bookbinderies

Mr. James and the owners of at least four other small Bay Area bookbinderies said they expected to retire over the next 10 years or so.

Digital Rivals, Economy Put Bookmakers in Bind Cari Tuna 2011

They are larger than book artists, individuals who typically print and bind one book at a time, but smaller than large commercial bookbinderies, which often employ dozens of workers and bind thousands of books at a time with highly mechanized equipment.

Digital Rivals, Economy Put Bookmakers in Bind Cari Tuna 2011

Bob Berring, a University of California, Berkeley, law professor and book collector, said small bookbinderies serve an important role, making high-quality bindings for $100 to $200, compared with upscale book artists, who charge up to $5,000 a book.

Digital Rivals, Economy Put Bookmakers in Bind Cari Tuna 2011

The Bay Area's small-scale, or so-called trade, bookbinderies generally comprise two to 10 workers and offer a variety of services, from repairing family Bibles to binding books in batches of dozens or hundreds.

Digital Rivals, Economy Put Bookmakers in Bind Cari Tuna 2011

A longtime bookmaking hub, the Bay Area for years has been home to more than half a dozen small bookbinderies.

Digital Rivals, Economy Put Bookmakers in Bind Cari Tuna 2011

Small bookbinderies occupy a niche in the book world.

Digital Rivals, Economy Put Bookmakers in Bind Cari Tuna 2011

The San Francisco Bay Area's small bookbinderies are struggling amid the weak economy and spread of digital publishing.

Digital Rivals, Economy Put Bookmakers in Bind Cari Tuna 2011