Also in this Issue... 75th Anniversary Article A Celebration of Accomplishment Mark Hancock, HBI/LBI President,

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1 SEPTEMBER 2010 A Newsletter from HBI and the Library Binding Institute 4440 PGA Blvd. Ste. 600 Palm Beach Gardens, FL , (fax) 75th Anniversary Article A Celebration of Accomplishment Mark Hancock, HBI/LBI President, It s quite an accomplishment to be observing the 75th Anniversary of the Library Binding Institute, now also known as Hardcover Binders International. As I have reflected on this milestone, I have considered what it took for us to reach it. Simply put, it took the accomplishments of others. Accomplishment: there are three definitions of that word that I would like to share with you today. 1. Accomplishment is an act or instance of carrying into effect; fulfillment: the accomplishment of our desires. I can only imagine what it was like as those first pioneers began to express the desire to form an organization for the library bookbinding industry. All the ideas that must have been shared. The negotiations and compromises that would have been required to begin a group such as ours. 2. Accomplishment is something done admirably or creditably: Space exploration is a major accomplishment of science. I so admire those early visionaries for their foresight in creating such an organiza- Also in this Issue Fall Conference Looking Back: Paul Parisi 75th Anniversary Trivia Challenge What s On Your Cover Peking to Paris Road Rally Ebook Survey Results WhatTheyThink Special Report - E-book Trends Banks Harris Award Technical Director s Report: Acrylic Cover Photo Books Executive Director s Report Something to Think About tion. The creditable way in which they came together to raise the bar and improve the industry for their peers and their clients is noteworthy. No organization or industry is perfect and ours is no different. But truly we can look back with pride at our evolution. 3. Accomplishment is anything accomplished; deed; achievement: a career measured in a series of small accomplishments. Truly the HBI/LBI of today is the cumulative effort of many small accomplishments achieved over time. It began with a commitment of like-minded individuals who came together to improve their trade. That commitment continues still all for the love of the book. Today I believe we all have the desire to fulfill the changing vision of the bookbinding industry by shaping and molding the future of the book. We will move forward as our forefathers did admirably and creditably raising the standard in our industry. It is a different world than it was in And it will be a different world years from now when others celebrate the accomplishments of our group. With gratitude I applaud those who had the vision 75 years ago. And I applaud those who will continue to build on that vision. Long live the book. If you can, help others; if you cannot do that, at least do not harm them. - The Dalai Lama Register Now for the HBI/LBI 2010 Fall Conference & 75th Anniversary Celebration October 23 26, 2010 Hotel Cut-Off Date October 2, 2010 Conference and registration information can be found at

2 HBI/Library Binding Institute 2010 Fall Conference and 75th Anniversary Celebration October 23 26, 2010 This just in! Following are the confirmed speaker presentations scheduled to take place the morning of Sunday, October 24, during the 2010 Fall Conference and 75th Anniversary Celebration: Industry Technology Update Werner Rebsamen, Technical Director, HBI/LBI Challenges with Adhesives Tom Rolando, VP of Technical Services, Wisdom Adhesives Quality Materials Make all the Difference Rob Mauritz, VP Sales, LBS Binding with PUR - the BQ470 Mark Hunt, Director of Marketing, Standard Finishing Systems The New Diamant MC and Amigo Digital Binder Richard A. Allart, Regional Sales Manager, Muller Martini Corporation How to Cope with Difficult to Bind Items Alan McIntire, Co-Owner, R&R Bindery Service, Inc Presentations by Conference Sponsors, HP and Xerox Visit for conference and registration information. The Stability of Print On Demand Books Doug Nishimura, Research Scientist, Image Permanence Institute Looking Back Paul Parisi, LBI President, It is hard to believe that my term as LBI President began nearly 20 years ago. At that time the 8th edition LBI Standard for Library Binding and the Guide to the LBI Standard were new and the library binding industry could best be described as mature. Manufacturing innovations such as the Ultrabind (automated adhesive binding), ABLE and Lars (software interfacing library databases and bindery production equipment), and GEM and System3 (robotic foil stamping) were increasing the productive capacity of binding companies and encouraging the consolidation of businesses. The LBI needed leadership to chart the course through this period of upheaval. Let me reflect on my stewardship and the ultimate resolution of our challenge. The fact that some companies were growing in a stable market while others were being absorbed or were disap- pearing was an obvious indicator that the Library Binding Institute needed to change to survive since our base of members was declining. LBI members had built their businesses around the LBI Standard and the certified library binding product that the Standard defined. Continued next page 2 The Endpaper September 2010

