Oldest Southern Library’s Book Bindery Repairs Historic Works by Hand

From the AP:

The oldest library in the South has started its own book bindery to bind, by hand, new editions of historic books and repair books in its collection of tens of thousands of volumes dating to the 15th century.
“There are several lifetimes of work in this library,” said Brien Biedler, who has been the bookbinder at The Charleston Library Society since August.
Biedler, 22, has been binding books for almost four years now. He learned his trade both working with collections at The College of Charleston, where he graduated, and with noted bookbinder Don Rash of Plains, Pa.
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“The Kindle isn’t hurting us really,” he said. “If anything, it threatens the book as an object and people are willing to invest a little more.”
Books, he said, are a way of storing information and ideas “allowing them to be picked up or set down, rediscovered or continued anytime. It is my job to make this housing as permanent as possible.”

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See Also: Search the Charleston Library Society Online Catalogue

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