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production project

Iowa Book Works is binding over 500 copies of a facsimile letterpress edition of early letters of Samuel Clemens. This is a project for Keokuk Public Library.

Monday, October 8, 2007

story of the book

Iowa Book Works supplies book craft kits that enliven and accentuate learning. The popular Ethiopian book kit with its Mahdar amulet case provides cultural lessons in the advent of the codex. Amana and Nauvoo pioneer book kits engage hands and mind as students learn of life in 19th century United States. The modern sewn boards book kit provides an adventure in future prospects for the codex. The comprehensive model set of ten historical bookbinding types supports advanced book studies as it provides tactile and structural understanding of the codex mechanism. These and other Iowa Book Works products and services support education in the history of the book.

Instructors in book arts and history of the book, in context of home schooling or university programs, will appreciate the elegance and efficiency of Iowa Book Works support. Kits include precision cut components and specialized construction supplies. Clear and complete illustrated instructions supervise class room activities while opening opportunities for discussion and wider teaching. The teaching set of historical bookbindings includes a complete tutorial of the structure and reading actions of books across an immense sweep of time and cultures. The classroom experience is invigorating and quickly prompts advanced student projects.

Iowa Book Works expert staff of Joyce Miller and Gary Frost provide a further resource for book arts and book studies instructors. We will gladly support special projects and learning agendas. We will work with you to create your own book studies program from beginning reading to graduate assignments.

Sunday, May 20, 2007

rush to print

The Future of the Book (dot com) website is becoming a print publication. Commentaries, Reports and Postings over an eight year span are now moving to book-on-demand format. These volumes will be available here at Iowa Book Works.

Volume 1: "Commentaries on the Future of the Book, 2000 to 2004 Volume 2: "Reports on the Future of the Book", 2000-2007 Volume 3: "Adventures in Book Conservation", 1982 - 2004

Volume 1 is available now, others to follow shortly. The cost is $18 for each volume, post paid.

HOW TO ORDER IOWA BOOK WORKS Products To order send an email to iowa.book.works@mchsi.com. Please include your mailing address when ordering.

Sunday, March 25, 2007

Stories about Books

The Iowa Book Works Historical Bookbindings set of ten prototypes for the book format provides an excellent classroom resource for motivating book studies. The Coptic and Ethiopian books prompt study of archeology or ethnography...excavating or visiting different cultures. This famous pair also introduces the books of Africa which provided models for all the Western book cultures.

Another pair from the early 19th century of the first production cloth covers, prompts discussion of handmade and machine made books and the wider context of material culture collections. The vellum binding and wooden board binding pair contrasts the lecturn book with the pocket book and brings up discussion of connectivity and libraries. Writing and printing discussion is prompted by the long stitch account book and the letterpress paper case binding. Finally the 17th century leather covered binding and the modern edition sewn board binding introduce the continuing technologies and uses of books.

Best of all the students will manipulate these various book structures and realize the innovations and functionalities of the book and the different skills and methods needed to make them.

This comprehensive teaching resource features reveals of the interior structures of each bookbinding, a detailed tutorial essay of each book and the directions for further study and the whole set is custom boxed for library storage and portability.

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