A Smyth sewing machine being used to bind multiple issues of a periodical together. Photo by Andrijana Sajic
Thomas J. Watson Library has worked with Wert Bookbinding in Grantville, Pennsylvania, for many years. This past April four members of Watson Library's Technical Services team and four members of the Book Conservation team took the train down to Pennsylvania for a first visit to the bindery.
Mr. Gary Wert himself, whose father founded Wert Bookbinding. Photo by Annalise Welte
While many of us work closely with bindings, or process books to be sent to the bindery, or receive the bound books back from Wert, not all of us have experience with commercial binding processes. This trip was instrumental in gaining an understanding of the journey a book takes from its arrival at Wert to its return to Watson.
Cloth cutter and label printer used to cut cloth to size to cover the binding and text block, then automatically print the label directly onto the cloth. Photo by Jenny Davis
Wert Bookbinding is a family-owned and -operated company that has been in business for over fifty years and into three generations. It was founded by John J. Wert Jr.; his son, Gary Wert, now helms the business. Gary and his cousin Donald warmly welcomed the Watson Library team at the train station, and the tour began before we even arrived at the bindery. We stopped along the way at the old Hickock factory, which once supplied the hand bookbinding industry with its cast iron book presses and other equipment. The entire staff at Wert gave us demonstrations of various aspects of the work that takes place. (Watson Library sends monographs, periodicals, auction catalogues, and damaged books to Wert for binding.)
Pre-cut bookcloth. Photo by Jenny Davis
When you work with machines built fifty or a hundred years ago, spare parts can be hard to come by. Not only does Wert Bookbinding maintain its own equipment, but, in many cases, it even manufactures replacement parts in their metal shop. The company also makes alterations to machines to accommodate changes in bookbinding workflow.
Foil stamping corner where gold foil is stamped into bindings. Photo by Andrijana Sajic
Over the past two decades, the rise of digital publishing has caused the library binding industry to drastically change. Many small binderies like Wert have closed or been purchased by larger companies. The larger companies, as in other businesses, have streamlined custom services that librarians were used to, and often cannot meet the idiosyncratic needs of an art research library.
The back of a Smyth sewing machine. Photo by Andrijana Sajic
Watson Library, for example, prefers binding details like hinged-in paperback covers and hand-sewn recased bindings. The few small, custom binderies that have remained have had to adapt by using their talents and resources in new ways. Wert has done this, and now offers a variety of custom hand and machine binding services for everyone wanting bindings for books, memoirs, menus, boxes, art books, and more.
Decorative brass rolls for gold tooling, used to decorate and design bindings. Photo by Jenny Davis
Watson is grateful to have Wert on our side, taking on our binding challenges and providing great custom work for a fair price. We hope they stay in business for a long time and look forward to visiting again.
Wert bindery tickets (labels) that are placed in every item bound by Wert. Photo by Jenny Davis
Special thanks to all who attended: Mindell Dubansky, Jenny Davis, Andrijana Sajic, Yukari Hayashida, John Lindaman, PJ Raftery, Simen Kot, and Annalise Welte.
