The Vespiary Book Binding & Book Conservation

It’s been quite a while, but I’m happy to say that I’ve been thoroughly enjoying working in the new shed (flickr set). Habits die hard - I still call it the shed even though it’s more like a posh cottage. The little oil radiator heats the space well, but struggles a bit when the mercury dips below the teens (in Fahrenheit). I love not having to set up my workspace at the kitchen table anymore, and being able to organize my tools and supplies.

The upstairs is a great little reading nook, and in winter is often 10 degrees warmer than the workspace below, so it’s sometimes TOO tempting to bail on working and go up to read instead. I finished my Master’s of Library Science this past December (hence the big gap in blog posts), and have now been able to get back into free reading again. I just devoured People of the Book (yes, the heroine is a book conservator), and am now tucking into A Universal History of the Destruction of Books (I know, light reading, right?).  The author makes a compelling point in the first chapter that “the discovery of the earliest books also establishes the date of their earliest destruction.”  But that’s a theme for another post… Anyway, it’s been great to watch the snow fall in the garden through the skylight while indulging in my favorite pastime.

The outside of the shed is still just covered in building wrap as I try to search for the perfect siding. So far I’ve contemplated Hardi-board, ship-lap, dutch-lap, and a half-half wood siding + weathered corrugate metal. I think to match the old building and the flavor of the neighborhood, I’m going to try to find some dutch-lap wood siding, either locally milled or reclaimed.

Bonus! The cat has figured out how to get into that snuggly loft: