Membership Events Exhibitions Workshops About HBC

JOIN THE WORKSHOP WAITLIST

HBC is thrilled to welcome Sue Doggett and Kate Holland to teach us their skills and techniques in February. While the workshop is currently full, you may add yourself to the wait list below.

We have reserved one space for a scholarship recipient; the deadline to apply is December 1. You may apply by filling out this form. We are not requesting students prove financial need, but please don't apply if you can afford the full tuition. The full board's decision on the scholarship recipient will be announced to applicants on December 15.

RSVP FOR THE HBC HOLIDAY PARTY

Gather with your fellow bookbinding enthusiasts for the annual HBC holiday party. This will be a potluck gathering where everyone brings an appetizer or dessert, and HBC will provide the drinks!

When: Tuesday, December 2nd from 6pm - 8pm
Where: The Book Club of California

We will also have a white elephant exchange, so bring along a bookbinding-related gift if you’d like to participate. We hope to see you there!

HOLIDAY CARD EXCHANGE

We’re bringing back the HBC holiday card exchange this year. This is a separate activity from the party, and it’s a great way to connect with a fellow bookbinder.

If you’d like to participate, sign up here by November 15 and we will randomly mix and match you with another participating member. We'll then email you your partner's name and mailing address by November 17 so you can send them a handmade or specially chosen holiday card.

We are asking participants to plan to mail their cards by December 15. We can't guarantee that everyone who signs up will follow through, but we have a few tricks up our sleeve this year to make sure everyone gets a card.

HBC ZOOM PRESENTATION WITH COLEEN CURRY - DECEMBER 11

HBC member, Coleen Curry, will be sharing the creative process of her award-winning binding of Five Poems by Toni Morrison for the 2022 Helen Warren DeGolyer Competition, from the design proposal through disbinding, rebinding, dyeing the leather, and making the housing. Coleen will also share her experience as a juror in the recent 2025 Helen Warren DeGolyer Competition.

The presentation will be held on Thursday, December 11 at 6:00pm PST via Zoom. Register below to receive the Zoom link.

The Bridwell Library’s triennial bookbinding competition is named for Helen Warren DeGolyer (1926–1995), a well-known supporter of the arts and education in Dallas, as well as a skilled devotee of design bookbinding. Following her testamentary wishes, her brother, Joseph Warren, and her children, Everett Lee DeGolyer and Edith DeGolyer, established in 1996 an endowment to support a triennial bookbinding competition, exhibition, and conference on the contemporary book arts to be held at Bridwell Library. The competition challenges bookbinders to submit their proposals for a specific book held by Bridwell Library, as well as a recent example of their work. While the DeGolyer Award winner receives a commission to bind the book according to his or her proposal, the jury also selects award winners for excellence in fine binding and artistic design.

JOIN HBC NOW! 2 MONTHS FREE WITH NEW MEMBERSHIP SIGN-UP

Sign up now and your HBC membership will be good from November through the end of the year in addition to all of 2026. That’s two free months!

Click the button below to become a new member.

If you’re already a member and would like to renew your membership early, you can renew here.

Please email membership@handbookbinders.org if you have any questions about HBC membership.

HBC BINDERY NIGHTS

Join your HBC friends for inspiration or motivation or to use the equipment at the San Francisco Center for the Book. Please note, the Kwikprint machines are not available for use because they require a separate registration. All other bindery equipment will be available.

Beth Redmond will be available to answer questions and provide assistance. She is HBC’s Exhibitions Chair and has recently graduated from the American Academy of Bookbinding, so please don’t hesitate to pick her brain about all things bookbinding!

HBC Bindery Nights are open to all HBC members, no registration required, from 5:00 PM - 9:00 PM in the SFCB Bindery. Fall dates are:

• Wednesday, November 19

• Tuesday, December 16

Hope to see you there!

For those of you who plan ahead: HBC54 will open in September 2026 at the American Bookbinders Museum. The calendar details haven’t been worked out, but plan to have your books finished by June 2026.

Do you have something you’d like to advertise? Please email us at editor@handbookbinders.org!

HBC member and president, Juliayn Coleman, will be offering free book conservation advice on Tuesday, November 4 from 3pm - 7pm as part of the San Francisco Public Library's Ask a Conservator Day 2025. This is part of a larger effort to elevate the field of conservation in the public consciousness.

There will be several different types of art conservators at the library providing assessments, so be sure to check out the SFPL website. Reservations are strongly encouraged as well, so be sure to register while you still can.

More upcoming events from around the Bay Area and beyond!

• Alison Saar and the Arion Press Edition of Octavia E. Butler’s “Kindred” discussion with Arion Press Creative Director Blake Riley on Wednesday, November 5 from 7:30pm - 9:30pm at Rothenberg Hall, The Huntington, San Marino, CA. Free with reservation.

• S Apostrophe S Artist Book Reading on Zoom on Wednesday, November 5 from 5:00pm - 6:00pm. Registration is free.

• Minoosh Zomorodinia: The Unintended/Body Mapping opening reception on Friday, November 14 from 6:00pm - 8:00pm at the San Francisco Center for the Book, 375 Rhode Island Street, San Francisco, CA. Free with reservation.

• Design from a Modern Century webinar with Melanie Antuna Hewitt on Saturday, November 15 from 11:00am - 12:00pm, hosted by the American Bookbinders Museum. Tickets $15.

If you would like to add events to our website, please fill out the event submission form.