by Janette Heffernan cv/above right

 

'Brittle Book Syndrome' three words that should strike fear into every book lover everywhere and yet few have even heard of 'Brittle Books'or realize what it means. After global warming "Brittle Books' is probably the next disaster that will hit civilization. Unless steps are taken to overcome this syndrome it will mean the death of libraries and books as we have known them for centuries. The world's books are turning to dust before our eyes.

 

Already 'Brittle Book' Syndrome has meant the total demise of the craft of bookbinding. Twenty years ago technical colleges all over the world stopped teaching bookbinding as a mainstream subject, no apprentices were trained. Because of 'perfect binding 'Libraries closed their binderies and no longer repaired books and consequently twenty years on there are virtually no more traditional bookbinders. Not even enough to repair valuable books which are now stored in archival boxes as only a few specialists have the knowledge and skill to restore them to original condition.

 

One only has to glance at YouTube or buy or borrow a book to see that simple binding errors are turning up because printers no longer know about basics like 'mesh' properties or how to bind so a book lies flat so photographers are not left with a production run that is virtually useless. 'Rounding and backing' a book seems to be a lost art for without proper backing a book will fall to pieces in a comparatively short space of time perhaps a couple of years.

 

'Bookbinding with Peter Goodwin ' DVD series is my personal contribution to social history as it is an in depth record of a soon to be lost craft. There is no other DVD series on bookbinding like it. Traditional craftsmen all bound in the same fashion and were highly skilled tradesmen. Goodwin at 80 is possibly the last one left alive to pass on the tradition.

 

My name is Janette Heffernan and you can see my CV on the YouTube Above. I know a world class artist when I see one and Peter Goodwin is just that - world class. Already Goodwin has a large fan base. One went so far as to call him a 'National Treasure'. His DVD deserves to be on the library shelves of every library in the world and given time it will if there are any libraries left!

 

Soon not only bookbinders but libraries and librarians could become obsolete as the 'Brittle Books' acid slowly eats away at the stacks of library books. Reprinting all the world's books may not be possible and Google's digitized books are not the complete solution either as digital storage media saftey is unproved. Still the safest way to store information is a well bound book.

 

The 'Bookbinding with Peter Godwin' DVD series with library license can only be purchased for public libraries and institutions from CreateSpace.com which is a subsidiary of amazon.com.

 

CreateSpace.com is a highly reputable distribution house possibly one the best so library acquisition officers can rest assured they are dealing with a reputable company. The DVDs are fully guaranteed and of the highest quality. YouTube trailers are highly compressed and are no indication of the DVD quality. The library license allows for 'fair use'. At US$100. a DVD they are wonderful social history value as well as an enjoyable watch.

 

 

• The Full Bound Leather Book
• Restoring the Family Bible
• The Account Book/springback ledger
• The 1819 Atlas/half bound leather
• The 'Humble' Paperback

 

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