Members' Library
The Victorian Bookbinders' Guild library is a valuable resource for members, offering a wide range of books on bookbinding, book arts, conservation, and related crafts.
Borrowing Books
The library operates on a simple honesty system. If you wish to borrow a book, please record the title and your name in the borrowing register before taking it and on return - typically at the following month's meeting - please sign it back in. We ask all members to return books promptly so that everyone can enjoy and benefit from the collection.
A complete catalogue of the library's holdings is available on the library shelves.
To make it easier to explore the collection, we've also created a series of themed Library Guides. These group books by subject and include brief descriptions. The topics are:
Bookbinding Associations
Canberra Craft Bookbinders Guild
NSW Guild of Craft Bookbinders
Queensland Bookbinders Guild
Western Australian Craft Bookbinders Guild
Association of Book Crafts (New Zealand)
The Society of Bookbinders (UK)
Government Organisations (Australia)
National Library of Australia
State Library of Victoria
Public Record Office Victoria
State Library of New South Wales
State Library of Queensland
State Library of South Australia
State Library of Western Australia
American Institute for Conservation
Bibliographical Society London
Bibliographical Society of Australia and New Zealand
British Library
Designer Bookbinders (UK)
Guild of Bookworkers (USA)
International Bookarts Centre
Minnesota Centre for Book Arts
San Francisco Center for Book Arts
Websites and Blogs of Interest
Calligraphy, Lettering Art & Artist Books
An Australian site, curated by Cecilia Sharpley. Covers the subjects of handmade books, calligraphy and lettering
The Printed Page: Learn About Book Care
A blogpost on how to properly care for physical books including gentle handling, damage-preventing habits, storage, cleaning, travel protection, and special considerations to help books last longer.
Website: https://www.printfriendly.com/blog/the-printed-page-learn-about-book-care
For all leather related craft needs.
Address: 171 Kensington Road, West Melbourne VIC 3003
Wholesale distributor of glues and adhesives.
Address: 70 Link Drive, Campbellfield VIC 3061
Book block - The completed text or contents of the book., prepared to be bound with a cover.
Buckram - A strong type of book cloth.
Case binding - Where the cover of the books is made separate to the book block and attached as the last step in the process.
Chemise - A cover for the book which is places into the slipcase.
Doublures - The infill of the board with materials other than paper.
Endpapers - The last sheets of paper attached to the book block, usually with one attached to the inside of the board, and also called a board paper.
Full bound - Where the cover is all the same material.
Gold blocking - Where type and gold foil are used produce a label or title on a book cover.
Gold decoration - The use of gold foil or gold leaf and hand tools to decorate the cover.
Inlay - Where a decorative material is cut into the underlying cover material.
Moiré pattern - A distinctive design in the material usually silk but some types of bookcloth. The pattern changes as the eye angle changes.
Onlay - Where a decorative material is glued on top of an underling cover material.
Quarter bound - Where the spine of the book is covered with a durable material and the sides covered with a different material, either cloth or paper.
Rounded and backed - The binding operations which result in a curved spine with shoulders, and a curved front edge of the book block.
Slip case - A storage box for the completed binding.
