better meet the needs of the field. I was also able to see where Gaylord's competitors aligned and diverged from "us" in terms of products. As a bonus, I was also the face and voice of the Gaylord Help Line, a service that anyone could call into to ask questions about caring for their artifacts ... That was eye-opening. Ultimately the corporate environment was not something I was interested in remaining in for a number of reasons, and when I saw my old job at Syracuse reposted I applied, successfully. Over time, however, I realized how much I learned in that year at Gaylord. On my first day back, I removed the thick layer of dust that was everywhere, turned on my computer, and logged in to find everything like I had never left a year earlier.

A box-making [and more] workshop shortly before my arrival.
The gentleman watching was the Director of the library, David Stam
who was a past director of the Newberry where he hired John Dean,
my first Mentor, then Director at Johns Hopkins where I met John Dean
who had followed him there. John was also my boss at Cornell. Marty Hanson
was Head of Preservation at Syracuse, and we met when she was a preservation intern
at Cornell.

Another view from the same workshop.

I was able to bring the Guild of Book Workers' New England Chapter
Created Space exhibition to Syracuse in 1995.
Here I am holding one of my 3 bindings from the exhibition.

When I came back in July 1999, Peter Graham was the new Director and my reporting line had changed from Preservation to Special Collections. I still loved working at the bench and continued my involvements, including in the wider field. Here some articles from the university's publications:

• Interviewed for the "Staff Matters" section of the Syracuse Record in an article entitled "PV keeps SU Library's Books in Good Shape." April 16, 2001.
• Interviewed for the "Staff Circle" section of the Syracuse University Alumni Magazine in an article entitled "Preserving Special Collections." Spring 2000.

My staff continued to consist of work-study students largely drawn from the 1st year art foundation courses I gave book arts instruction sessions too Even if not working in the lab, students would visit to consult on projects and make use of equipment and supplies. They loved the offcuts. Among the students working in the lab, standouts were Alex who helped me treat the Nuremberg Chronicle and didn't panic when I had to tend to a donor while she continued the washing process, Ken who loved making clamshell boxes and was incredibly fast, and good, Greg who was interested in the book as an object, was curious, experimental, and engaged in his printmaking community. There were many others as well. Ultimately, I needed experienced help. That person was Donia Conn, a U Texas trained conservator. Though I had to "fight" to be able to hire her, she was hands down the best person I ever worked with, something that was acknowledged by the Director when she moved on - we couldn't offer her the librarian rank (and promotion process eligibility she more than deserved.

During a discussion with the director who had become my manager, I was asked about frustrations ... I mentioned not being eligible for the promotion process as I was still on grant funds. The outcome of that meeting was: done, you are now a senior assistant librarian, you will stand for promotion in 3 years (the up or out kind), don't mess it up. Confident, I was not too concerned ... The biggest hurdle came when I asked for some guidance on the process and was told that "no one knows what you do around here ..." They were serious, and I was gob smacked I was sometimes chastised for "over sharing" the work done in the lab and via exhibits... Oh well, through the book at them, starting with when I entered the profession as a work study student. Keep clippings ... in folders, and updating one's CV made that easier. As seemed appropriate for a trained bookbinder, I bound it all as one volume not knowing how difficult that made it to review. However, it worked... Donia quickly "took over" the lab and I focused on complex treatments and the library's first digitization projects. This gradual shift in responsibilities allowed me to accommodate my increasing mobility issues in a proactive way.

In 2008, I was promoted to Head of Preservation and Conservation. This involved merging the circulating and special collections repair and conservation efforts (though still separated by 6 floors), managing the budget and state grant. I also expanded preservation efforts to expand audio reformatting. I was also promoted to full librarian, the highest rank, a nice honor. 

Sewing a book during a "promotional" photo shoot in 2001.

Demonstrating binding and showing decorated papers at an open house.
I really enjoyed sharing what we do.

Two times I even got to be a book in the Library's Human Library event.
A nice way to meet new people and talk the work I do.

Significant highlights were creating and managing the Brodsky Series for the Advancement of Library Conservation, a series that brought noted speakers and workshop presenters to the Syracuse University Library. I did this from 2005 to 2012, was very proud to have John Dean start and frame the scope of the series, and I am glad the series is still ongoing. Significant to the series were sharing the recordings of the lecture online before that was "a thing" and offering 2- and 1-day that attracted not only conservation and preservation professionals, but also students at the University. 

