Priscilla Spitler is passionate about her work as a bookbinder.
"Every job is a different set of problems -- a challenge -- and I see the
results," says the Texas-based bookbinder. She specializes in fine limited
editions. "The excitement and passion for me is in the collaboration from
writer to printer to illustrator to publisher."
But others in the field find passion in different areas. Uri Kolodni is
a restoration specialist and bookbinder living in Tel Aviv, Israel. "I feel
passionate about my work when I work in interesting, very rare or unique books.
It's always so exciting that the excitement itself can be very routine!"
Brian A. Roberts is a music professor at Memorial University. He is also
a highly trained bookbinder of fine hand-bound books.
"I like the ability to give back to people a product that has some structural
integrity [it is strong and well made] rather than the usual pile of loose
sheets that I am given. I get more enjoyment from working for the reader or
collector than for businesses, dealers or money collectors."
Brad Clement manages a bindery. "Passion for the commercial bindery worker
is in the challenging jobs rather than the boring or routine jobs," he says.
"And satisfaction is in the finished product, especially when the company
wins an award or recognition in which 15 or 20 employees have played a part."
There is always a downside, however. "The hardest part of my craft is dealing
with my clients and their deadlines," Kolodni says.
"But I like working with my hands. I like working in a quiet environment.
I like working by myself. This work can be very creative, especially when
I have to find a creative solution to a problem with a certain book, or when
a client wants me to design a special book for him or her."
Spitler would encourage anyone to get into this area. "It makes you focus.
You use your hands and mind. And it is satisfying to see something from beginning
to end."
On the other hand, Roberts would not encourage just anyone to get into
work like this. "It is something you need to find, like being a musician or
a priest. I don't think it is just something you get talked into doing."
Bruce Jacobsen is vice-president of a bindery in Massachusetts. He agrees
with Roberts. "Bookbinding is hard work with limited rewards. The only people
who should get into it are those who love it so much that they have to do
it. They will find their way without encouragement."
Kolodni believes now is a good time to become a bookbinder. "I consider
myself more of a book restorer rather than a bookbinder. Actually, I do prefer
the restoration part of my work. I would encourage anyone to get into work
like this because there are very few bookbinders/restorers in the market.
"I believe that as the time passes, more skilled professionals will be
needed. As long as the economy is improving and private clients have more
free money for binding and restoration, there will be work for skilled professionals."
The job also offers personal satisfaction. "While rebinding a set of old
volumes bound in Paris in 1888, I uncovered boards and saw notes made by the
original binder," says Spitler. "That was exciting to me!"
Kolodni remembers one client in particular who moved him. "It's very
touching to work on a book that has passed through generations, from father
to son. Once I restored a special book that was the only memento my client,
the son, had of his father."
Roberts also had a touching experience. "I repaired a hymnbook for a lady
of 95 years who received the book from the bishop when she was a child. I
got a tip and many tears from her. What better reason could there be for a
person to want to do this work?"
The job does involve some risk. "Working on extremely rare objects is frightening,"
says Roberts. "What if something goes wrong? Much of what I work with is one
of a kind, either from the point of view of pure rarity or from a personal
perspective, which is just as powerful a value."
"I will be able to tell my grandchildren that my work as a bookbinder opened
up the world for me. It has changed my life because I have a skill that allows
me to live where I want to live and work comes to me," says Spitler.
"The social importance to what we do as bookbinders is that we preserve
the craft," says Spitler. "The myth about my specialty is that we all do Bible
repair. There are many areas to choose from in this profession, not just repair.
People love it anyway because they all love books to hold!"
Kolodni agrees. "Our work as bookbinders/restorers is preserving
the cultural heritage. I consider my work of restoring and repairing books
as being a medical doctor for books."