Free Hands-On Workshops for Bibliophiles Offered at the New York Public Library's Library Shop Beginning April 24

New York, NY, April 7, 2004 -- Bibliophiles, scribes, Library lovers, and the public at large are invited to gather at The New York Public Library's Library Shop in the Mid-Manhattan Library, at 40th and Fifth Avenue, for the first four hands-on workshops, each conducted by a popular book author or artist, in an ongoing series that begins on April 24. In keeping with The Library Shops' mission, the workshops will cover subjects such as 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.

The workshops are as follows:

The Care and Feeding of Your Books
Saturday, April 24, 2 p.m.
Margot Rosenberg and Bern Marcowitz expected to be asked questions about dogs and canine literature when they opened their Dog Lovers Bookshop, but soon they found themselves fielding questions about the care of books. Those questions led them to write The Care and Feeding of Books Old and New (St. Martin's Press), a concise and friendly book-care advice manual for the amateur bibliophile. For this workshop, bibliophiles are encouraged to bring in their volumes and learn invaluable tips that employ common household products for simple repairs and cleaning. The authors' approach to book care was developed over years of caring for dogs -- and if you want to know what that means, come see for yourself!


The Art of the Pictorial Journal
Thursday, May 20, 1p.m.
Journal artist, mail art fanatic, and paper enthusiast Mindy Carpenter employs words, phrases, spilled ink, and collected ephemera in the art of making visual journals. "Collage is the perfect metaphor for what I love most about people -- the fascinating layers underneath, hidden, scraped away, good bits poking out," says Carpenter, who works for Cavallini Papers & Co. Carpenter will discuss her art and teach workshop participants how to make their own pictorial journals using some of Cavallini's glorious paper products.


The Fountain Pen Diaries
Saturday, June 12, 2 p.m.
Author of Fountain Pens: Their History and their Art (Universe Books), Jonathan Steinberg has organized shows on the subject in New York, Milan, and, Bologna and has appeared as a collectibles expert on CNBC, NBC, and the BBC. Now, he brings his intriguing expertise to the Library. Steinberg's workshop traces the history of the development of the pen from early reservoir systems to self-filling pens to modern reproductions in a veritable celebration of the pen from quill to nib. Participants are encouraged to bring their own fountain pens for a little show-and-tell.


At Home Dewey Decimal
Saturday, July 10, 2 p.m.
NYPL Special Collections cataloger Kathie Coblentz will treat individual book buyers and collectors to some of the secrets of the methods of librarianship, revealed in her The New York Public Library Guide to Organizing a Home Library (Running Press), a kit which includes a book, software, and a special binder. Coblentz will give smart, down-to-earth advice for assessing, organizing, culling, cataloging, maintaining, and expanding a home library (including notes for the more serious collector) -- as well as discuss some of NYPL's most coveted collections.

For further information about The Library Shop workshops, call 212-340-0839. Held at the Library's Mid-Manhattan store on the corner of 40th Street and Fifth Avenue, the workshops are free and open to the public. No reservations are required. For information on The Library Shops, visit www.thelibraryshop.org.

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Contact: Caroline Oyama, Tina Hoerenz, 212.221.7676