On October, 26, 2025, I taught a Book Repair Workshop in Boone, NC at the Watauga County Public Library. This library is nice architecturally, with a mountain feel, and inside it has a number of great resources. In the restrooms, they have a good supply of all sizes of disposable diapers. They really care about their users. The library is neat, complete and has a nice array of handmade shelves.
Library staff from Boone and surrounding counties learned the basics of tipping in, using heat set tissue and Japanese tissue for repairs, as well as repairing spines and paperbacks.They were a great crowd and enthusiastic about repairing their collections. The NC State Library purchases a few basic supplies for attendees to take with them: PVA adhesive, a glue brush, bonefolder, Xacto knife, and a microspatula. These tools allow the attendees to continue repairs when they return to their home library.
Boone has a great public library. It was a pleasure to teach there.
I also taught a Book Repair workshop in Goldsboro at the Wayne County Public Library on November 17, 2025. Goldsboro is a small town in eastern North Carolina, and is the location of Seymour Johnson Air Force Base, where I was stationed in the USAF for 2 years. It was a pleasure to spend time there again.
The Wayne County Public Library is a nice and quite large library. It is a thriving hub in this town. The library staff are attentive and helpful. The library leadership is stellar. In the late afternoon, after we had cleaned up and went to say thanks and goodbye, they were painting a mural in the children’s reading area. When I say ‘they’, I mean six library staff, along with the Director, were painting a mural together. Inspiring! If you get gloomy with the state of the world, think about the small, out of the way public libraries. Events might make you believe that we live in a world of mean greed. It seems to me that public libraries are tiny worlds that fly the flag of openness and FREEDOM TO READ FOR EVERYONE!
The workshop consisted of the repairs mentioned above, plus reattaching covers to books and corner repair. In this workshop setting, demonstrating and showing the students what the repair looks like really helps to engage everyone. I hope the workshops next year will be just as rewarding as the ones this year.
6 Comments on ‘Book Repair Workshops in Boone and Goldsboro’
You are such a great ambassador for Special Collections in local libraries. Thanks!
Thanks, Craig, this is an important service for local communities!
Wow, Craig, you really ARE a great ambassador, as Marcia says! And yes, it’s great to hear good news about the state of the world, at least as it exists in public libraries. I love how so many public libraries are really focused on their communities and its needs. Thanks for empowering folks to take care of their collections!
Congratulations Craig for continuing this important service for libraries throughout NC.
This is wonderful, Craig. You are doing such a great services to our community!
+1 to all of the comments. You are providing an incredible service by sharing your expertise. Thanks, Craig!