Workshop for Bibliophiles on Care and Repair of Books to Be Held at New York Public Library October 16

New York, NY, September 27, 2004 -- Bern Marcowitz, co-author of Care and Feeding of Books Old and New: A Simple Repair Manual for Book Lovers, will demonstrate his own practical, concise, and friendly book-care advice for the amateur bibliophile in a workshop at The New York Public Library on Saturday, October 16, at 2 p.m. The workshop, which is presented by NYPL’s Library Shops and is back by popular demand, will focus on easy, fun ways to protect, clean, and repair books and will take place in the Humanities and Social Sciences Library’s South Court Auditorium, at 42nd Street and Fifth Avenue. Admission is free.

Participants are encouraged to bring in their own books to this workshop. The first 100 book lovers will also receive several free items to take home, including copies of A Simplified Step-by-Step Guide to Book Repair and Protection and Selecting a Book Jacket Cover, book care tips, and a sample book cover jacket.

Bern Marcowitz and (co-author) Margot Rosenberg expected to be asked questions about dogs and canine literature when they opened their Dog Lovers Bookshop ten years ago. Instead, they found themselves fielding questions about the care of books, leading them to write Care and Feeding of Books Old and New (St. Martin’s Press, 2002), a concise and friendly book-care advice manual in which they offer simple, humorous pointers on the care of books.

This hands-on workshop is part of an ongoing series presented by NYPL’s Library Shops, which continues on November 20 with a program by Esquire editor A.J. Jacobs. Subjects have included book repair, visual journals, the history of pens, and creating a home library. The workshops are intended to engage the public in book-related activities and to introduce them to the personalities behind some of the innovative publications and products carried by The Library Shops, which are located at Fifth Avenue and 42nd Street, and 455 Fifth Avenue at 40th Street, or on the Web at www.libraryshop.com. For further information about The Library Shop workshops, call 212.930.0483 or 212.930.0641.

Contact: Tina Hoerenz, 212.704.8600.