University of Iowa Digital Libraries
Collection Principles
This collection shows 61 different models of historical bindings created by a past conservator of the University of Iowa Libraries Preservation Department. They show a wide range of binding techniques dating from early medieval to modern periods. The types of bindings exhibited include girdle books, stationery bindings and Ethiopian Coptic bindings.
Metadata
Extensive metadata is given for each model. This includes photographer, maker, century of prevalence, educational feature, fabrication date, digitization specifications and rights management information. I was happy to see that the dimensions of the actual bindings were included in the metadata – scale is often an important feature when observing bindings.
Object Characteristic
Most bindings have more than one view available. This is especially helpful for three-dimensional objects. Each image has a unique file name. The images on the website are in jpeg format. The specifications indicate the camera and resolution used for capture. The images sampled were taken with a Nikon D70 camera at 300 ppi with 8 bit color per channel. Archival tiff images are also available but not directly accessible on the website.
Intended Audience
This digital collection is intended as an educational tool. Only permission for educational use is granted. This collection can be well utilized by bookbinding and conservation students as well as by book history scholars wanting to get a better idea of the structure of bindings usually encountered in special collections.
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