This is a basic introduction for all book lovers—scholars, collectors, artists, and more—who are interested in the care and repair of their books. Is one of your beloved books falling into disrepair? Professional bookbinder and book artist Don Taylor and bookbinding apprentice J Hughes provide tips about the DIY book repairs you can do right at home—as well as what issues might require the assistance of a specialist. Following a brief overview of helpful tools and materials, Taylor and Hughes show examples of repairs in progress at the Robertson Davies Library, located in the Massey College Bibliography Room and Print Shop at the University of Toronto. To see more from the Robertson Davies Library, please visit their YouTube channel @TheRobertsonDaviesLibrary.

This video was created thanks to generous support from the Bibliographical Society of America’s Peck-Stacpoole Grant.


Credits:
Writer & director: J Hughes
Bookbinder: Don Taylor
Video editor: Christopher Patton
Special thanks: Kit MacNeil, Adriana Ciocci, The Robertson Davies Library at Massey College, and the Bibliographical Society of America.