3 Looking Back - Paul Parisi Continued from page 2 Members were unwilling to water down the Standard by allowing less durable products to be included under the umbrella of the Standard. Membership in LBI required a binder to be able to produce bindings that met the specifications of the Standard. As President of LBI, I led an effort to explore options for the management of our trade association. In addition to keeping an executive director and running an independent office, we considered a merger with the BMI (Book Manufacturing Institute) or the BIA (Binding Industries of America). Our goal was to maintain our independence and control of the LBI Standard while lowering our overhead by sharing management expenses with an affiliated trade association to maintain financial viability. Another factor was that Sally Grauer, executive director of LBI, was considering retirement so something had to change. After a thorough review, the LBI membership worked out a deal with Sally. The LBI offices were moved from Austin, Texas, to Edina, Minnesota Sally s hometown. Sally agreed to stay on as Executive Director and we dodged a bullet. for sixty-five years, to a higher level. This would ensure a collaborative process of review and modification. The result was the ANSI/NISO/LBI Standard Z Library Binding. When John Salistean was President of the LBI in 2004, the board once again faced the challenge of what to do to secure the future of LBI. After two executive directors who split duties with BIA & LBI, it was clear that this arrangement was not working out. It was the desire of LBI to return to being managed by a single executive director who would focus on our industry and who would offer programs to help members evolve in a rapidly changing market. Then, Vice President Jay Fairfield looked outside to see who might be able to lead our trade association. He found Debra Nolan who was interviewed and hired as LBI s 9th executive director. With a background at the Society of American Archivists, Deb had the background and the knowledge of our market, as well as the strong plus that Deb was a Certified Association Executive (CAE). She was trained to professionally manage groups like the LBI. As it turned out, this same issue returned during the presidency of Jim Larsen and similar options were considered. The BIA was more receptive. They agreed that LBI could maintain total independence and pay a management fee to the PIA (Printing Industry of America), which was the parent organization of the BIA. The LBI membership decided at the 1999 Fall Conference to pursue management by a professional organization. In June of 2000, the membership voted in favor of a management contract with the Printing Industries Association, Inc. In 2000, seven years after my term ended, the LBI completed a joint project with ANSI (the American National Standards Institute) and NISO (the National Information Standards Organization) to rewrite the LBI Standard as a national standard. This was in response to a call from libraries to take our Standard, the document that defined the binding product that libraries had depended upon In 2007, to resolve the issue of a membership base that was too small, then President of LBI Gerrit Dykhouse and the Board of LBI voted in 2008 to restructure as the HBI (Hardcover Binders International) with the LBI as a daughter organization. The HBI would welcome all companies that had an interest in book manufacturing. The LBI (under the umbrella of the HBI) would continue to represent only binders who produced products that complied with the ANSI/NISO/LBI Standard Z Library Binding. I am pleased that LBI made choices during my tenure as President that have since allowed the trade association to survive and prosper. We are again living through a time of rapid change in our industry, as technology redefines how information is stored and accessed. I am confident that today s leaders will continue to steer a steady course that will allow the HBI/LBI to play a leadership role for the next generation of book manufacturers. The Endpaper September

