How to Use the ABM Library

The ABM Library and Archives are up and running! Not everything has been cataloged yet – more is added to our catalog every week – but with over 3,000 items in the library catalog and close to 18 linear feet of archival documents and photographs organized, it seems like time and

Continue reading

From the ABM Library: A Sky Empty of Orion

What with Iris Law’s survey of chapbooks in her recent guest post for this blog, it seemed only right to feature a chapbook in the American Bookbinders Museum Library as well. A Sky Empty of Orion is the 1985 creation of noted American poet Laura Jensen, and serves as an

Continue reading

S. T. Prideaux on Design

One of the notable individuals featured in our current exhibit, “The Woman Bookbinder,” is Sarah Treverbian Prideaux (1853-1933). Born in London, S.T. Prideaux ended up as one of the most distinguished female bookbinders and binding designers of her time, even though she began at age 35. She was lucky enough to

Continue reading

The Cottonian Library Fire

The British Library is, by number of items cataloged, the largest library in the world, and is the national library of the United Kingdom. In 1973, it was established as an entity separate from the British Museum, and the bulk of its founding collections were taken from the museum’s holdings.

Continue reading

#ColorOurCollections Wrap-Up

#ColorOurCollections has come and gone, but luckily the links to the coloring pages in our original post will remain, so if you feel like coloring, please make use of them. We’re always excited to see your artistic takes on our collection items. Hopefully this project will continue next year –

Continue reading

#ColorOurCollections 2016!

The craze for coloring books continues to grow! If you (or people you know, of any age) enjoy coloring, as I do, then you’re in for a real treat. This week, the New York Academy of Medicine is sponsoring a special collections coloring fest on social media!

Continue reading

box by box, the ABM library is being built!

While the museum itself is of course up and running, the library and archives here at the museum are still in process. I find myself confronted with a particular question often these days: In general, what is the difference between libraries and archives? The simple distinction is that a library

Continue reading

Explore the Prelinger Library

Take a look at this interesting article on our friends Megan and Rick Prelinger and their incredible collection of random discoveries. Discover their story here

Continue reading

Bookbinding with the Girl Scouts

Recently the Bookbinders Museum was approached by local Girl Scout troop 33239 who were planning activities around their Book Artist badge. Librarian, Amelia Grounds, visited the troop and showed various aspects of bookbinding and book construction. Here, she recounts the day’s activities. I enjoy any opportunity to talk about bookbinding

Continue reading

The Bindings of To-morrow

The Guild of Women Binders and The Bindings of To-morrow In an age largely given over to utilitarianism it is gratifying to find purposes and persons at variance with the conditions around them, and in no field is the discovery more productive of satisfaction that that of industry.[1]

Continue reading