Reading period access: From April 30-May 12, access to the Van Pelt-Dietrich Library Center and the Fisher Fine Arts Library will be limited to PennCard holders and other Penn affiliates. See our Service Alerts for more information.

Books on the move: Materials on the fifth floor of the Van Pelt-Dietrich Library Center are being temporarily moved to our off-site storage facility. For your safety, please avoid browsing the fifth-floor stacks. See our Service Alerts for information about requesting books during the transition. 

  • Workshop

Bookbinding Workshop: Drum Leaf

In this 2 hour workshop, you will learn the Drum Leaf Binding, an adhesive binding made with single-sided folios rather than sewn signatures, meaning no complex imposition to deal with when adding content. We will complete the binding with a quarter cloth hardcover and a breakaway spine. All supplies provided freely. No prior bookbinding experience necessary; all types welcome!
 

Instructor is Erica Honson

This event has already occurred

calendar_month
October 16, 2025, 5:00pm - 7:00pm
location_on
Fisher B Level Seminar Room
group
Open to the Public
bookbinding tools

Come and bind your own book at Common Press! In this 2 hour workshop, you will learn the Drum Leaf Binding, popularized by Timothy Ely. This is an adhesive binding made with single-sided folios rather than sewn signatures, meaning no complex imposition to deal with when adding content. We will complete the binding with a quarter cloth hardcover and a breakaway spine. Use it as a notebook or sketchbook, a gift, or a model for additional handmade books.

Instructor Erica Honson is the studio coordinator for Common Press.

All supplies provided freely. No prior bookbinding experience necessary; all types welcome!

Registration is required, and opens two weeks before the workshop.

Maps and More

Campus Libraries Map

Staff Information

Resources for Staff Committees