Book Repair Workshop
An in-person program with Clara Courtenay-Clack-van Beek at the Russian History Museum
Learn how to refresh your favorite books in this beginner’s hands-on workshop led by expert book binder Clara Courtenay-Clack-van Beek. Clara will teach you the basics of identifying different types of books and their bindings, and instruct you in practical skills such as properly cutting paper for bindings, re-casing a book, mending tears, tipping in pages, and best practices for preserving your collection.
This workshop is perfect for anyone working with books, manuscripts, or archives–or simply looking to preserve their own beloved collections at home. It will also include a special viewing of rare bound works from the museum’s collection.
Please join us in giving your beloved books the care and attention they deserve!
Recommended for ages 16 and up.
Registration: $50 per person
Please note: We’ll have old books on hand for you to practice on during the workshop. You’re also welcome to bring your own well-loved, damaged books for repair. The books should have a hard cover and sewn spine (see how to identify a sewn binding here.) All materials are included in the cost of registration.
Seats are limited, so register now!
Meet Your Instructor
Clara Courtenay-Clack-van Beek is a native of the Netherlands. She studied art history and museum studies at Leiden University, after which she worked in the education department at the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam. She moved to New York City in 1973.
After relocating to Jefferson, NY in 2001, Clara developed an interest in textiles and book repair. In 2013, she began volunteering at the NYSHA library in Cooperstown, where her interest in book repair led to formal training at the Northeast Document Conservation Center. She went on to study bookbinding and, after several years of solo work in the NYSHA library, was invited to teach monthly classes. These classes continued for over six years until the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Clara now repairs books for individuals and secondhand bookshops. She would like to pass on the craft of repairing books so that volumes can be preserved for future generations.