Dates: Saturday, December 13th & Sunday, December 14th (2 meetings)

Hours: 8:30 am - 4:30 pm

Instructor: Amy Lapidow BB '95

In this two-day workshop, students will get a quick introduction to various bookbinding techniques by exploring three different book structures. The class will begin with a simple pamphlet and continue with constructing two multi-signature books, known as flatback case binding and link stitch binding. Finally, students will construct a box to house all of their creations. Bookbinding 101 is a great way to familiarize yourself with bookbinding and is perfect for those who are curious about the craft. All levels of experience are welcome to register.

Tools & Supplies: Please bring a notebook and a pencil. All other tools and supplies are provided for this class. 

Attire: This is a general list of how to dress for the shop environment, please contact ce@nbss.edu if you have any questions.

• Closed-toe, comfortable, and protective footwear (sneakers or boots)
• No loose clothing
• Long pants suggested
• No loose jewelry
• Long hair must be tied back

Prerequisite: None

Age Requirement: Students must be 18+ to attend adult CE classes. No one under 18 years old is permitted to register for an adult class, even if accompanied by a parent or guardian. 

Dates: Saturday, January 10th & Sunday, January 11th (2 meetings)

Hours: 8:30 am - 4:30 pm

Instructor: Amy Lapidow BB '95

In this two-day workshop, students will get a quick introduction to various bookbinding techniques by exploring three different book structures. The class will begin with a simple pamphlet and continue with constructing two multi-signature books, known as flatback case binding and link stitch binding. Finally, students will construct a box to house all of their creations. Bookbinding 101 is a great way to familiarize yourself with bookbinding and is perfect for those who are curious about the craft. All levels of experience are welcome to register.

Tools & Supplies: Please bring a notebook and a pencil. All other tools and supplies are provided for this class. 

Attire: This is a general list of how to dress for the shop environment, please contact ce@nbss.edu if you have any questions.

• Closed-toe, comfortable, and protective footwear (sneakers or boots)
• No loose clothing
• Long pants suggested
• No loose jewelry
• Long hair must be tied back

Prerequisite: None

Age Requirement: Students must be 18+ to attend adult CE classes. No one under 18 years old is permitted to register for an adult class, even if accompanied by a parent or guardian. 

Dates: Saturday, January 17th & Sunday, January 18th (2 meetings)

Hours: 8:30 am - 4:30 pm

Instructor: Todd Pattison

Vellum manner bindings were developed for the London publisher John Newbury as an inexpensive alternative to leather bindings, substituting parchment for the spine covering at a time when there were leather shortages in England. Newbury claimed in a 1774 advertisement that they were “sewed much better than the Books which are bound in Leather; open easier at the Back, and are not so liable to warp in being read.” Previously thought to be the first commercially viable edition case bindings, the boards on vellum manner bindings are now known to have been attached to the text block prior to covering. 

In this workshop, students will make a vellum manner binding using period construction techniques, using the green parchment and marbled paper covers that are so distinctive of the originals. Historical examples will be examined to compare to Newbury’s description of the advantages of this style of bindings and to help better understand how Newbury could make the offer to have returned damaged volumes “new covered for a Penny, an advantage that can not be remedied in Leather.” 

No prior bookbinding experience is required. Participants in the workshop will learn sewing on parchment tapes, adhering boards, binding construction, and how to work with parchment to cover a binding with the boards already attached.

Tools & Supplies: All tools and supplies are provided for this class. 

Attire: This is a general list of how to dress for the shop environment, please contact ce@nbss.edu if you have any questions.

• Closed-toe, comfortable, and protective footwear (sneakers or boots)
• No loose clothing
• Long pants suggested
• No loose jewelry
• Long hair must be tied back

Prerequisite: None

Age Requirement: Students must be 18+ to attend adult CE classes. No one under 18 years old is permitted to register for an adult class, even if accompanied by a parent or guardian. 

Date: Sunday, January 25th 

Hours: 8:30 am - 4:00 pm

Instructor: Bill Hanscom

Scaleboard is a thin wood that was used in some American bindings (particularly around Boston) as early as the 1680s through the 1840s. It was used even as paste or pulp board materials became widely available in America. In this one-day workshop, students will learn the variations found in wonderfully simple American bindings through examination of historical examples and discussion. Participants will construct a model of a full-leather early scaleboard binding.

 Tools & Supplies: *There is an additional $25.00 materials fee due to the instructor on the first day of class. The instructor accepts cash, checks, or Venmo.  All other tools and supplies will be provided for this class.

 Attire: This is a general list of how to dress for the shop environment, please contact ce@nbss.edu if you have any questions.