4 What s On Your Cover? Jeanne Drewes, of the Library of Congress, is reading: The Unthinkable: Who Survives When Disaster Strikes and Why by Amanda Ripley. She gave a talk at LOC that was very eye opening and I wanted to read the book to better understand how people react in a disaster. Since I have some responsibility for the LOC collections in the event of a disaster, and since I also serve on the AIC team for disaster recovery, this became both work and personally related but extremely interesting in its own right. There are three stages she gives that have important consequences. They are denial, deliberation and this is often groupthink, and the decisive moment. Her last chapter is about creating new patterns, instincts if you will, to better enable survival and the best actions. Judy Howard of Kater Crafts shares: This summer I reread Shantaram by Gregory David Roberts, an elegantly written 900 page autobiographical novel that begins in an Australian penitentiary and takes the reader on an amazing trip inside the slums of Mumbai, and into the temples, cultural and religious practices of India in the 1980 s. The author weaves his love story through the underworld of drug lords, opium dens, international counterfeiting and Bollywood film making, and includes a side trip to fight the Russians in Afghanistan. Seductive and unforgettable. I am also savoring, page by page, the second volume on the life and work of Tony Duquette, More Is More: Tony Duquette by Hutton Wilkinson. There has never been a visionary artist quite like Duquette, who managed to create paintings, jewelry and sculpture, as well as designing fantastical gardens and interiors, costumes, film and stage sets. The beautiful photos of his flamboyant designs inspire me to dream on a grander scale. dnolan@hardcoverbinders.org and share what s on your cover! LBI 75th Anniversary Trivia Challenge In the August 2010 issue we asked: In the first 50 years of LBI s existence, how many sets of father/son library binders both served as the association s president and who were they? Answer: Three. Lawrence and Robert Sibert of New Method Book Bindery in Jacksonville, IL; O. Paul and Stephen Heckman of The Heckman Bindery in North Manchester, Indiana; and Joseph S. Wesby, Jr. and Joseph S. Wesby, III of J.S. Wesby & Sons (later Wesby-Barnard) of Massachusetts. Here s this month s question: Who was the first president of the Library Binding Institute? Look for the answer in the October/November issue of The Endpaper. Be Sure Your Graph Expo Itinerary includes Becoming a Player in Photo Books: What You Need to Know Workshop: Tuesday, October 5 8-9:45 a.m. $50 per per attendee The photo book market is truly in its infancy as many digital camera users have yet to make a photo book or even know of their existence. This seminar is for anyone who wants to get in ahead of the curve and start exploring the opportunities photo books can offer. Participants will enjoy presentations from Xerox, GP2 and Muller Martini and will learn what it takes to get started in the photo book business and how to expand capabilities from print engine providers and fellow printers who have taken the leap. Register at 4 The Endpaper September 2010

5 Peking to Paris Road Rally Rally for Literacy It goes without saying that Fritz James and Lang Wightman raised a few eyebrows when they announced their plans to drive a 1929 Model A over 14,000 kilometers (approximately 8700 miles) from China to France. They took on The Peking to Paris Motor Challenge to bring awareness to the importance of literacy. It has also been a great opportunity for Fritz James and Lang Wightman on the Great Wall of China. The James and Great Wall was the official starting line for the Peking to Paris car rally. Wightman to celebrate more than 30 years of friendship and working together in the book binding industry. the Gobi Desert, many water crossings, Russian mountain passes and extreme temperatures. They ve also enjoyed beautiful vistas unlike anything they had ever experienced and have been welcomed by excited crowds in every city, town or village along the way. Books and reading are a big part of Fritz s and Lang s lives so sponsoring literacy was a natural choice. They ve partnered with Dr. Dale Lipschultz, Literacy Officer with the American Library Association and hope to use their adventure to promote the importance of literacy for all. Sources for additional information: The Peking to Paris road race isn t referred to as driving the impossible for nothing. Those 14,000 kilometers are covered in just 37 days and include some of the roughest terrain in the most remote locations on the planet. In true James/Wightman style, they jumped in with both feet and spent the next few years preparing for what was sure to be the adventure of their lives. September 10th they started at the Great Wall of China one of 107 teams to accept the challenge. Not even halfway through their journey, they ve conquered Lang Wightman and Fritz James ready to road test their 1929 Model A Ford Phaeton in preparation for Peking to Paris Rally. The Endpaper September