With John Dean at the inaugural Brodsky Series lecture.

The series, and later Gaylord Brothers (I maintained good relations with people there, and they provided us with a lot of preservation materials) also helped fund internships, independent studies, and work-study opportunities for students in all areas of its operations including reference services, bookbinding, conservation, book arts, and collection surveys. I was also able to fill in for a colleague in the College of Visual and Performing Arts by teaching her book arts class while she was on leave. Teaching, hosting, and mentoring interns was one of the most rewarding things I was able to do.

Occasionally, we'd even make it into the student paper. Here is an excerpt from "Beyond the bookshelves: Syracuse library staff works hard at Bird Library with and without books" posted in The Daily Orange in 2010:

Peter Verheyen does not fit the image of a stereotypical librarian. Besides the fact that he is not an old, bespectacled, gray-haired lady, Verheyen wears a full-length lab coat to work,

considers razor-sharp knives to be common tools of the trade and on some days does not even pick up a book.

 

As head of Bird Library's department of preservation and conservation at Syracuse University, Verheyen is to books what doctors are to wounded soldiers on the battlefield. He and his

team of preservationists are the frontline of care to library materials in need of an emergency repair and fixing.

 "Preservation is an essential part of making sure collections continue to be used," Verheyen said. "It's not just people sitting in front of a computer."

In February 2013 my responsibilities with preservation ended abruptly, and I became an analyst, the focus of my work becoming "data" in various forms. A shock to the system, I vowed that I would not allow that event to define who I was and my interests and involvements. I was grateful that because of the resources I had acquired over decades, that I had everything I needed to continue binding, conservation, and writing at home. A random email about a certain Ernst Collin "saved" me and led me to at times gut-wrenching, yet wonderfully sustaining project that continues. In December 2021, I received the library's Distinguished Service Award, a peer recognition. While very honored, it was also heavily based on work I did pre-2013, something that ended up putting me into a tailspin of burnout and depression of sorts, so that I did very little since. 

January 31st is my last day in "the Bird" as the library is named. Giving notice that I was retiring, seems to have lifted that dark cloud, so that I am finding my way back to enjoying my projects and rediscovering my creative side. Now to make it sustainable. I feel positive about this next phase, and look back on many incredibly rewarding experiences.

Last early morning Call-A-Bus pickup. If I was taking the big city buses,
I would have left the house an hour earlies, aka 5:45am. 

Dropoff at Bird Library. In a wonderful twist, I had the same
driver as the one who helped me navigate the big city buses
9 years earlier, after I gave up my driver's license.

Turning off the lights one last time ...

The official notice in the Libraries' Staff News

I would not have become involved in this beautiful profession and life without support, encouragement, and goading of many:

My parents who ignited the spark; John Dean, Martha Edgerton, Joanna Mankowski, and many others at Johns Hopkins; Georg Reinwald at the Germanisches Nationalmuseum; Dietmar and Regina Klein where I apprenticed; Julia Puissant at the Centro del bel Libro in Ascona; Frank Mowery at the Folger Shakespeare Library; Heinke Pensky Adam at Monastery Hill Bindery; William Minter and Robin Howell; Giesela Noack at Yale, John Dean, Mark Dimunation, Anne Kenney, Christian Boissonnas, Barber Eden Berger, Joan Brink, Pat Fox, and Samantha Couture at Cornell; David Stam. Marty Hanson, Mark Weimer, Peter Graham, Nicolette Dobrowolski, Donia Conn, Patrick Midtlyng, the Brodsky's, Christian Dupont, Sean Quimby, Marianne Hanley, Gail Hoffman, Holly Greenberg, and many others at Syracuse. Then there are the workstudy students and interns that stood out to me including Alexandra Penuela, Ken Cronk, Sarah Provoncha, Greg Santos, Terez Iacovino, Sarah Kim, Marieka Kaye, Suzy Morgan, Hannah Stevens, and many others. I wasn't always easy, but I would not have accomplished all I did without you. For that I am grateful.

More about me in my Selected Works and CV. I don't think I'm done yet ... Books to bind, things to write on my blog here and elsewhere, Fritz Otto, aka mini-me, trains, the garden ... Then, perhaps other things like getting involved.

