The Guild of Book Workers is holding its annual Standards of Excellence conference in San Francisco this year. This unique conference was established so bookbinders could generously share ideas, materials, and techniques.

Many bookbinders work in seclusion. While working alone can be positive and necessary, too much isolation can result in mediocre work. A collaborative venue for sharing knowledge, such as the Standards of Excellence conference, helps elevate our skills and craft. Every time I attend, it enhances my work, and I come away with lots to share with colleagues and students.

Attending the conference also inevitably fosters delightful chance encounters with friends, colleagues, mentors, and strangers. I learn so much from each of them. And you can feel everyone’s energy and enthusiasm.

Organizing in-person events like this requires a lot of organization and work. It takes a village. We always welcome and appreciate an extra hand if you want to help and live in the Bay Area. The Hand Bookbinders of California are specifically helping out as local hosts for tours and events. If you want to be involved, please contact board@handbookbinders.org

We’re thrilled that our annual members’ exhibition will be on display at the Standards opening reception. We hope that conference attendees enjoy the wide range of beautiful work our members have produced, crossing and playing with traditional boundaries of bookbinding, fine binding, and book art.

Our members’ exhibitions have been described as the most democratic exhibitions around, because we have no jury. Any member in good standing is encouraged to show their work, and I am so happy to be able to provide the platform for people to be able to show off their best work in a public context. If you live in the Bay Area and wish to help with this effort, we’re always in need of an extra hand.

This year, we have had a great team working on the exhibition, headed up by Beth Redmond. Beth’s energy and engagement with our members’ exhibitions never ceases to impress me. The exhibits keep getting better and more exciting each year. Thank you, Beth! Insiya Dhatt provided critical assistance in creating the entry forms online, coordinating the payment of entrance fees, and many tasks we take for granted to make it easier for members to engage on our website. Insiya also helped photograph the books for this catalog, along with photographer John W. Roberts. Robin Brandes produced the graphic design, cover design, and layout for this catalog brilliantly as always, and facilitated the relationship with our local printing company. Paloma Lucas and Nanette Wylde have helped with the installation of the show. I would also like to thank Megan Gibes of Arion Press, as well as the entire staff at Arion, for their support for our HBC51 exhibit.

Happy binding!