Understanding Bookbinding

An immersive two-day seminar for librarians, archivists, volunteers, and anyone working with collections of historic bindings.

Join us in Worcester Cathedral's Medieval Library and Archive to understand more about the books that you handle. Leaving aside fancy decoration and the printed word, the course will focus on the structural features of bookbindings, their development over time, and the reasons they degrade. Participants will experience a variety of historic bindings first-hand, including access to the collection at Worcester Cathedral Library. The course will also include sessions on materials and formats, safe handling, and a tour of the Cathedral Library.

About the tutor:

Arthur Green is an independent book conservator who owns and runs Green’s Books Ltd. in Ledbury, Herefordshire. Since graduating with a Post Graduate Diploma in Conservation from Camberwell College of Arts in 2008, he has worked at institutions including the Leather Conservation Centre, The British Library, Oxford Conservation Consortium, and Oxford University’s Bodleian Library. Arthur has published and lectured widely on the history of bookbinding.

Bookbinding and conservation studio in the West Midlands