6 NEWS Survey: Those with E-book Readers Read 40% More Than Physical Book Readers Fast Company recently published an article reporting that e-readers are re-encouraging reading. In the article, Fast Company noted that a Sony sponsored survey found that among the 1200 e-reader owners (which included Amazon s Kindle, the Apple ipad, and the Sony Reader owners), 40% of e-book reader owners reported that they read more than they did prior to the purchase of an e-book reader. 55% said that they read the same amount and only 2% said that they read less. The study also found that 52% of e-book purchases are made by men, which is a gender reversal from print book purchases, which are predominantly made by women. To read the complete article, please visit WhatTheyThink Special Report Provides An Overview Of E-Book Trends And Technologies WhatTheyThink, the leading news and information site for the graphic communications industry, announces the immediate availability of E-Books: From Cellar to Bestseller: A WhatTheyThink Overview of Electronic Publishing, Its Impact on Traditional Publishing, and the Opportunities It Offers to Graphic Communications Professionals. This 89-page report provides an easy-to-read overview of the current state of e-book hardware readers such as the Amazon Kindle, the Sony Reader, and the Barnes & Noble Nook; the many software-based e-book readers and formats available including e-book apps for the iphone and other portable devices; a discussion of e-zines and digital periodicals; the Apple ipad and why it is a universechanging device; and where the market for e-books and other types of e-content stands today, as well as where it is likely to go in the near future. This summary was taken from To obtain a full copy of the report, please go to whattheythink.com/business-development/e-books-and-epublishing-primer. Banks Harris Award Nominations are being accepted for the 2011 Association for Library Collections & Technical Services (ALCTS) Paul Banks and Carolyn Harris Preservation Award. The deadline for nominations is December 1, Banks/Harris Preservation Award: The award was established to honor the memory of Paul Banks and Carolyn Harris, early leaders in library preservation. The award, $1,500 and a citation, sponsored by Preservation Technologies, L.P., is given to a professional preservation specialist who has been active in the field of preservation and/or conservation for library and/or archival materials. Winners will be chosen based on: leadership in professional associations at local, state, regional or national levels; contributions to the development, application or utilization of new or improved methods, techniques and routines; significant contribution to professional literature; evidence of studies or research in preservation; and training and mentoring in the field of preservation. Send nominations, a formal statement of nomination (one that provides a strong rationale for the nomination by addressing how the nominee meets the criteria for the award), letters of support for the nomination and a complete resume for the nominee to: Hilary Seo, Chair, Banks/Harris Jury Iowa State University 441 Parks Library, Ames, IA hseo@iastate.edu For more information about the award and past recipients, visit the Banks Harris page at: divs/alcts/awards/profrecognition/banksharris.cfm. Further questions about the award are welcome and may be directed to any of the following committee members: Beth Doyle, b.doyle@duke.edu Jake Nadal, jnadal@library.ucla.edu Lene Palmer, lenep@gmu.edu Hilary Seo, hseo@iastate.edu Peter D. Verheyen, pdverhey@syr.edu 6 The Endpaper September 2010

7 Acrylic Cover Photo Books Technical Director s Report Werner Rebsamen Over time I have been asked to consult on many photo book bindings and as a result I have acquired a considerable collection of these books. So recently, I took these photo books out and looked at them again. I re-examined these bound books, each printed at a different location, and analyzed the structures, reinforcements and materials used. While looking at the books, I had a thought there must be another way to make an attractive photo book. Well, I do love challenges. Most of the photo books I examined were bound the same way. Some were side-sewn and others adhesive bound. One, with a well-known logo Sorting and matching covers and book-blocks is another, labor-intensive task. To produce such conventional photo books, binding materials such as endpapers, paper-boards and covering materials are necessary. With all of this in mind, the question then becomes, are there alternative ways to create unique photo book bindings? The answer is yes, and my personal challenge maybe another invention like my RepKover patent. In my office, my CDs and DVDs are all stored in acrylic cases. A printed sheet is inserted to identify the content. This gave me an idea for a possible new photo book: an easy to bind photo book with acrylic cover panels. I went to the local hardware store to search for acrylic panels. At the time, they only had a small, 8 x 10 inch sheet available a clear 0.80 acrylic sheet made by Plaskolite. However, the label on the sheet did provide me with the company s website (www. plaskolite) and with that a valuable contact to their office. Using a simple padding press, the photo-books are glued-off in piles with a PVA adhesive. When