Creative and design
Bookbinder
Apply fine hand bookbinding and craft skills in order to create, maintain, repair and assist in the conservation of books.
Summary
This occupation is found in the craft, creative and design sectors as well as in museums, libraries and heritage & conservation sectors.
The broad purpose of this occupation is to apply fine hand bookbinding and craft skills in order to create, maintain, repair and assist in the conservation of books.
Hand bookbinding is a small specialist area of book production with a history in the West stretching back to the 8th Century. Many of today's processes and techniques continue a craft tradition established around the birth of printing in the fifteenth century when binding procedures were adapted to the new technology. Today hand binding provides employment opportunities in commercial binderies as well as libraries, archives and museums.
In their daily work, an employee in this occupation interacts with customers, senior colleagues, such as reporting to or being supervised by the Journeyman Bookbinder, suppliers and museums, and is sometimes required to consult with other Bookbinders where specialist knowledge is required. They will typically be working alone or as part of a small team under supervision from a senior Bookbinder or Journeyman Bookbinder. Sizes of organisations in which the Bookbinder will be employed vary from micro-businesses to large museums and libraries.
An employee in this occupation will be responsible for carrying out procedures such as selecting and cutting materials, collating books prior to restoration and refurbishment of leather bindings. Bookbinders use hand tools to cut, stitch and glue materials together to make bindings with paper, cloth and leather covers. A Bookbinder must be competent at every stage from the initial phase of sewing paper together, through to cutting the boards and assembling the cases to completion, which may include titling with gold foil and casing-in the covers. In some binderies bookbinders specialise in just one part of the process, while in other workshops they carry out all the operations from start to finish.
Choosing correct tools and materials is a key part of the role and the Bookbinder must have a good knowledge of different types of paper, cloth and leather, and their availability, costs and specific uses. The Bookbinder must be able to assess materials for their strength and durability and make informed decisions when specifying materials and procedures for each job. A Bookbinder will also have gained experience of the techniques used in fine leather binding, box-making and the restoration of leather and cloth bindings.
In production work, particularly a run of identical volumes, a bookbinder must be able to work within a set of strict time and quality parameters. Keeping accurate timesheets and understanding the costing, scheduling and production aspects of a small workshop are also part of a bookbinder’s responsibilities. They would also be able to communicate effectively with customers.
Typical job titles include
- Bookbinder | Junior bookbinder
Knowledge, skills and behaviours (KSBs)
K1:
Basic understanding of legislative requirements and responsibilities relating to health and safety, manual handling, hazardous substances (COSHH), chemicals, dust, hazard identification and risk assessment in the work area
K2:
Understand the environmental impact of working practices, minimising waste, the efficient use of resources and recycling/re-using materials
K3:
Understand the mechanical and physical properties of tools and the purposes for which they are designed
K4:
Understand how different tools are maintained and stored properly
K5:
Understanding the different roles and responsibilities of those who may be found in the workshop or working alongside/supervising
K6:
Understand the physical infrastructure of the workshop, including the correct methods and locations for storage and disposal of equipment, materials and waste products
K7:
Understand the basic principles of book design and construction and know each step of the bookbinding process in detail from start to finish
K8:
Understanding how to handle, disassemble, clean and re-assemble books
K9:
Knowledge of the techniques used in fine leather binding, including: Sewing on cords and tapes by hand, lacing on boards, the purpose of headbands and how they are made, drawing on leather covers
K10:
Understand why it is important to sometimes restore or conserve books as an alternative to rebinding
K11:
Knowledge of the uses and applications of different types of enclosures, such as drop-back boxes and slipcases
K12:
Knowledge of customers’ individual requirements and appreciation of how these may vary within different sectors including private individuals, publishers, and institutions.
