Bookbinder

?Job overview
?Bookbinding is making a book from flat or folded sheets of paper.

?It involves “binding” the book together as well as making the various types of cover to hold the book block together.

?What do people do in this job?
?Nowadays folding, gathering, stitching, gluing, forming, case-making, casing-in etc are usually done by a number of specialised machines.

Bookbinders will have received training in all of the different binding tasks although they seldom perform all of them.

?Specialised operations such as repairing old volumes or making single copies of luxury volumes are usually performed by hand and require particular skills.

?What kinds of people are suitable for this career?
?One of the most important qualities needed by bookbinders, as with all printing operations, is the ability to work with accuracy.

?A reasonable level of mechanical and finger skill is required and persons should be able to operate machines and perform other mechanical tasks efficiently.

?What qualifications are needed?
?Bookbinders need to have an interest in and a respect for books.

?They will normally undergo a form of apprenticeship or training.