The Society of Bookbinders is a UK-based educational charity dedicated to traditional and contemporary bookbinding and to the preservation and conservation of the printed and written word.

http://www.societyofbookbinders.com/

As well as a Central or National Council, the Society has eight individual regions plus an Overseas group.

Each region has its own committee, comprising a chairman, treasurer, secretary and committee members. They are responsible for running that region and ensuring its education and training commitments are met. This is achieved by arranging meetings at which well-known members of the profession give demonstrations and lectures. In addition to these meetings, visits to binderies, noted libraries and other binding-related venues are undertaken.

Each region sends a representative to national council meetings, held four times a year. There is also a National AGM and a Regional AGM each year.

REGIONS:
•  Birmingham & Central
•  East Anglia
•  London & South
•  Midlands
•  North East
•  North Wales & North West
•  Scotland
•  Western

This text is taken from the SOB website

Both the British Library (near St Pancras Station in London) and the British Library website are well worth a visit. As well as providing access to numerous books via its catalogues, there is an exhibition area containing numerous famous bindings that are of interest to bookbinders.

www.bl.uk

Vellum is a beautiful and satisfying material for binding books.

http://www.sherifafifi.info/mobile/vellum-limp-binding.html