• Closed-toe, comfortable, and protective footwear (sneakers or boots)
• No loose clothing
• Long pants suggested
• No loose jewelry
• Long hair must be tied back

Prerequisite: Bookbinding 101, or equivalent experience. If you have any questions about your experience, please contact ce@nbss.edu.

Age Requirement: Students must be 18+ to attend adult CE classes. No one under 18 years old is permitted to register for an adult class, even if accompanied by a parent or guardian. 

Date: Saturday, January 31st

Hours: 8:30 am - 4:30 pm

Instructor: Jennifer Pellecchia BB '19

Easy to learn and endlessly adaptable, pamphlet sewing is a versatile method for creating any number of traditional and creative book structures. Students will sew three-, four-, and five-hole pamphlets and their variations, beginning with a series of single-section booklets with basic covers, then moving onto more elaborate multi-section bindings.

Tools & Supplies: Please bring a notebook and a pencil. All other tools and supplies are provided for this class. 

Prerequisite: Students should be comfortable with folding and sewing. If you have questions about your experience, please contact ce@nbss.edu. 

Age Requirement: Students must be 18+ to attend adult CE classes. No one under 18 years old is permitted to register for an adult class, even if accompanied by a parent or guardian. 

Dates: Saturday, January 31st & Sunday, February 1st (2 meetings)

Hours: 8:30 am - 4:30 pm

Instructors: Chena River Marblers; Regina & Dan St. John

This two-day workshop is ideal for marblers with some experience who are ready to stretch their skills by learning a series of perfectly planned and executed twice-marbled papers.  Precision tools, precise paint application, direction, and planning will result in an array of unusually beautiful, contemporary marbled papers.

Tools & Supplies: *There is an additional $65.00 fee for tools and materials due to the instructors on the first day of class. The instructors accept cash, check, or credit card. All other tools and supplies will be provided. 

Attire: Please wear shoes that are comfortable for standing in (and that you don't mind getting wet!). Clothes may get paint on them, so please dress accordingly or bring an apron. 

Prerequisite: Beginner Paper Marbling or equivalent experience. If you have questions about your experience, please contact ce@nbss.edu.

Age Requirement: Students must be 18+ to attend adult CE classes. No one under 18 years old is permitted to register for an adult class, even if accompanied by a parent or guardian. 

Dates: Saturday, February 7th & Sunday, February 8th (2 meetings)

Hours: 8:30 am - 4:30 pm

Instructor: Amy Lapidow BB '95

In this class, students will learn how to construct two styles of boxes: the slipcase, a compact, 3-sided container for a book with many decorative possibilities, and a French box, a 4-sided container that can easily be made at home. Students will learn to measure so that the box will fit their books, discuss appropriate materials, assemble, and cover their boxes. 

Tools & Supplies: Students should bring three books with them that measure no more than 6” x 9” inches in size. All other tools and supplies will be provided for this class.

Attire: This is a general list of how to dress for the shop environment, please contact ce@nbss.edu if you have any questions.

• Closed-toe, comfortable, and protective footwear (sneakers or boots)
• No loose clothing
• Long pants suggested
• No loose jewelry
• Long hair must be tied back

Prerequisite: No experience necessary. Previous Bookbinding 101, or Fundamentals of Bookbinding I, experience a plus. If you have any questions about your experience, please contact ce@nbss.edu. 

Age Requirement: Students must be 18+ to attend adult CE classes. No one under 18 years old is permitted to register for an adult class, even if accompanied by a parent or guardian. 

Dates: Saturday, February 14th & Sunday, February 15th (2 meetings)

Hours: 8:30 am - 4:30 pm

Instructor: Erin Fletcher BB '12

Finding inspiration in a 15th-century limp vellum binding where the cover was formed like a self-closing wallet, Clara Gevaert slowly began to develop her Envelope Binding structure. In this workshop, we’ll explore her simple, yet rather elegant, binding technique. Perfect for any skill level, this structure requires very few tools to craft. Using just a bit of adhesive, each cover is folded out of a single sheet of handmade paper. The book opens relatively flat and is suitable for lightweight text blocks. Students will create two variations of this structure in order to grasp how depth can affect construction.

Tools & Supplies: All tools and supplies will be provided for this class. 

Attire: This is a general list of how to dress for the shop environment, please contact ce@nbss.edu if you have any questions.

• Closed-toe, comfortable, and protective footwear (sneakers or boots)
• No loose clothing
• Long pants suggested
• No loose jewelry
• Long hair must be tied back

Prerequisite: None

Age Requirement: Students must be 18+ to attend adult CE classes. No one under 18 years old is permitted to register for an adult class, even if accompanied by a parent or guardian.