Our Donors: Bexx Caswell-Olson BB ’09

Bexx Caswell-Olson BB ’09

Lowell, Massachusetts
Supporter since 2016

Thanks to a life-changing meetup for coffee and career advice, Bexx Caswell-Olson BB ’09 discovered the Bookbinding (BB) program at NBSS and forever changed her trajectory. Today, she is Director of Book Conservation at the Northeast Document Conservation Center, where she manages the Center’s team of book conservators. 

Bexx is a member of the NBSS Board of Directors and serves on the Bookbinding Advisory Committee. She previously worked as Special Collections Conservator at Michigan State University. In addition to graduating from NBSS, Bexx earned a master’s in library science with a focus on preservation management from Simmons College, and a bachelor’s in non-fiction writing and journalism from Eugene Lang College, New School University. Her family shares her love for NBSS—her parents, Carol and Bruce Caswell, are big fans and supporters of the School, and her husband, an antiquarian bookseller, has pursued his love of woodworking through various Community Education classes.

Why do you support NBSS, and what keeps you involved?

Attending NBSS was transformative for me. Before enrolling at NBSS, I was in graduate school for library science, on the preservation management track. I met for coffee and early career advice with Jane Hedberg, who was working in preservation at Harvard University at the time. She told me about NBSS and said: ‘If you want to be the person that’s managing people that fix books, or if you want to be fixing books yourself, you have to know how they’re made.’

I wouldn’t be where I am today if it weren’t for NBSS and the skills that I learned there. I was so grateful to finally be zeroed in on exactly what my passion was. I feel a strong connection to the school, and I want to see it succeed. It has done a lot for me, and I hope it can continue to do a lot for other students.

Can you share a story or moment at NBSS that particularly inspired or moved you?

When I was a first-year at NBSS, Mark Andersson BB ’92 was my instructor. He would look at your finished book and say, ‘This is fine. This would be okay in the real world.’ But then, he would point out everything that was wrong with it and say, ‘Make another one,’ before throwing the book in the trash! You might think, ‘How is that inspiring?’ But it wasn’t done in a mean way, and it was an important lesson because it taught you two things: First, to let go of work that wasn’t good. And second, to never allow yourself to do work that was just good enough. I think about this lesson all the time.

How would you describe NBSS in a few words or phrases?

High-quality. Excellence in craft. Excitement—people who are at NBSS are focused on what they want to do; they’re excited to be there, and they’re excited to learn.

Complete this sentence: My favorite thing about NBSS is ____.

The community. The classes are so small, and you really get to know everybody. Even after graduation, you still feel this great sense of community. As first-year students, we were assigned a second-year student mentor in our program, and I still talk to my mentor. We share resources and knowledge with each other and fellow graduates.

What would we lose if NBSS didn’t exist?

There is nowhere else where you can get an education in hand skills and craft in such a concentrated and structured way. Without NBSS, the world of bookbinding would lose a tremendous amount of high-quality work.

Has NBSS influenced your work, career, or personal projects? If so, how?

I would not have had the same success in my career path without having done such a deep dive into book structure at NBSS—you need to be able to make a book and do it many, many times to understand what makes a book function well. Also, NBSS has had a long relationship with the Northeast Document Conservation Center. Most of the people who work in our Book Conservation Department attended NBSS, and we often partner with the School to offer internships.

What motivates or inspires you in your philanthropic work?

When I was starting my career, so many people were willing to give me advice. I want to do the same thing—it’s not just about taking, it’s about giving. Being asked to join the NBSS Bookbinding Advisory Committee and then the NBSS Board of Directors was an honor. With this closer look at what’s going on behind the scenes and with the administration, I have even more love and respect for the school. The administration really cares about student success and expanding the School’s reach. Everyone wants to give back to things that are meaningful to them, and now that I’m in a position where I can give back, that is what I want to do.

What advice would you give someone considering supporting NBSS?

Being at NBSS was transformative for me. The School has the power to change someone’s life, to launch someone’s career. When I donate, it’s not about giving to the trendiest cause or to the place that sends me the most marketing material. I give money where it’s going to have the most impact. If you think that you can change someone’s life and their career, why wouldn’t you? That seems like the absolute best way that you can give back.

This story is from our FY 2025 issue of Annual Report. Read more stories from the issue or view past issues.