Above the last spread of my "biography" by Greg Santos.
Completed "on-the-clock", of course. 😉

John Francis Dean - My First Mentor and Inspiration

Yesterday, I learned of the passing of John Francis Dean (2/11/1936  -  2/29/2024). Looking back, John probably had the greatest impact on me in the conservation and preservation field. I shared some of my experiences with him in a post here several years ago.

After emigrating from Great Britain to the United States in 1969, John F. Dean managed the preservation program at the Newberry Library before establishing the apprentice training and conservation program at the Johns Hopkins University in 1975. He went to Cornell University in 1985 to establish and develop the Department of Preservation and Conservation. He is widely recognized as one of the major proponents of preservation programs at academic libraries and was the 2003 recipient of the American Library Association’s prestigious Paul Banks and Carolyn Harris Preservation Award. A thread throughout his career arc is David Stam who as Director of the Newberry Library brought him to the U.S., then as Director of the Library at Johns Hopkins brought him there. They remained life-long friends until David's passing last February. David was University Librarian at Syracuse when I arrived there ...

John Dean (2nd from right) with Yoko Sampson demonstrating
during one of the frequent tours he gave of the program at
Johns Hopkins. The image is undated, but could have been during my time.
Image from the Johns Hopkins University graphic and pictorial collection. 

I was introduced to John at the start of my freshman year at Johns Hopkins in 1981. Like many students, I needed a work-study job, and being a faculty brat my parents knew the campus options well… So, “son, the library hires a lot of students… Shelving books is boring, but there’s this Englishman in the basement who has a book conservation program and manages preservation…” Sounded interesting, went down, talked to John Dean, and got the job. That experience, and all the people who worked there changed my ideas, interests, and goals. This was a fully developed program with circulating collections repair and rehousing (my job, largely), rare book, and paper conservation. They also managed the library binding program that was substantial in those pre e-journal days…

I was put to work learning how to repair the heavily used books from the circulating collections, make basic enclosures for brittle items, clean stacks, … Because of the nature of the program John created at Johns Hopkins, I was exposed to all levels of work, something that deeply intrigued me so that when I wasn’t training for bike racing or studying, I also volunteered with the paper conservator, and just observed the goings on. John encouraged this interest by inviting me to observe presenters brought in like Tini Miura, exposing me to other aspects of the field. Knowing that I was a semester ahead, he encouraged me to take an internship in Germany to see what impact that experience might have - That experience led me to apprentice there after graduation and then experience my own sort of journeyman years.

John F. Dean striking a pose while at Cornell.

In 1993, I began work as a rare book conservator at Cornell where I was reunited with John. He had left Johns Hopkins in 1985 to start the conservation and preservation program there. While Cornell did not have the apprenticeship program, it was a very broad and comprehensive program that included commercial binding, circulating book repair, box making, special collections conservation in books and paper, and reformatting that included the then nascent digitization. Thanks to that exposure, I developed a far greater understanding of the complexities of the field and how they all interconnected. This was quite different from single item treatment in a private practice, where those interconnected parts were not always obvious. Like at Johns Hopkins, the program he created was very active in the training of other professionals through internships and workshops. It was one of those interns, Marty Hanson who was the Preservation Administrator at Syracuse, and who later lured me away from Cornell to establish "my own" conservation lab while earning my MLS. The ultimate work-study job. John was also very involved internationally, especially in Southeast and East Asia so that interns from there were not uncommon either. He was also very successful in sponsoring and supporting consortial preservation efforts. John "retired" from Cornell in 2005.

John Dean and I getting ready at the inaugural
Brodsky Lecture in 2005.
Photo: Steve Sartori, SU Photo and Imaging Center.

In 2005 I was fortunate to be able to help create and then lead the Brodsky Series for Advancement of Library Conservation at Syracuse University Library. It was only natural that John was invited to be the first speaker on the topic of Conservation and Preservation in the Digital Age. From my introduction at the inaugural lecture:

John Dean our speaker for this afternoon’s inaugural event will speak on “Conservation and Preservation in the Digital Age,” a topic he is uniquely qualified to speak on as a result of his leadership in such activities at Cornell. John Dean is Cornell University's Preservation and Conservation Librarian.  He received his City and Guilds of London Institute medal in bookbinding in 1956, a Master of Arts degree in Library Science from the University of Chicago in 1975, and a Master of Liberal Arts degree in the History of Science from the Johns Hopkins University in 1981.  Following his six years apprenticeship, Dean established and lead four major preservation programs beginning in 1960, at the Manchester Central Research Library (England), the Newberry Library (Chicago), the Johns Hopkins University Library (Baltimore), and, since 1985, Cornell University Library.  He is author of several works on conservation and preservation management, has taught conservation and preservation management at the University of Maryland, Syracuse University, the University of Alabama, and the State University of New York at Albany, and is a member of several national and international preservation committees.

