Everyday Books: an introduction to short run commercial bindings in early Twenty-First century Australia

Since the turn of the nineteenth century, Australian binders have produced books to serve local publishers, businesses, and individual consumers. Over the past two centuries, the printing and binding industry has grown in response to changes in technology and customer demand to suit the present day Australian context. A consumer can now choose products ranging from traditional fine-binding styles to online instant print-and-bind services. Increasingly, collections of bound materials reflect the diversity of available binding styles and products. This paper aims to aid collection care professionals in the care and understanding of contemporary book bindings in early twenty-first century Australia. In contrast to existing literature on fine bindings and mass market book production, this paper examines short run commercial bindings. Drawing from historical sources and professional experience working in local binderies, the context of these cost-effective bindings is described. An outline of the materials and methods found in a selection of popular styles, namely perfect, case, and wire bindings, is provided, with reference to sources from manufacturers and suppliers. Conservation issues associated with contemporary commercial bindings are detailed, highlighting problems related to non-archival adhesives, plastics, and physical structures. Recommendations are made on how to best care for these increasingly prevalent bindings.