Book Arts Tuesday-Bonefolder

Today's post celebrates the last issue of Bonefolder: an e-journal for the bookbinder and book artist. Bonefolder is yet another accomplishment and contribution of Peter Verheyen who founded and maintains the Book-Arts List that does so much to keep the book arts community together. He has said what a difficult decision it was. Here is what Peter wrote on the Book-Arts L:

On January 13, 2012, Volume 8, the largest (and regrettably last) issue of The Bonefolder was published online. What started as an experiment in open-access online-only publishing “way back” in 2004 grew into perhaps the most widely read publication in the book arts with over a quarter million downloads for all issues combined since we began with a global readership. Listing of the The Bonefolder in the Directory of Open Access Journals (DOAJ) placed us in just about every research library’s online catalog, and participation in LOCKSS will ensure long-term access to all issues (as do Syracuse University Library’s and the Internet Archive’s servers). This growth, however, also brought with it ever increasing workloads for the small and incredibly dedicated editorial staff who solicited articles, worked with authors, and much more. With the 2011 issue we switched to an annual format (something catalogers curse publishers for) in the hopes that it would allow us to streamline processes and spread the work out as it came in. Alas, that did not happen in the way we had hoped and the process became unsustainable… When we began we knew it would be a challenge, albeit a fun one inspired by other independent publications such as Fine Print and Bookways, but also membership publications such as The New Bookbinder and The Guild of Book Workers Journal. Since we started other publications in the book arts other sprung up but ours remains the only freely accessible journal in the field.

Looking back, I think we more than surpassed our initial goals, and while I have deep regrets about “closing the book” I feel it is far better to leave the field at the zenith when we all still have energy for other pursuits (that we all know will come) rather than forcing ourselves to continue. So, it is with an intense sense of pride that I thank all those who have worked to make this publication the success it became – Donia Conn who encouraged me to start things in 2004, Pamela Barrios, Chela Metzger and Don Rash who formed the original core, Karen Hanmer who soon joined the team, and finally Ann Carroll Kearney who was a very welcome addition with this issue. To Samantha Quell, a long-time student of mine, our thanks for indexing our 14 issues thereby enhancing access. All of you contributed greatly to our success. Finally though, we would have not been able to exist at all if not for our authors, some established, some new, who filled our issues with articles that covered the full spectrum of the book arts.

Here is the Table of Contents from Issue 8:

Publisher’s Note
Evolution of an Artist’s Book – Sarah Bryant
John DePol Digital Archive at The University of Alabama – Amanda Haldy, Sara Parkel, & Dan Albertson
Reinventing the Flag Book – Jeff Tong
Bookbinding in Estonia – Illu Erma, translated by Silja Oja
Modern Portuguese Bookbindings – Sam Ellenport
A Tale of Two Boards: A Study of A Bookbinding – Sidney F. Huttner
Book Conservation at West Dean College – Abigail Uhteg
“How Do I Make It Stick?” Adhesives For Use In Conservation and Book Arts – Tish Brewer
A Bookbinder’s Gamble – Gavin Dovey
Reliquary for a Book – Florian Wolper
Towards practice: The Art of Bookbinding Used to Instill Craft in Graphic Design – Law Alsobrook
Durante and Wallace-Crabbe: LIMES – Perle Besserman
Of the Bookbinder (London, 1761)
Bind-O-Rama 2011– Artistically Reversible: Where Conservation and Art Meet
Book Reviews
Abbott, Kathy. Bookbinding: A Step by Step Guide. Review by Anna Embree
Banik, Gerhard and Brückle, Irene. Paper and Water: A Guide for Conservators.
 Review by Abigail Uhteg
Marks, PJM. Beautiful Bookbindings, A Thousand Years of the Bookbinder’s Art. Review by Beth Doyle.
Miller, Julia. Books Will Speak Plain: A Handbook for Identifying and Describing Historical Bindings. Review by Chela Metzger
Minsky, Richard. The Book Art of Richard Minsky. Review by Miriam Schaer
Starling, Belinda. The Journal of Dora Damage. Review by John Nove
Wallace, Eileen. Masters: Book Arts. Review by Jules Siegel

What a rich treasure of material! Thank you Peter.

Download your copy of Bonefolder 8.