DAY 9: Don't Judge A Book By Its Binding

One of the reasons I was looking forward to our shift at the Archives is because I recently took LIS170 as an elective and I wanted to experience personally how an archives operate. Today was our first day at the archives which is why I was really excited to get up early and prepare. After all of my usual morning routine, I headed to the main library with anticipation for the incoming hours. 

June 28, 2017 - WEDNESDAY

After ascending to the third floor, our group headed to the UPiana section where our adventure begins. Right off the bat, we were told that we would all be separated to different areas of the archives. We were given four options and I immediately called dibs on the bindery. 

Let me explain myself, after hearing from our classmates stories about the things they have done at the bindery, I couldn’t help but be excited of trying it on my own. Something about manual work and being able to use the tools the employees use, was more than enough for me to decide to go to the bindery first. I went straight ahead to the bindery where I was welcomed by Sir Lemuel. Here, I was introduced to books that will undergo a “make-over”, for the lack of a better word. Several tools immediately caught my attention. I placed my bag at a corner and was ready to start working. 

I will try my best to enumerate the steps that I have taken but forgive me if I miss a few because there were so many of them. First, I removed the old cover of the book then I prepared it to be transferred to a new cover. This is the time I was introduced to the bane of the bindery section: animal glue. At first, it smells horrendous. I can’t quite describe it but all I can compare it to is the smell of burning fat. However, after a few more hours, you’ll get used to the smell of it. I carefully followed what Sir Lem was doing. The parts I enjoyed the most were punching holes into the edge of the book and then sewing it up. Even if the process was a bit complicated, I enjoyed every minute of it. By the strike of noontime, I was able to prepare three books for their new binding. 

My Babies At Their Birth

During lunchtime, as I have said in the previous entry, we were supposed to dedicate our lunchtime to input the theses we have cataloged. We came back to the cataloging section, opened the PCs and began encoding our work to the appropriate excel sheet. We decided to split the theses into nine each since we’ve worked together on it. Six minutes before 1PM, we were finished and we were told that the assignments would be given next week. Since I only have less than five minutes to eat lunch, I immediately took out my lunch and started my meal. I was able to finish it a minute before 1PM then I hurried to the bindery. 

For the afternoon session, I made the cover of the books. This time, I was able to use the machineries like the cutting board and the contraption that holds books tightly. It was interesting to discover how all of them work. I also learned how to shape the spine of a book into the desired semi-circular shape. It is done using a hammer. Once again, I used animal glue to attach the board to the faux leather skin and make it look presentable. Just before the day ends, I was able to cover all of the books but I still have to come back the next day because it is not attached yet. 

My Babies In Their New Clothes

One thing I have noticed though about my time at the bindery was the fact that I didn’t notice the time because I was enjoying what I was doing. During my time on the other sections, I keep checking my phone to see how many hours there are left but at the bindery, after entering at 1PM, I hadn’t even noticed that I was there for hours because I was shocked to find out that it was already 4:30 by the time I check my phone again. 

Maybe this is the place for me. That sounded way too cheesy but I really did enjoy my time at the bindery. It was an unforgettable experience for me because I didn’t feel like I was an intern during those hours, I actually felt like I was working there. I am looking forward for my remaining four hours at the bindery before I move on to the next section of the archives. 

Let’s just wish they are as fun as the bindery!
- Sam, That New Librarian