Catalyst Grant Final Report
“Train the Trainer Book Repair Workshop“
Please provide a brief narrative explaining your project and its outcomes.
The Syracuse University Preservation Staff taught two one-day book repair workshops in August of 2025. We collaborated with Sue LeBlanc, the coordinator of the School Library System & Media Services at Madison-Oneida BOCES. Sue was able to coordinate with other SLC directors in the area to reach a wide range of school librarians and media specialists. We taught several different methods to repair books, each attendee received a large take home kit with tools and supplies to repair their own books after the workshop. The attendees were pleasantly surprised at all the different ways books can be repaired. They learned how to replace broken spines, book covers, glue-in pages that have fallen out, and so much more. SU staff donated the space, materials, staff time, parking, and lunch.
What is the most remarkable accomplishment or finding of your project?
When one of the attendees said, “I wish I knew about about these book repair techniques earlier in my career, just think of all the books I could have saved instead of withdrawing them.
How did your project differ from what you originally proposed?
It was supposed to be a one-day book repair workshop but the interest was so great that we opened up another full day book repair workshop at Syracuse University and that filled up right away too. Madison BOCES paid for all the take-home supplies and tools for the second full day.
Please provide a brief summary of your evaluation activities and/or results, if available.
Selected Feedback from CLRC Survey Responses:
“This was such a useful course! The hands on experience left me feeling confident to bring these skills to my library and to share these skills with others. The instructor was also extremely open to questions giving the course a personalized feel. It was such a great experience!”
“I enjoyed learning all the different techniques and have put many of them to use consistently. I have a better appreciation of how to repair books and was glad for some of the supplies that we were able to take with us – I think it made it easier to put what we learned into practice by already having the materials.”
“I thought it was so interesting to learn about book preservation in such detail. I only wish I had known this information much earlier in my career.”
“I now have more confidence in mending books. I also am fixing books in a more timely manner than before.”
“I have used information from this workshop almost weekly. Repair is not really taught in library school and it is such a crucial skill. Especially as we look at budget decreases. I can stretch the life of my materials in a tangible way.”
“It was a fascinating workshop and I very much enjoyed learning some of the techniques. I am using the flexible glue for putting book pages back in a book.”
“As a new school librarian with little book repair experience, I found this workshop very useful. I have many new tools and book repair skills that I did not have before attending this workshop. I now feel more confident tackling the books in my library that need to be prepared. The presenter was wonderful and spent a great deal of time answering everyone’s questions.”
Marianne Hanley
Preservation Librarian, Syracuse University Libraries
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