Membership Events Exhibitions Workshops About HBC

After six years of dedicated service, Juliayn Coleman has stepped down from her role as President of the HBC. As we bid farewell to Juliayn, we are not just thanking a volunteer; we are honoring a master of the craft who dedicated herself to the stability and growth of the Hand Bookbinders of California.

Juliayn’s journey with us has been defined by a commitment to the highest standards. A 2003 graduate of North Bennet Street School in Boston, she brought a level of traditional rigor and classical training to California that has elevated our entire community. Through her private practice, Book Island, she has spent decades not only as a teacher but also as a guardian of history—preserving rare volumes and executing fine bindings with an uncompromising eye for detail.

For the past six years, she brought that same passion to the leadership of the Hand Bookbinders of California. Serving as president is no small task, but doing so through the arguably most tumultuous years in recent history speaks volumes about her character. Juliayn provided a steady hand when the world shut down during a pandemic, ensuring that our community remained connected even when we could not meet in person. She has served as a bridge between the West Coast binding community and the national stage, advocating for the importance of handcraft in a digital age.

While many know her for her patience in the classroom, the Board has witnessed her dedication behind the scenes: the hours spent on governance, the thoughtful stewardship of our resources, and her unwavering belief in the value of what we do. 

Juliayn, thank you for lending your expertise, time, and leadership to the HBC. You leave the organization stronger than you found it.

Interim Leadership
To ensure a smooth transition and maintain our operations until the annual election, as vice president, Insiya Dhatt will be stepping in as interim president. Please don't hesitate to contact us at board@handbookbinders.org if you have any questions.

We are pleased to announce the formation of a Nominating Committee to help recruit a slate of candidates for the upcoming Board term. We are grateful to the following members for stepping up to lead this important process:

• Robin Brandes

• Vanessa Hardy

• Jennie Hinchcliff

• Bridget McGraw

The Committee will publicize a Nomination Form to the membership that will include detailed descriptions of the open Board positions and instructions on how to submit nominations. You must be an HBC member in good standing to participate in the nomination and voting process.

Please keep an eye on your inbox in February for that announcement. We look forward to your participation in shaping the future of the HBC!

RENEW YOUR MEMBERSHIP TODAY

Today is the day! Renew now to retain your good standing, commissions status, and the many other benefits that come with your HBC membership.

Benefits include inclusion in the annual directory plus invitations and discounts to events, workshops, and tours.

Once you’ve renewed your membership, you are eligible to participate in the Annual Members' Exhibition! HBC54 is open to all binders on all levels, but you must be a member to participate.

Renewing is easy—just click on the button below.

Please email membership@handbookbinders.org if you have questions or concerns.

Thanks to everyone who joined us for the visit to Stanford's Special Collections at Green Library! They brought out 25 books for us to view and handle. With 1000 books in their collection, we can plan many more visits!

Thank you to Laurent Cruveillier and Sarah Cortes for sharing their photos with us.

SUE DOGGET AND KATE HOLLAND LECTURE - OPEN TO THE PUBLIC

Fine binders and HBC workshop instructors, Sue Doggett and Kate Holland, will be giving a free public lecture following the conclusion of their workshop.

When: Sunday, February 15, at 6 pm
Where: CODEX Foundation, 1331 Seventh Street, Unit D, Berkeley, CA

The front gate should be open when you arrive. All are welcome!

UPCOMING HBC BINDERY NIGHTS

• Wednesday, February 4th

• Wednesday, March 25th

• Wednesday, April 15th

As always, Beth Redmond will be available to answer questions and provide assistance. HBC Bindery Nights are open to all HBC members, no registration required, from 5:00 PM - 9:00 PM in the SFCB Bindery. Hope to see you there!

HBC54 MEMBERS EXHIBITION

The 54th Annual Member’s Exhibition will be held this year at The American Bookbinders Museum in San Francisco. The exhibition will open on September 12 and run through December. Please plan to have your exhibition entries ready to submit by mid-July. Please send any questions to  exhibitions@handbookbinders.org

HBC55 MEMBERS EXHIBITION

2027 will be the 55th anniversary of HBC. We are working on a collaboration with the CODEX Foundation and a special set book to mark the 55th anniversary. The Fragments of Parmenides will be the set book for 2027. This is a major book, unlike anything we have ever done before. There will be copies available with and without a suite of 10 signed engravings. Each set is accompanied by 2 type specimens (one for each Greek typeface), a prospectus, and various ephemera. All books are signed and unnumbered from an edition of 146 copies.

