10:00 am–12:00 pm
Historical Structures Roundtable Special Collections, Room 3052, UI Main Library
*Jim will discuss a range of historical exemplars from the UI Special Collections holdings.

4:00 pm–6:00 pm
Informal Artist Talk
North Hall, Room 208
*Jim will discuss his work building historical book models, tool, and material making. He will have books, tools, and samples on hand.

Jim Croft started making books in 1970 and within two years was joining the latest back-to-the-land movement—and soon was vowing to make a quality European Gothic book from raw materials. He’s still trying and little by little he’s getting closer. e latest thrill is rebuilding his second water powered stamp mill begun last summer with hopes of finishing in this century. Workshop assistant Brien Beidler has been inspired by historic bindings, and is consistently delighted by their ability to harmonize ne craftsmanship, quirky but elegant aesthetics, and evidence of the hands that made them. Brien also creates a limited assortment of specialized hand tools for bookbinding and its related trades.