It was John Dean who introduced me to the field when I was a work-study student in the conservation lab at Johns Hopkins, urged me to go to Germany to apprentice as a bookbinder, and has been a true mentor and friend. I can think of no one more appropriate to inaugurate this series.

John's lecture can be viewed and downloaded here. He speaks about his own training starting on page 7 of the transcript.

With John at the memorial gathering for David Stam at the end of April 2023.
Despite the best intentions, it was the last time I was able to see John. 

John, thank you for everything over these decades. You and your program saved me while in college, and you were the best mentor and role model I could have hoped for as an academic library conservation and preservation professional.

Rest in Peace

See the obituary here.

Addendum: May 4, 2024

Display from the memorial celebration for John held at
The Kendall in Ithaca, NY. It was good to be able to say goodbye
with his family, friends, and colleagues from Johns Hopkins 
and Cornell. Many fond memories were shared that showed the 
the profound and meaningful impact he had on the people around him
whether personal or professional.
There was often no separation between the two.

Dietmar Klein - The Passing of my Meister

It was with sadness that I took notice today of the passing of Dietmar Klein 10/14/1943 - 2/22/2024), the bookbinding Meister I apprenticed under, in posts shared on social media. As almost always happens in moments like this, one reflects on the impact of that person on ones life, and in this case career. 

Working in the Conservation and Preservation as a work-study student while at Johns Hopkins and then interning at the Germanisches Nationalmuseum in Nuremberg inspired me to embrace bookbinding and conservation as a career. As my time as a college student was winding down, I escaped campus (and some exams) to interview at the three binderies in Germany that responded to my query about apprenticing. Ones of those was the Kunstbuchbinderei Dietmar Klein located in Künstlersiedlung Halfmannshof, an artists' colony in the heart of Germany's industrial heartland of the Ruhr Valley. that alone was enough to entice me to accept their offer to apprentice. I described the adventure of getting there, and my experiences as an apprentice in "The Ponderings of a Bookbinding Student- Part 2".

Me between my Meister Dietmar Klein and his wife Regina Klein
at my Lossprechung in July of 1987. The Lossprechung marked
the successful completion of my apprenticeship. Frau Klein would
receive her Meister shortly after.

I came into this apprenticeship older than the average apprentice at the time, with direct experiences in the field, and from a different culture (even though I was German, I grew up and studied in the US). While these experiences, especially working in binding and conservation helped me hit the ground faster, they could also be a kind of liability as I was not the clean slate that one often desires with apprentices, leading to friction. But, as I was often reminded, "the apprentice is always in the wrong, the Meister in the right, and on the off chance the apprentice might have been right, they were still in the wrong." As someone else told me, "Lehrjahre sind keine Herrenjahre" ( "Learning years are not earning years" i.e. one starts on the very bottom rung in every respect ). Having the proclivities to get ahead of myself didn't help either. In something I came to regret later, my apprenticeship was shortened from 3 years to 2 based on those previous experiences. I also only experienced 1 year of Berufsschule (trade school) rather than 3 based on my age and education. It was what it was, as we say today. 

The whole crew in my final year: Me, the other apprentice Nicole,
the Meister, and the Gesellin (soon to be Meisterin).
Photo: Ruhr Nachrichten, 9 December,1986.

In the end, I passed my Gesellenprüfung (journeyman's' exam) and was given this advice from the Meister - "now you can set about to prove that you are better than your exam results, a better situation than turning out to be a disappointment after". A long career in various roles has taught me that this is so very right. As an apprentice I focused on the essentials of the work, but was exposed to so much more in those special jobs that came into the shop. Our bread and butter was large batches of 100+ journal volumes/week that we bound for regional municipal, corporate, medical, legal libraries. We also did repair and rebind work for individuals, as well as special commissions such as presentation bindings, guest books, fine bindings, and restoration work. As an apprentice, I was regularly tasked with contributing to that work as my experiences allowed including disbinding, sewing, forwarding, ... Gold tooling and finishing were not part of that, but in a small shop like ours with 3-4 people doing the work, there was ample opportunity to "steal with the eyes" by observing and keeping notes. 