dry they are separated with a knife and trimmed on three sides. on it, was stapled only with thin office stapler wires, which were much too thin as they buckled. Some were bound in cloth; others featured printed or laminated covers and others had cut-out windows. A few of the books offered reinforced endpapers. To produce these photo books, all of the suppliers had to have conventional bindery equipment like adhesive binders, side-sewers, case-making, window-cutting, casing-in and building-in machines. The staff members at Plaskolite were kind enough to send me a variety of 8 x 10 inch sheets some thick, some thin, in various sizes. I discovered a 0.60 thickness would be ideal for our purpose. Quality acrylic sheets will stay clear virtually forever and some of the company s products have nonglare surfaces. As for a back panel, a smoke colored sheet might be best. Of course, all depending on the cost, the back-cover could also be a conventional paperboard/cloth panel. This is how I made the sample book as shown. It Continued next page The Endpaper September

8 Technical Director s Report Continued from page 7 Example of a pre-assembled cover. Acrylic panels and strips are connected with a tape. The spine is then covered on both sides with cloth or bonded leather. Another option is to use a conventional paperboard / cloth as a back panel. the costs to produce such a unique photo book. No conventional bindery machineries are needed. (That amounts to hundreds of thousands of dollars saved!) Only very small amounts of binding materials are required. For the spine strips, I did use three small paper-board strips. They are easier to penetrate by a drilling/riveting machine. Of course, with further R & D work, a cover with hinges routed-out could also be another option. will be passed around at our upcoming Springfield convention. But for now, here are the simple steps required to produce an acrylic panel photo book: 1. Print photo book as usual; 2. Using a padding device, glue the spines; 3. Slice the individual photo books apart; 4. Trim the photo-book book blocks on three sides; 5. Use a pre-assembled acrylic cover structure and cover the spine with the desired bookbinding material (cloth, bonded leather, etc.); 6. Insert the trimmed book-block into the cover and align no messy casing-in glue, no chance for covers warping. (Hint - maybe a drop of hotmelt glue will keep the book-block in place.); 7. Using a riveting machine, drill and rivet the spine. Your masterpiece binding is done! Riveting will do the actual binding of the book-block and attach the cover at the same time. No endpapers or reinforcements are needed. The entire title page can be viewed fully through the clear acrylic sheet. Now consider Challenges for a Bookbinding Material Supplier The idea supplied is yours to explore. With the RepKover lay-flat adhesive binding, I went through the complex tasks of acquiring a U.S. patent. Luckily, the RepKover idea paid off well. Though I have no desire to repeat a patent approval, this suggestion of pre-assembled acrylic photobook panels could be picked-up by one of our suppliers. The samples I made have some sharp edges and square, pointed corners. By working together with the folks at Plaskolite or other reputable companies, the manufacturers will most likely be able to furnish prepared sheets that are safe to handle, especially in their end-use phase. When purchasing larger quantities of acrylic sheets in various dimensions and thicknesses, the manufacturer should also be able to cooperate and furnish the sheets finished as needed and desired. I have no idea of the cost of such acrylic sheets when purchased in bulk quantities or how the cost compares with conventional binding. That is not my task. The purpose of this newsletter is to brainstorm new ideas, share them with Continued next page 8 The Endpaper September 2010

9 Technical Director s Report Continued from page 8 everyone and then investigate if such ideas will be marketable and best of all, cost-effective. Finally, I m fully aware that some of my friends in the industry of conventional bookbinding machinery and material suppliers may not like this idea. However, a photo book supplier must offer clients a large variety of binding styles, which will require conventional machinery and materials. An acrylic panel photo book is just one option. Werner Rebsamen is Professor Emeritus at the Rochester Institute of Technology and the technical consultant to HBI and the Library Binding Institute. He can be reached at wtrebs@metrocast.net. The finished, Acrylic panel cover. Rivets secure the book-block and the cover. No windows, no printed covers / jackets needed. Executive Director s Report Debra S. Nolan, CAE In a 1985 Washington Post article entitled, Overbooked, (later re-published in the February 1985 issue of The New Library Scene) the author asks, Is the book as we know it in danger of extinction? In a humorous way, he lists several examples of why video screens