K13:
Understand which binding procedure or restoration/conservation process is most appropriate for each specific project, being aware of the limitations of each and knowing how this translates into costs and timescale
K14:
Knowledge of the appropriate language/terms for the customer or for a colleague when describing what work needs to be carried out
K15:
Understanding the importance of the functionality of books and the ethical considerations of preserving books in their original condition
K16:
Understand the reason and importance of keeping accurate timesheets and records of work undertaken
K17:
Awareness of how the workflow process is managed from the enquiry and ordering stage through to the completion of a project and the return of items to customers
K18:
Knowing what is technically possible within the bookbinder's skillset and how to communicate this to the customer
K19:
Understanding the varied nature of the workload and how different jobs can be processed at the same time to allow for pressing and drying times
K20:
Understanding of the importance of learned techniques, their possible range applications and where skills-gaps need to be addressed through continuous professional development
K21:
Understand the criteria by which a hand-bound book is judged and differentiated from a machine-made binding
K22:
Understand the differences between fine-binding, commercial case bindings and other common forms of binding such as account books, ledgers and stationery binding
K23:
Understand why different materials were used at different periods of history and be able to recognise the principal types of leather commonly found in Western binding structures e.g. calfskin, goatskin, sheepskin
Technical Educational Products
- ST0469: Bookbinder (Level 2) Approved for delivery
- Reference:
- OCC0469
- Status:
Approved occupation
- Average (median) salary:
- £25,724 per year
- SOC 2020 code:
- 5423 Print finishing and binding workers
- SOC 2020 sub unit groups:
- 5423/00 Print finishing and binding workers
S1:
Comply with relevant health, safety and environmental legislation (Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974) e.g. logging and reporting incidents, correct use of PPE
S2:
Safely use equipment in accordance with manufacturer's instructions and/or in accordance with workshop practices for equipment made in the workshop
S3:
Sharpen, repair or fettle tools as appropriate
S4:
Make or repair housing and cases for tools
S5:
Select and cut-out the appropriate materials for each specific process
S6:
Clean off backs and take down old sewing structures without damaging the artefacts
S7:
Assist with light refurbishment and cleaning of leather covers and text papers
S8:
Interpret and record customer’s requirements accurately and be able to convey those instructions to senior colleagues
S9:
Express contributions to a project simply and clearly to the customer and employer
S10:
Where appropriate, in addition to making new bindings, the bookbinder must be able to assist in restoration and conservation processes, particularly bindings made in leather cloth and paper bindings. Required skills include: • Ability to collate, record and assess items prior to treatment. • To take down sewing structures and assist with the removal of old adhesives. • Repair signatures prior to resewing. • Assist in sourcing, preparing and cutting suitable materials. • Assist (under supervision) with refurbishment and small repairs
S11:
Record any incident, damages and/or any alteration in procedures in an accurate and precise manner
S12:
Record accurately the use of materials and the time taken on projects and where required, evaluate methods and processes in order to work at maximum efficiency
S13:
Participate in the management of the business workflow, including using the appropriate paperwork and software to monitor progress of projects
S14:
Display effective listening and communications skills to a customer throughout the life of all projects and address customer problems, which may be complex and non-routine
S15:
Use a range of formats such as narrative accounts, sketches, drawing or illustrations to contribute to continuous professional development and to act as a reference for future projects
S16:
Build basic boxes as required for each artefact as per customer requirements
S17:
Apply manual dexterity to produce a high quality product, which meets industry standards for hand-bound books
Technical Educational Products
- ST0469: Bookbinder (Level 2) Approved for delivery
- Reference:
- OCC0469
- Status:
- Approved occupation
- Average (median) salary:
- £25,724 per year
- SOC 2020 code:
- 5423 Print finishing and binding workers
- SOC 2020 sub unit groups:
- 5423/00 Print finishing and binding workers
B1:
A professional attitude to all aspects of workshop procedures
B2:
Follow all procedures accurately and with great patience. Pay attention to the smallest details in the craft process
B3:
Adopt a questioning attitude to ensure that processes are understood and applied properly
B4:
Be prepared to intervene when seeing procedures not being followed and be prepared to escalate a matter to senior colleagues where a Health & Safety issue may be present
B5:
Acting responsibly when handling rare and precious materials and artefacts
B6:
Show tact and understanding when dealing with customers’ needs
B7:
Be willing to learn and take time to consider how to describe work and how to communicate it to customers
B8:
A sensitive and conscientious approach to the work that treats each project on an individual basis, regardless of value or age of the artefact
B9:
Take a responsible and meticulous approach to filling-out cost sheets and time sheets
B10:
Being responsible for ensuring that each part of the process is carried out diligently
B11:
Have the ability to discuss and develop ideas with colleagues and customers in order to address both routine and complex, non-routine tasks
B12:
A flexible approach and having the self-discipline and patience to switch from one project to another depending on business requirements
Technical Educational Products
- ST0469: Bookbinder (Level 2) Approved for delivery
- Reference:
- OCC0469
- Status:
- Approved occupation
- Average (median) salary:
- £25,724 per year
- SOC 2020 code:
- 5423 Print finishing and binding workers
- SOC 2020 sub unit groups:
- 5423/00 Print finishing and binding workers