The complete fragments of Parmenides of Elea in the original Greek, varying in length from only a few words to 66 hexameters, were composed 2,500 years ago in southern Italy (Magna Graeca). The Greek text was handset in Dan Carr’s Parmenides Greek at the press by Richard Seibert, Robert Bringhurst, and Peter Koch. An English translation by Robert Bringhurst was set in Monotype Dante at the Golgonooza Letter Foundry; the cover display text, printed in red and black, was set in Christopher Stinehour’s Diogenes Greek. The Afterword by Bringhurst is set in Bringhurst’s custom digital Dante, New Hellenic Greek, and Lazurski Cyrillic, and printed from polymer plates. Included in the book are five wood engravings by Richard Wagener, hand-printed in vibrant red, fiery orange, and velvety black on Zerkall mill paper.

We will send out additional information on how to purchase set books after Codex. If you are not a regular participant binding the HBC Set Book, have questions or are interested in the scholarship copies, please email Beth Redmond at exhibitions@handbookbinders.org.

The available books:

• 10 books in sheets with a suite of Wagener prints (10 individual signed wood engravings, specially printed for the Parmenides Project). $350 each + shipping.

• 20 books in sheets (without the suite of prints). $250 each + shipping.

• 3 sets reserved as “scholarship copies” will be donated by the CODEX Foundation.

Patricia Owen Design Bookbinding: A Retrospective Exhibition

The exhibition runs from Friday, February 6 through Thursday, June 4 at the San Francisco Public Library Main Branch, Skylight Gallery on the 6th Floor.

Opening Reception:
Saturday, February 21st, 2pm - 4pm

Gallery Walkthroughs:
Saturday, March 21, 2pm - 4pm
Sunday, May 17, 2pm - 4pm

This exhibition includes over 30 design bindings, and an exhibition catalog of Patty’s bindings will be available.

Thank you to the eight HBC members who contributed their time, talent and heart to this exhibition project: Robin Brandes, Samantha Cairo-Toby, Lang Ingalls, Mark Kirchner, Elaine Nishizu, Eleanore Ramsey, Beth Redmond, Laine Tammer.

More information about the exhibition can be found on the HBC website.

CODEX X, FEBRUARY 7-10, OAKLAND MARRIOTT CITY CENTER

The CODEX Foundation will have its tenth Symposium and Book Art Fair in Oakland, CA at the Marriott City Center from February 7th - 10th. In addition to binderies, suppliers, and artists from all over the globe, many HBC members are also exhibiting in the Book Art Fair. See the full list of exhibitors on the CODEX website.

Find information here for CODEX Book Art Fair tickets (does not include Symposium registration).

Read more about the Symposium schedule of speakers and register for Symposium tickets (which includes admission to the Book Art Fair).

There are many other events around the Bay Area bookending CODEX X, such as SFCB’s exhibition, Who is America at 250?: Artists’ Books on the State of Democracy, and Kala Art Institute’s BOOKNESS Exhibition. To learn more, see the Additional Events page on the CODEX Foundation website.

HBC will have a table on Cultural Row at the 57th California International Antiquarian Book Fair, February 27th - March 1st at Pier 27, the Embarcadero, San Francisco. The theme of the fair is Revolutionary Moments in America. This will include scientific, artistic, industrial, political, and cultural movements that have shaped our nation.

Call for volunteers to staff the HBC table. If you can spend a few hours at the HBC table, please email exhibitions@handbookbinders.org with your availability. It is a great opportunity to talk about bookbinding and book repair with the public and make connections with another aspect of the book world. Volunteers will receive free admission to the fair and have some wandering around time.

Date and Tickets

• Friday, February 27 | 4:00pm - 8:00pm | $25 VIP ticket, includes weekend re-entry

• Saturday, February 28 | 11:00am - 7:00pm | $15 ticket, includes Sunday re-entry

• Sunday, March 1 | 11:00am - 4:00pm | $10 ticket

Upcoming events from around the Bay Area and beyond!

• Activity: Valentine's Day Broadside Printing on Saturday February 14th from 2pm - 4pm at the San Francisco Public Library Main Branch, 100 Larkin Street, 6th floor, Book Arts & Special Collections.

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