The skill that I came to most appreciate was the ability to "work", by which I mean the ability to look at a job (1 volume or 100), see what was needed, organize that work, and complete it without losing track of the process. Through that repetition I also learned to internalize so many processes that they became second nature. I could think about the next step (or other projects and things) while working on what was at hand and didn't need to think about how to fold that end sheet, sew that book, make those cases, stamp titles, ... It also allowed me to focus on the details. While my work as an apprentice was essentially library binding by hand, those organizational skills scaled up for special collections conservation work and everything in between. Even now, when I no longer bind or conserve in my day job (and I haven't done any binding in a year and a half) those experiences allow me to jump right back in, albeit at a slower pace (for lots of reasons).

The Meister in his happy place doing gold finishing.

Following my apprenticeship I headed to Ascona, then back to the US and lost touch with the Kleins. On my "honeymoon" in Germany as I was driving between relatives, I saw the exit that lead to the Halfmannshof where the Kunstbuchbinderei was. It had been 7.5 years since I left, and I was filled with a sense of apprehension as I pulled up into the parking lot and looked towards the bindery. I got out of the car and my wife and I walked in. The Kleins were surprised to see me again and we had a good long visit. Showing the bindery to my wife brought back many memories, and when we left we promised each other to keep in touch - we still are.

Kleins visiting me at Syracuse University Libraries in 2009.
They were on a big USA trip ...
Note the Bonefolder caps we are all wearing.

In 2009, the Kleins visited me in Syracuse on their way across the USA. It was very good to see them again, and to show them the Conservation and Preservation program I was leading at Syracuse University Libraries, the kinds of work we did for the special and circulating collections, and tell them how my experiences with them helped shape me and to develop the skills I needed to complete and mange the work, as well as teach students and work-study students.

Thank you Herr Klein for all that you taught me. You helped me become who I am (and prove that I was better than my apprenticeship grade).

His family are in my thoughts.

Rest in peace | Ruhe in Frieden

An article (in German) about his life and work can be found in the WAZ.

The Prodigal Binding Returns

Once upon a time, isn't that the way most tales start, I organized my first national traveling exhibition for the Guild of Book Workers. That was the 10/92 - 3/94 traveling Fine Printers Finely Bound Too (Download @ 13MB). Organizing and shepherding that exhibit were an adventure, especially as I had never undertaken anything like that before ... Lots of teachable moments. 

Due to unfortunate circumstances, I also ended up designing the catalog by myself with a VERY tight deadline (HAD to be published by the opening), and had no experience doing that sort of work beyond those as high school yearbook editor a little over 12 years earlier. Fortunately, I had an excellent photographer. The rest was up to me. I worked with what I knew, namely WordPerfect 5.0 and the very limited typefaces I had available. Those were the days. Choices were informed by what I was infatuated with at the time. Not everyone was happy, but it was out on time. Again, a learning experience.

Cover to the printed catalog of Fine Printers Finely Bound Too.
(Download @ 13MB)

One of the things I made sure of was that there were plenty of copies in sheets. Binders crave books in sheets, and there were many wonderful works for inspiration within those pages. I then set about binding 2 copies in 1993. The one on the top one was for me, the bottom one a commission from the then Guild president who was also the preferred bookbinding supply vendor for most of us. The technique described is what in German is referred to as the Franzband, THE fine binding structure for full-leather bindings. Frank Mowery presented on the technique at the 1990 Guild of Bookbinders' Standards, so read his Journal article, "The Logic and Techniques of German Bookbinding", and see the presentation handout here.

Fine Printers Finely Bound, Too. The Guild of Book Workers, New York, 1992.

Sewn on 3 frayed out cords; gray "zig-zag" endsheets and sewn red leather joint; graphite top edge; red and gray endbands. Covered in full chagrin leather with multicolored onlays in black, gray and sharkskin. Tooled in gold and blind. 24 x 16 x 1.5cm. Bound 1993.

 

Fine Printers Finely Bound, Too. The Guild of Book Workers, New York, 1992. Commissioned copy.

