Stumbled on a hidden book repair station in the Denver library

I was at the main Denver library yesterday, just looking for some old maps to copy for a project. I took a wrong turn near the history section and ended up in a quiet corner I'd never seen before. Right there, in a little glassed-in room, was a full book repair setup. They had a nipping press, a sewing frame, and even a small board shear. I watched for a minute through the glass and saw a woman carefully lining the spine of a big old atlas with new mull. It was so cool to see that kind of work happening right out in the open, not hidden away. It made me think about how many people walk by and have no idea what's going on in there. Has anyone else found a public spot like this where they're doing proper book repair?

3 comments

3 Comments

coleman.gray14d ago

Wait they just have a board shear out in the open... that's wild. Those things are serious gear.

felix_black14d ago

Right? It's like leaving a bandsaw on the sidewalk. Someone's going to walk off with a perfectly square piece of plywood.

leo_fisher13d ago

Serious gear" is putting it lightly. I saw one left by a dumpster once and it felt like finding a power tool just sitting there, like felix_black's bandsaw example. You don't just leave that kind of hardware around.