| You have them hanging on the refrigerator, | | | | |
| stored in boxes, or stuck between the thick | | | | You will be pleased to find that there are |
| pages of a big book until you have the time | | | | many materials available to you to choose |
| figure out what to do with them. These are | | | | from for your bookbinding project. Today we |
| the crayola drawings your children or | | | | have materials such as: leather, strong-bond |
| grandchildren have made; the certificates and | | | | paper, and vinyl, which are a light-weight, |
| awards they have earned in school and even | | | | yet durable alternative to the heavy-weight, |
| the programs from their school plays that you | | | | stone tablets of ancient times. These |
| have saved to remember those special events. | | | | materials are used every day to produce the |
| They are also important documents such as | | | | copy-back and hard-cover books that we buy to |
| Marriage & Death certificates, diplomas, and | | | | read. |
| career awards. You can protect these special | | | | |
| papers and important documents from | | | | If you prefer to bind your special papers and |
| deterioration by binding them into a book. | | | | important documents into a book yourself, it |
| | | | is no longer required that you perform the |
| People have been binding important documents | | | | labor-intensive task of stapling, taping, or |
| and special papers into books for centuries. | | | | gluing individual pages together in order to |
| The practice of bookbinding even dates back | | | | bind them into a book. Today, you can |
| to ancient times, when the detailed accounts | | | | purchase a 'binding machine' that takes the |
| of certain events were inscribed on thin | | | | work out of bookbinding for you. These |
| stone tablets and then encased using | | | | machines are capable of using different |
| different materials such as leather, ropes, | | | | materials to bind your pages together and |
| and wooden pegs inside thicker tablets of | | | | they are a good investment. This is |
| stone to protect this information from being | | | | especially true for those who don't want to, |
| lost due to damaging toxins in the air, and | | | | or who don't have the luxury of a lot of time |
| dirt. These early 'bindings' were the first | | | | to put towards protecting special documents |
| books created. | | | | by binding them into a book. |
| | | | |
| Bookbinding occurs through the use of various | | | | If your budget doesn't allow for the purchase |
| methods to secure or bind together loose | | | | of a binding machine or to have your pages |
| pages or sections of a book or booklet using | | | | bound by a professional, consider this |
| stitching, staples, wire, plastic, tape, or | | | | alternative: purchase 3-ring binders with |
| glue. You can bind your special papers and | | | | protective sleeves already in them, or use a |
| important documents into a book using these | | | | photo album you already have and personalize |
| techniques yourself or by having a | | | | your book by using stickers, decorated paper |
| professional binding service do the job for | | | | cut into different shapes, markers, crayons, |
| you. You can find binding services through | | | | and whatever else you would like. Place your |
| your local print shop, your local phone | | | | important documents and special papers in the |
| directory, and online. The costs of having a | | | | protective sleeves and then don't forget to |
| professional do the binding for you will be | | | | use labels to document such important |
| influenced by your choice of materials used | | | | information as what, where, when, and who. |
| in the binding process, but these costs can | | | | Binding special papers and documents into a |
| be a worthwhile investment in the time and | | | | book, not only protects them from spills, |
| work it saves you from having to do on your | | | | fingerprints, and dirt; it also ensures their |
| own. | | | | long-term preservation as well. |