Sewn on 3 frayed out cords; gray "zig-zag" endsheets and sewn red leather joint; graphite top edge; red and gray endbands. Covered in full chagrin leather with multicolored onlays in black, gray and shark skin. Tooled in gold and blind. 24 x 16 x 1.5cm. Bound 1993.

When she retired and sold off her business, that copy disappeared for years before reappearing at an auctioneer where I got outbid. 

The first auction after eBay. I got outbid ...

It then reappeared on a dealer site for A LOT of $$. I was flattered, but yikes ... 

Dealer listing. I was flattered ...

Then they retired, sold off their stock, and this book went to another auctioneer. 

The final auction ...
Probably could have gotten it for less, but pizza dude rang the bell, so "hail Mary" bid it was.

This time I was successful, and the prodigal book returned home to be with its sibling.

Both, reunited after over 30 years ...

And, because he couldn't help himself, Fritz Otto took a close look at it. The textured shark leather onlays intrigued him...

"Interesting texture on this shark leather, and you did ok binding it ..."

A Brief History of Book_Arts-L (1994 – 2023)

By Peter D. Verheyen
This article is adapted from the original, published in the Guild of Book Workers' Newsletter, Number 270, October 2023.

So long and thanks for all the "books".
The last postings from the "home" of 28 years, Syracuse University.
The list was home at Cornell University its first year.

On June 1st of this year, Book_Arts-L was migrated from Syracuse University’s servers to Emory University. This date was a month shy of the list's 29th anniversary, an eternity in the online world. But, what is Book_Arts-L, and why did I create it?

The “Internet” as we know it now with the World Wide Web (WWW) was invented by Tim Berners-Lee on April 30, 1993, though its conceptual origins go back even further.. In 1987, Walter Henry at Stanford created the Conservation Distlist, the first discussion group for all things conservation, accessible via email from anywhere in the world, if you had a connection. I got connected to it in early 1989 with a slow dial-up modem and a Compuserve account. Despite its focus, other topics more binding and art related crept in, something I was certainly guilty of contributing to and encouraging. Walter Henry was very patient, but also encouraging of my questions. In 1990, Peter Graham, a librarian at Rutgers, founded Exlibris, an online discussion group for rare books and special collections with many opportunities for exploring topics related to the book arts.

The world was still overwhelmingly analog at the time, newsletters like the Guild of Book Workers’, the American Institute of Conservations', and the Abbey Newsletter, among others, with their calls for exhibits, workshops, and jobs, were eagerly-awaited resources. I was fortunate to spend those early years in places with active book arts and conservation scenes, such as Chicago and New Haven, so in-person activities also played a large role.

In 1993, I moved to centrally isolated Ithaca, NY, where I was rare books conservator at Cornell. Compared to my past haunts, Central New York was a very barren and remote place to practice the book arts.. Attempts were made to form a loose regional group with a newsletter, but this never succeeded in building the active critical mass required for success. Was there any help for getting out of this professional and avocational loneliness? Could these new online tools, like listserv and gopher (a precursor to the web), help? Typo-L, a list which continues to serve the typographic community, was founded in early '93. For much of its first year, however, that list was unusually quiet, with numerous "is anyone else out there" messages. I also happened to be unaware of its existence.

Encouraged by Walter and Peter, I founded Book_Arts-L in June 1994 on Cornell's list server, and it was announced on the DistList and Exlibris. It was my turn to see “who was out there”. I knew about some of the technical details, but was clueless about what I was getting myself into. The subscriber list grew slowly, but steadily, as did participation, and by the end of that first year there were about 400 subscribers with as many postings. When I moved to Syracuse, the list followed me there as well. In 1997, there were 900 members with 3000 postings. Initially, I found myself doing quite a bit of "handholding" as people learned how to subscribe,use a listserv and use email. To some extent this continues to happen, though much more infrequently. With time, most of these challenges faded away, and the list grew to a peak of over 2500 global subscribers. Managing those could have been a chore, but was generally a great deal of fun as one gets to know like-minded people all over the world. Some of my virtual connections are still ongoing and sustaining, and have led to collaborations and other opportunities for both parties. 

Walter Henry offered to host its archives at CoOL, initially on a Gopher server and shortly thereafter to the WWW. The archive remains available to subscribers via the web in different places including the Internet Archives's Wayback Machine (1994-2009). It is my wish to pull all these together in a unified and consistent interface, but that will require some work and goes beyond my abilities.

