=Bindery Equipment=
The small library will find it does not pay to have a bindery of its
own. This is a safe general rule to which there are exceptions, of
course. Special conditions, such as remoteness from good binderies,
may make it worth while for a library which spends only about $1,000
a year in binding to put in a small plant and do its own work. Even
then, however, it is usually better to find a binder who will take
the contract from the library at a fixed price per volume, using the
library's room and material. Such a binder can sometimes get additional
work from other libraries or from private individuals. It should be
noted that the amount paid for binding is not quite all that a binder
who works in the library may expect to divert to his own shop; for a
clever and obliging workman will make himself useful in repairing and
in doing many small jobs of cutting, mounting, etc., which will add a
good deal to his income. Still, as I have said, the small library will
usually find that it is not economical to have its own bindery. Were
there in this country plenty of commercial binderies, where first-rate
work is done at fair prices--I do not mean low prices--it would not
pay even the larger libraries to open their own binderies. The large
shop is the only place in which some of the most important economies
are possible, and only the large shop can afford to hire the most
competent foremen and workers. Even the large libraries find it wise to
rent their binderies to competent men who will do binding at contract
prices. Under this arrangement some libraries find it pays to give
up room to a bindery; though, as I have already remarked, they would
not find it economical to do so were there efficient library binding
establishments in the immediate vicinity.
As the large libraries have a good deal of work which the average
commercial binder does not care to take, like map mounting, rare-book
mending, and ordinary book repairs, the ideal condition for them would
be a small bindery with two or three hands, in the building; a contract
for all ordinary binding and rebinding with an outsider, and the
purchase of many new books especially bound direct from the sheets.
The following list includes the machinery, tools and materials needed
in opening a bindery. The full list would equip fairly well a shop
employing one foreman, who is also a finisher; one forwarder; one boy
(helper or apprentice), and three girls for sewing. This shop would
turn out, say, 10,000 books a year, its output depending very largely
on the character of the work.
If the shop is to bind, say, only 2,000 books per year the items marked
S on the list will prove sufficient. These estimates are very general.
=Equipment for Bindery=
Standing press, large $100.00
S Standing press, small 30.00
S Board shears $100 to 125.00
S 2 backers, 17-inch 65.00
S Cutting machine 325.00
S 10-case type cabinet (6-case $8.00) 12.00
S Finishing press, 21-inch 2.75
S Lettering pallet 6.00
S 20 brass-bound boards, 16×24, at $3.25 per board 65.00
Case for 14 boards 4.00
16 press boards, 16×24 16.00
16 press boards, 10×13 7.20
14 press boards, 8×12 5.60
S 3 sewing benches, at $1.00 3.00
S 2 back saws, at $1.00 2.00
S 3 bone folders .36
S 1 glue brush, No. 4 1.00
S 2 paste brushes, No. 7 2.00
S 2 backing hammers, at $1.25 2.50
S Knives and shears 3.00
S Gas stove 1.00
Iron bench-block, 15×12×2 inches 7.50
S Glue kettle 1.00
Compass 1.00
S Gold cushion 3.00
S Gold knife .75
4 tables, benches, drawers 100.00
S Paring knife .50
S Band nippers 2.00
S Flat polisher 2.00
S Round polisher 3.50
S Creaser 1.50
S Agate burnishers 3.75
S Band rubber 1.50
Rolls and stamps 20.00
S Type, ordinary, 4 fonts at $3.00; brass, 3 fonts at
$15.00 $ 57.00
Shelving and bookcases 100.00
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Total $1083.41
With treble the number of books to be bound, there should be added to
the above list:
1 large press $100.00
1 backer 65.00
1 finishing press 2.75
30 brass-bound boards, 16×24, at $3.25 per board 97.50
5 sewing benches, at $1.00 5.00
1 back-saw, at $1.00 1.00
5 bone folders .60
1 glue brush, No. 4 1.00
3 paste brushes, No. 7 3.00
2 backing hammers, at $1.25 2.50
Glue kettle 1.00
Compass 1.00
Knives and shears 3.00
Gold knife .75
Paring knife .50
Band nippers 2.00
Type 15.00
Lettering pallet 6.00
Iron bench block 7.50
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Total $315.10