Welcome to Our New Intern Justus Jenkins

Justus Jenkins

We would like to welcome Justus Jenkins, our summer HBCU Library Alliance intern. Justus is a student at Claflin University. He is one of eight students studying preservation this summer through the University of Delaware/HBCU-LA internship program.

This year the program is again being presented online due to COVID-19 restrictions. Interns will be meeting together twice a week with their cohort. Each session will be taught by one of the host sites. We are teaching a class on Archives Conservation Issues, and co-teaching with staff from the Library of Congress to teach some simple bookbinding structures. We will be teaching the Metamorphosis, and this zine.

For his capstone project, Justus has decided to create a portfolio of bookbinding models. Over the next several weeks he will work with Conservation staff to learn Japanese stab bindings, Longstitch binding, Coptic binding, pamphlets, and zines. The University of Delaware sent all eight interns a box of tools and supplies for the term. We put together a box of materials and bookbinding kits and sent that to Justus.

Four completed stab bindings. (photo credit Justus Jenkins)

We started last week with a simple pamphlet, and the Japanese stab bindings.

Yotsume Toji (photo credit Justus Jenkins)

Noble binding (photo credit Justus Jenkins)

Hemp leaf binding (photo credit Justus Jenkins)

Tortoise binding (photo credit Justus Jenkins)

This was the first time I taught a bookbinding class over Zoom. I don’t have a fancy set up at home, but I was able to use a variety of boxes and crates to set up my laptop and phone in a way that worked. I used the laptop camera for my head shot, and set up my phone so that it hovered over the work area. By pinning my “hand cam” and Justus’ cam, I could see both at the same time.

At home set up for teaching online.

First book done! Looks great.

Justus did a great job on his first bindings. He was a patient student as I learned how to do this along with him. We look forward to seeing his next book!