Not content to simply discuss technical matters, within weeks we were debating the essence of the book. This topic would recur periodically, and it exploded in the spring of 1998 around the question of defining the artists’ book. An "innocently simple" question, looking for a definition of "artists’ book", results in 89 printed pages that are still regularly read and cited. Like many other discussions, it traveled a very circuitous routes, becoming "what is art," the difference between "art” and “craft," the definition of "craft," training, technical competence... While there the ubiquitous "me too" replies, the list and its archive nevertheless became a great repository of collective experience and knowledge about such arcane topics as reconditioning a press, finding a particular supplier, using materials, and how to practice the craft of bookbinding. The quality of postings varies, determined by the expertise of the poster, but even a simple or naive post serves an educational function as well. We all learn best from our own or others' experiences. Sustaining all this learning is an incredible global community of individuals who share generously of themselves. In a few cases, participation has become multi-generational, with parents and offspring contributing to the discussions. Those early days, including beyond Book_Arts-L were the topic of  Bringing us together / Getting us out presented at Hot Type in a Cold World, the Silver Buckle Press' 25th anniversary symposium.

In the early days, the idea of Book_Arts-L, an online community, or pretty much any presence of our allied arts and crafts on the then-newish internet was not met with universal acceptance. Indeed, there were numerous voices that spoke out against it within the Guild and its membership, as well as other similarly-focused organizations. Among the concerns were gatekeeping, “trust”, fad, and fears for the survival of print publications such as newsletters. When I started Book_Arts-L, I had no idea how long it would last.  Almost 30 years later, numerous other friendly and aligned lists and fora appeared, and then faded. The book arts, and related fields, have also proliferated on social media. While they do provide easy ways to share work, especially images, such platforms are not well suited to long form discussions. 

So, what has contributed to Book_Arts-L’s success? I believe that the most significant factor is [pro]active stewardship – as list owner starting and contributing to threads, and sharing resources, especially during lulls. While lulls in conversation are natural, and often good, in the context of a resource like listservs and for a it can lead to “out of sight, out of mind”. Also, important are actively engaging with subscribers, especially when topics become contentious, along with occasional calls for civility. A global community is a microcosm of society with all that implies, and contexts in one place may not be the same elsewhere. The list language is English, but that is not everyone’s native language – things can be lost in translation. It was my role to make sure that things did not get too heated. These challenges were however a very small part in the history of Book_Arts-L largely because of the [pro]active stewardship.

In 2019, on the 25th anniversary of Book_Arts-L, I made the decision to step back by the 30th, quietly hoping that the list would continue under new “ownership”. In late 2022, I opened that conversation, and very quickly events took on a life of their own. Of great importance to me was also the continued availability of the archive. I was very glad and relieved when Kim Norman and Emory University Library’s Preservation Department stepped forward, especially as they use the same backend infrastructure. On June 1st of this year, the community moved to Emory. I look forward to mentoring Kim as she takes the reins and reshapes the list to better reach its community, all the while moving it forward. At the same time, I will enjoy watching and contributing without the responsibilities. It was an adventure I will always be grateful for. In parallel to the list, I also maintained my Book Arts Web at philobiblon.com. Still an often-accessed resource, it has suffered from neglect in recent years. It will be interesting to see what is left of it, but a snapshot will always be available via the Internet Archive’s Wayback Machine.

What follows are some snapshots of Book_Arts-L’s activities these past 29 years. Similar data was shared via a Bonefolder Extras post in 2015. The trends have remained constant.

Where did subscribers come from? As of the end of May 2023, 2376 subscribers came from the United States (2236*), Canada (36), Australia, United Kingdom (18 each), Germany (9), Netherlands, New Zealand (8 each), Romania (3), Italy, South Africa, Sweden (2 each), Austria, Belgium, Colombia, Denmark, Estonia, Israel, Malta, Mexico, Spain, Switzerland (1 each). This number is based on the “domain” of the subscriber with all .com, .org, .edu being attributed to the US. Given that Gmail, AOL, and many other internet providers are international, but based in US, this significantly inflates the US total of subscribers.

In the past 29 years, Book_Arts-L received a total of 90,831 posts that represent approximately 53,000 “threads” or topics that were sent by approximately 7000 “subscribers”. Names online are one of those things with frequent changes, so the actual number of distinct posters will be lower than those 7000, but based on a cursory scan, not by much. There has also been a good level of turnover over the years with subscribers coming and going. That said, the top posters have remained fairly stable, some posting regularly over the lifetime of the list.