will not replace books, including: You cannot inscribe on the inside front cover of a video screen, To my dearest friend, with deep and heartfelt appreciation for all you have done for me and then two years later find it on a table at a rummage sale, marked 50 cents; If you leave a video screen on a rocking chair on the front porch it will be stolen. If you try to read it in the bath you will be electrocuted. If you throw it at your cat, it will be destroyed (the video screen); You cannot stack up several video screens to hold a door open or put a crease in your pants; You cannot mark your place in a video screen with a carrot or a banana peel. In the same issue of The New Library Scene, Bruce Jacobsen, Bridgeport National Bindery, notes, The use of these on-line indexes and abstracts, however, is merely the first step for libraries. In the future, libraries will probably have fewer physical volumes in their collections, but Continued next page The Endpaper September

10 Executive Director s Report Continued from page 9 will be able to request and receive books and articles on demand. These materials may be provided either on computer screens or in paper copy. Although you may feel that this may not take place for some time, please consider the following information. At some time during the publishing cycle, nearly all books and periodicals have been reduced to machine readable form. Jacobsen s article is more sobering than the lighthearted Washington Post article and concludes by advising library binders to diversify and enter into new activity, for their companies to survive. It is interesting that the longevity and relevance of the printed book was questioned 25 years ago just as it has been today. Now the focus is on e-books and a plethora of dedicated e-reader models are being developed by a variety of companies. E-books are everywhere and to stay on top of this growing industry, the Book Industry Study Group (BISG), is conducting a far-reaching survey of hundreds of e-book consumers with the goal of understanding their real-time purchase and reading habits. Consumer Attitudes Toward E-Book Reading provides practical guidance to companies working to refine their digital strategies, as well as those simply curious about how actual e-book readers are buying and reading digital content. More information can be found on their website, While e-books are here to stay, the jury is still out on the long-term impact of e-books on the future of the printed book. In a recent Publisher s Weekly article, Hardcovers Safe for Now, by Jim Milliot, July 26, 2010, the author writes, Despite Amazon s declaration last week that e- book unit sales topped hardcover sales in the second quarter, there is little evidence to suggest that hardcover sales are about to plunge, at least in the near term. Amazon said that while it sold 143 e-books for every 100 hardcovers, sales of hardcovers continued to grow. Data from Nielsen BookScan show that of the three major print formats, hardcover was the only format that has had an increase in unit sales so far in 2010, although the increase was small, at 0.3%. Readers, by Dan Nosowitz, Aug 26, 2010, begins with the following observation: E-book readers encourage reading. Further in the article, he notes a study conducted by Marketing and Research Resources, Inc., which noted that The survey found that 40% of e-book reader owners say they read more than they did prior to the purchase of the e-book reader. 55% say they read the same amount, and only 2% say they read less. Reading more can be can t be a bad thing. The conversation about the effect of digital technology on the hardcover book and reading continues to place among hardcover binders, book manufacturers, and publishers of books, newspapers, and magazines. Those who may be financially impacted the most are not the only ones having this dialogue. What is causing this widespread interest in reading behavior and what does it mean? Are we searching for a glimpse at what our workforce may be like in the next decade or two or how our world economy might be impacted by this? How will learning be impacted and at what early age will the impact be felt? Although I don t have the answers to these questions, I applaud those who care enough to talk about, study, and keep the conversation alive. It will be interesting to see how people are reading 75 years from now given what has taken place in the last 75 years of this association s history. Any guesses? Something to Think About Used video screens, because they do not smell properly musty or have any intrinsic interest, will not be resold by eccentric people who run cobwebby shops in low-rent buildings. Instead, they will be thrown into the dumpster. In time, perhaps it is they rather than books that will become extinct. Reprint, The New Library Scene, February 1985, page 7. A recent Fast Company article, Survey: Those with E-book Readers Read 40% More Than Physical Book 10 The Endpaper September 2010