THE PRESIDENT’S REPORT FOR THE YEAR 1922-23 Bindiny—On account of the impossibility of securing prompt service from outside binders, a small bindery was opened July 1, 1922, Through some cause or causes, external to the library, nearly three months clapsed defore adequate supplies af material and equipment were on hand, Lack of funds prevented the employment of a well-balanced force and constant attention was necessary to prevent the departments from sending in quantity the books which required treatment too skilliul or expensive for the aver- age commercial binder, For example, a tong run of the Londou Times, art, architectural, and scientific works with expensive plates requiring in- dividual mounting and many “Rush” books, are typical of the many things which affected quantity production, To supplement the supply budget, it was necessary to do considerable binding for other units of the University, Despite all these handicaps 3546 vohimes were bound, Adjustments in the iag staff and in the binding routine prom‘se a considerable increase in output for 1922-23. The quality of the work has so far been good. On a conservative estimate, there is at least $20,000 of hinding which should be done at once, This represents not only the ordivary accumula tion of years, but many hundreds nf volumes of periodicals which were necessarily passed by the pust two or three years and an increasing amount ‘oi repairs and recasing due to the heavy strains of “reserve” use. On account of the steady rise in the prices of materials and labor, greater care will be taken hereafter to replace many books whose rebinding is practically as great as their first cost,The Bulletin of the University of Minnesota The Biennial Report of the President of the University of Minnesota to the Board of Regents 1936-1938 Binding. —During the biennium, 35,416 volumes were bound in the library bind- ery (17,552 in 1936-37, and 17,864 in 1937-38). In addition 8,150 volumes have been prepared for binding by WPA workers and several hundred others repaired. This is far less than the number needing binding or repair.7 University of Minnesota BIENNIAL REPORT 490-1972 Centralization of Printing, Addressing and Mailing, Bindery, and Design in a new building with improved equipment resulted in increased productivity during 1971-72, due in part to placement of equipment for logical work flow and minimum interruption. Current production standards are being reviewed in all areas.OCU MS LU SLLLEEL UAL NUMBER 8Book Binding Is an Art DEPARTMENT: HE University Bindery up on the fourth floor of the Main Li- brary Building won't be quite the same, after July 1 Leaving for a well-earned vacation will be retiring staff member John Dahl, bindery foreman, who -has been with the departinent since: it was started in July, 1922. Tr doesn’t seem like a very long time, says Mr. Dahl, since that first year, and he remembers very’ well when the Bindery moved from the second floor of Perine’s Bookstore to the spanking—new Library Building, —the first department to be ther The marble steps weren't even in place—plaster ones were used—s the huge empty stacks, now filled in with row after row of books, seemed like enormous hollow caves. d HAT first year 1,500+ books were bound by the three man stall, which included Henry A. Raw tio who began work a few days after Mr. Dahl and is still at the Bindery. Axel Hansen, who retires this year with Mr, Dahl, started work for the University in 1925, three years after the other two May 1948 The methods of binding books haven't changed much in the years since Mr. Dahl brought. his knowl cdge and skill to the University. Top- flight bookbinding still places a pre- rium on quality and careful work: manship—two ingredients in which this University department's staff members. sbound. Any member of the staff delights in telling a visitor to the bindery that once a book has been rebound, it rarely has to be touched again, Usu- ally, by the time the University bind: ing wears out, the pages also are be yond repair, and an entire new book rust be purchased, EFORE a book reaches the Bindery, it goes to the prep arations staff, and Helen Wick, sen. ior clerk, and-Jessie Hitchcock, jun- ior librarien, fill out the necessary job orders, They also generally de- ‘cide what type binding the book shall have, and the color of the covers. ‘They carefully examine every book before doing this, for some types of paper require special binding and handling. Some cannot be bound, and for these a hox-cover is ordered. Preparing job orders before sending books to the Bindery are Helen B. Wick and Jessie Hitchcock. In the Bindery itelf, the volume goes through a number of processes bofore it is placed back on its shelf Jor general distribution First the old binding is taken off and the pages mended and resewed. HEN a new cover is put on uckram, vellum cloth or what ever the job ordor calls for. Finally the book is finished and the tile is stamped on carefully with gold leaf. ‘The Bindery has over 10,000 dif- ferent patterns for titles of rebound books. ‘This makes possible a great variety of styles, and also enables you to get exactly the same type let tering for a new volume of a set as you did for the fst few. In this way, there's no difficulty in matching books. In spite of the tremendous num: ber of books and periodicals which Continued on page 10 1