Interested in Bookbinding or Book Restoration?

Explore Career Paths for Bookbinders

There is nothing like experiencing a fine book, one that not only feeds the mind, but the eyes, heart, and soul. Everything from the weight and feel of it in your hands, the cover design, the binding, the endpapers, even the finish of the page edges all speak to the worth and beauty of a book before you read the first word. 

In this world where more and more of our content comes to us electronically, books stand as their own art form worthy of preserving and promoting. If you are one of those who truly appreciate the art of creating or preserving beautiful or significant books, you owe it to yourself to explore the craft of bookbinding. 

Bookbinding and book restoration actually weave together a wide range of artistic and technical skills. Perhaps you come from a background in printing or papermaking, or are pursuing a career in the library sciences. For you, exploring the skilled craft of bookbinding may be a natural outgrowth of your studies. Perhaps you are fortunate enough to have a book or books that are worthy of restoration, and you want to learn how to bring them back to their former glory. Or you may be simply someone who is drawn to the artistry and timelessness of books, and you want to know more about how they’re created. You may even be an experienced bookbinder who wants to dive deeper into one of the many specialized bookbinding disciplines.

Whatever your inspiration to learn more about the unique craft of bookbinding, we have the answer. Whether you are ready to commit to a fully immersive learning experience by enrolling in our two-year, comprehensive Bookbinding program, or want to get an overview or explore key skill areas in our short courses, there is a path for you. 

What will you learn? As a graduate of our Bookbinding program, you will be able to perform a wide range of bookbinding skills including binding new books, repairing old volumes, and performing conservation work. You’ll be versed in various historical binding techniques including Ethiopian/Coptic and Medieval long and link stitch bindings. You’ll know how to work with leather including using hand tools to create beautiful lettering and decorative tooling. If your goal is to make Bookbinding your career, our graduates are sought after by universities, colleges, other academic institutions, libraries, and binderies, among others.

If your goal is to simply learn more about bookbinding or explore specialized bookbinding skills, Our Community Education classes are where you want to start. It may be a two-day Bookbinding 101 workshop, learning how to customize leather bindings through inlays and onlays, paper marbling, creating a distinctive endband, or any one of the dozens of specialized book arts courses you can often complete in just a weekend. 

Learning more about Bookbinding at NBSS isn’t just about acquiring the skills under the guidance of highly skilled instructors—it’s about immersing yourself in a beautiful creative space and connecting with like-minded people from diverse backgrounds who share your passion. We would love to connect with you to tell you more about what we have to offer and help you get started.