Scotland: “National Library’s ‘James Bond’ Retires After Half a Century'”

“I was never a great reader,” says Gordon Yeoman.

But the 60-year-old, who retired from the National Library of Scotland with little fanfare during the coronavirus lockdown, has had a far from conventional career.

After leaving school at the age of 16 to become an apprentice bookbinder in Edinburgh, he spent 44 years at the institution, looking after the health of some of its most valuable books. As a bookbinder and later as exhibitions conservator, he has worked on thousands of volumes and documents, carrying out essential restoration and ensuring they are safe for the future.