Why teach bookbinding

1. Bookbinding topics are part of a typical Waldorf curriculum

In Waldorf schools, bookbinding is typically taught in tenth grade, but specific skills that are related to bookbinding are taught in earlier grades, such as paper making, glue making, ribbon making, and caligraphy. Other elements of bookbinding are also appropriate in various science and mathematics blocks.

2. Relating topics together increases their relevance

By linking existing topics through the grades, a bookbinding program increases relevance and student interest. Unique artistic materials created in earlier grades can be saved, to reappear for the eighth grade bookbinding project. Younger students can better appreciate the value of what they are learning when they see finished books created by eighth graders. Eighth graders will have a greater appreciation for their book when it is the result of their own creative effort, and not that of volunteer parents.

3. Many schools already do a form of bookbinding

Although bookbinding is usually a tenth grade subject, eighth grade classes sometimes bind collections of main lesson work as a record of their eight-year journey. When bookbinding skills are not consciously incorporated into the curriculum, such projects are often completed by volunteer parents, very few of whom know classic bookbinding techniques. They often rely on inexpensive, non-archival materials and techniques. The resulting books can be beautiful, but often contain critical flaws that lead to broken spines, rapid aging of materials due to pH imbalances, or more subtle problems such as incorrect paper grain orientation.

4. Bookbinding is important even in the digital age

As the Internet grows in importance and previous versions of dynamic information are revised or erased, large categories of our cultural heritage may be lost. Classic bookbinding is recognized as one vital method for preserving valuable parts of our disappearing literary and cultural heritage. A well-designed book can last many centuries, while CD-ROMs may have a shelf life of less than seven years. For these reasons the craft of high-quality bookbinding is seeing a gradual renewal. It will not replace digital media until the power generators fail, but it is an important backup method.

5. Classic "case bound" bookbinding is the preferred archival method

Classic “case binding” is the most advanced form of bookbinding, and is the international standard for binding excellence. It is superior to other methods because,

• it maximize the archival quality of all materials,
• it maximizes the usable area of each page resulting in a minimum of wasted materials, and
• it achieves an optimal balance between flexibility and durability.

The technique requires more steps than most other methods, but none of these steps are difficult to learn. One reason the craft has been disappearing is that it's hard to see exactly how a case bound book is constructed without tearing it apart. Another reason is that, due to the elegance and efficiency of the design, there is only a small margin for error. For these reason, the craft is best passed on from teacher to student, but once a student has learned the process, they can easily bind many more books on their own.