Each sheet has a special value for them – is there anyone to inherit the bookbinders

Hammers, large and small vises, cutting tools, just like in a machine shop. Metal technician Milka Pantović handles them with skillful hands. He doesn’t make tools, but “fixes books”.

“I was always interested in cutting those book pages, gluing, drying, making covers, and each book was special in its own way.” There is a lot of work, it all depends on the condition in which the book arrives at our bookbindery”, says Milka Pantović, bookbinder at the “Vuk Karadžić” National Library in Kragujevac.

Books used to be of better quality, printed and bound to last, librarians say.

Today, due to poor workmanship and frequent borrowing, many go for re-linking and re-covering.

“We get a book that simply falls apart, some leaves are missing, with ragged edges, with torn covers,” said Nikola Stanković, librarian at the “Vuk Karadžić” National Library in Kragujevac.

When he gives them a “diagnosis” and prescribes a “therapy”, he patiently and precisely approaches the work. Everything is done manually, so it takes two days to repair one title.

“The final process is the greatest pleasure for me, when I finish it, and when it’s ready for the shelves, it’s a special story,” Milka added.

And her story is that she fell in love with bookbinding and learned it from an older colleague. Today, he is perhaps the only bookbinder in Kragujevac, who does everything according to the rules of the trade.

He is worried that no one comes forward to pass on his knowledge: “I hope that there will be people interested, and that the work will be continued, let’s say the old craft.”

Until then, in the bookbindery, Milka was overwhelmed with work: sets of newspapers, magazines, papers, books. In the Kragujevac library – about 350,000 titles.

Each leaf has a special value for her, and she prolongs their life.