News Release

The Hand Bookbinders of California celebrate their 35th anniversary with an exhibition of members’ hand-bound books in the Skylight Gallery, on the sixth floor of the San Francisco Main Library, 100 Larkin St. Presented by the Library’s Marjorie G. and Carl W. Stern Book Arts & Special Collections Center, the exhibition will be on view from Nov. 1–Dec. 31.

The show features the work of professional bookbinders, as well as amateurs and students of the art and craft of hand bookbinding. Examples include finely gold-tooled leather bindings and avant-garde artists’ books. Innovative designs range from the traditional to the unexpected. The San Francisco Bay Area is home to an active group of bookbinders who practice their craft within a large community of book artists and calligraphers.

The Hand Bookbinders of California was formed in 1972 in order to create a forum where people practicing and interested in the book arts could exchange information and promote their interests. Membership in HBC is open to anyone with an interest in books and bookbinding. HBC meets monthly from September to June, sponsors workshops and classes in traditional bookbinding, and publishes a quarterly newsletter, The Gold Leaf. For more information, write HBC at P.O. Box 193216, San Francisco, CA 94119. The San Francisco Public Library is honored to present the work of this distinguished group.

Don’t miss these wonderful jewels of bookbinding design that inspire appreciation of the art and craft of hand bookbinding. For more information, please visit www.sfpl.org or call (415) 557-4277.