The chart below shows the total number of posts by year. The number climbed steeply in the first 3 years, but has been in decline since 2010.

Book_Arts-L Total Postings June 1994 – May 2023.

This same trend can be seen in visits to the Book Arts Web, the website I have maintained with a vast number of links to other resources. Google started offering its Analytics in 2006. Facebook and other social media started becoming more prevalent after the introduction of the “smart” phone by Apple in 2007.

Book_Arts-L and Book Arts Web Overall 2007 – May 2023

The top 20 threads are shown below. As with everything related to posts, sometimes the subject lines of the thread don’t apply at the message level, perhaps having morphed during the conversation. 

Top 20 Threads

Most postings were sent mid-week, with the weekends the slowest. This pattern seems logical, as subscribers have lives outside the book arts.

Book_Arts-L Postings per Day of Week by Year

On June 1st, 2023 Book_Arts-L moved to Emory – Now, onto the next 29...

The full FAQ at Emory with instructions for joining the community here.

Position of the Tongue in Bookbinding

 This fun poster was created by James Welker sometime shortly after 2004. Mark Andersson, then teaching bookbinding at North Bennet Street School is demonstrating a trade binding popular in mid 20th century Sweden at Guild of Book Workers Standards in 2004, and I am teaching the German-style springback at Minnesota Center for Book Arts in 2003. 

Are there other national preferences for tongue position in binding? Asking for a friend.

Down The Rabbit Holes For The William Anthony Conservation Lecture Series

Join me as I jump into some of my addictive, all-consuming, and yet, sustaining rabbit holes in Down the Rabbit Hole: Embracing experience and serendipity in a life of research, binding practice, and publishing, part of the William Anthony Conservation Lecture Series. 

The lecture will be at 6:00 CST on September 30, the workshop for students of the Center for the Book and staff of the Conservation and Collections Care Department  on the "Ur"-Bradel binding will be on October 1st and 2nd.

View the recording on the University of Iowa Libraries' YouTube Channel below or via this link. Lecture slides with notes can be downloaded here.

Below the adverts for the event.

For more information on the lecture, see the William Anthony Conservation Lecture Series page at the University of Iowa Libraries, or the events calendar.

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Hope to see some of you there.

Start-up Costs

Starting up is always an investment. If you're going to do good work, you really need a dedicated space that meets your needs. So, after my return from my apprenticeship in Germany and the School for Book Conservation in Ascona (read about my "path" starting here), my father and I built a bench in two parts with storage and other features. We got my set-up this going as quickly as I could to keep my bench skills up and earn some $$ while looking for a job as a conservator. VERY important to work with others at this early career stage for professional development and mentoring. Then, of course, I needed supplies, some equipment, ... My father, as was his habit, kept track and made sure I did as well. While the dollar amount is no longer available, I recently rediscovered this pie-chart he made to remind me. 

Pie (and other) charts, the bane of my existence. 🙄

Set-up was for bench and equipment like vacuum pump and home built suction box; travel for the MARC train from Baltimore to DC and Bookmakers, then owned by Gus Valetri. That was in a tiny office space in an old DC office building; subscriptions were Designer Bookbinders, Institute of Paper Conservation, IADA's Maltechnik-Restauro, Abbey Newsletter, Guild of Book Workers, ...; books, well you can never have enough of them, but I started small (and enjoyed the 40% discount from working at the campus bookshop part-time); photo documentation equipment; supplies included papers, board, leather, dyes/pigments, hand tools.

The benches as first set up in my childhood basement.

Here, the 2-part bench with flat files and storage on one side, light table / paring surface on the other half. I still use the benches and presses... The press on the bench served as the model for the Arnold Grummer Quiknip, a great press for those starting out that will give a lifetime of service. The flexibility to break the benches down in their component parts made it easy to modify (read bring them down to a more normal desk height) due to changes in mobility..., something I describe in Bookbinding and Adapting to Life Changes. 

When taken apart, the bench with both halves and drawers
could fit into the back of a late-1980s sub-compact.
Above my first car! Same color/style, too. It gave me 6 years of
very reliable service, despite its reputation.

I still keep track of expenses and income, but it would not be prudent to tally all that up, especially for the books...