Guild of Book Workers Newsletter
Number 111
April 1997

News Of GBW Members

Friends and students of Laura Young, who died March 1, 1996 are honoring her memory by sponsoring a lecture and reception at the Grolier Club of New York on Friday, April 18, 1997 at 6:00 pm.

Terry Belanger, University Professor and Honorary Curator of Special Collections at the University of Virginia, will give a talk, The Devil's Toy--shops: Book Arts and the History of the Book. Mr. Belanger was the founder of the Book Arts Press at Columbia University, and Director of its famed Rare Book School which ultimately moved to the University of Virginia, where it continues to much acclaim.

The Friends of Laura Young are asking for donations to defray the expenses of the event, which will also receive support through the generous collaboration of the Grolier Club and the New York Chapter of the Guild of Book Workers.

If you would like to send a tax-exempt contribution, it would be greatly appreciated. Please make checks to The Guild of Book Workers, noting on the check that it is for the Laura Young Memorial, and send it to Maggy Rosner, Co-Chair, 105 West 13th St., New York ny 10011. Call Maggy Rosner at 212 255-4893, or Sally Morgan, 212 879-0773. Ed. note: We regret that we did not have this information in time for the February issue and realize that this may arrive too late for attendance at the Memorial. Donations, however, will be welcome, I'm sure.


Paula Gourley writes: "With the recently announc-ed merger of the School of Library and Information Studies with the School of Communication at the University of Alabama, I have made the difficult decision to leave my teaching position and directorship of the bookbinding program at the University of Alabama at the end of the spring 1997 semester. I have accepted a new appointment as special advisor to the Dean of the College of Communication. The position is advisory and research-oriented and will be concerned with International Book Arts Program planning and a local book-arts-in-the-schools initiative with our rural services PACERS Program, serving Walker, Hale and Tuscaloosa counties. During my twelve-year tenure at the University of Alabama, I have had the opportunity to create and develop the well-respected and widely-known hand-bookbinding program within the Master of Fine Arts Program in the Book Arts.

I will continue to teach privately, as well as maintain my own bookbinding studio. I have recently signed the lease on a studio space at the old Strong's Gas Station, 509 Main Avenue, Northport, Alabama 35476. This is part of the Kentuck Crafts Studio, a long-established complex, of artists' studios in the quaint downtown area of Northport, just across the Black Warrior River from Tuscaloosa."

Paula will be working on her own fine design bookbindings, teaching and accepting commissions for fine bookbindings, small-scale book projects and paper decoration.


Claire Owen and Daniel Tucker, proprietors of Turtle Island Press in Philadelphia, gave the 1997 Frederic W. Goudy Lecture on March 2 at Scripps College, Claremont, Calif. Their topic: "An Accord of Grace: A View of the Ideal Book from Turtle Island Press".


Michele E. Brown, book conservator in the Cornell University Libraries, has been binder-in-residence at Wells College this year, following Barbara Kretzman, who began the program. Barbara has returned to her private practice in Ithaca, NY.


"In Memoriam: Susan Swartzburg, Preservation Advocate", written by George E. Cooke, Director, Ordell Public Library, Ordell nj, appears in the December issue of The New Library Scene, Vol. 15, No. 6. It is a reprint of the profile that appeared in CAN No. 56 (Conservation Administration News).


The difficulties of Don Guyot and Colophon Book Arts with the U.S. Postal Service were mentioned in the last issue BUT we neglected to say that Ma Bell has also contributed to the confusion by, at the same time as the PO changed the name of the town and the zip code, the telephone company changed the area code from 206 to 360 and has stopped notifying callers of the change. Same number, different area code, same town, different name & zip:
3046 Hogum Bay Rd, NE, LACEY, WA 98516
ph: 360 459-2940; fax: 360 459-2945


An exhibition "Calligraphic Interpretations" by Nancy Leavitt, Suzanne Moore and Stephen Rapp was shown in March in Northampton, Mass.


Camilla Okamoto, proprietor of the Summerhouse Bindery in Philadelphia, and her husband Eugene announce the birth of their daughter Alice on July 10, 1996.


Craig Keller-Anderson, Secretary of the Delaware Valley Chapter, was awarded the title of Adjunct Assistant Professor at the University of Delaware for his work with the undergraduate students in Art Conservation.