I've taken some course from a bindery in Winchester, Va (Cat Tail Run Hand Bookbinding) and wanted to pass on the information to whomever might be interested. I found them extremely informative and useful.
Jill Deiss, is the founder of Cat Tail Run Hand Bookbinding. She studied bookbinding and restoration first in Northampton, Massachusetts, then at Cornell University's Department of Library Conservation, and in the Smithsonian Institution's Conservation Laboratories. Mrs. Deiss holds a B.S. in Chemistry and received a Master of Library Science degree from Syracuse University where she specialized in the study of archives and rare book collections.
Jill and her staff offer great classes aimed at the book dealer, collector and anyone else who might be interested in the craft of bookbinding.
Please check out their site at
I hope you get the chance to enjoy the experience as much as I did.
Dan