Open Tues-Sat 10am-4pm: Closed Tuesday April 2 for Cesar Chavez Day

Upcoming Events

Local Book Events

 

Past Events

  • Monthly Bookbinding Workshop

    The American Bookbinders Museum hosts monthly bookbinding workshops the second Saturday of each month from 1:00-3:00pm. Join us and enjoy an in-depth look at the history of bookbinding followed by the workshop. Create a reusable, hardcover exposed binding journal in this hands-on session. No experience necessary, but class-size is limited…

  • Who Restores Books? How to Choose Wisely

    Discover why not all book conservators are created equal and how to find the perfect match for your needs. Bogle will serve as a guide through the intricacies of selecting the right conservator, explain technical jargon, and equip you with essential questions to ask. Gain valuable insights into the advantages…

  • SF in SF with Gail Carriger, Izzy Wasserstein, and Amy Sundberg

    Please join SF in SF for a fabulous evening with GAIL CARRIGER, AMY SUNDBERG, and IZZY WASSERSTEIN! Each author will read a selection from their work, followed by question and answers with the authors; booksigning follows. Author Carter Scholz will be speaking at this event, as we continue to mourn…

  • SF in SF with David Sandner and David D. Levine.

    SF in SF is back! Another year of great Science Fiction & Fantasy nights starting with a fabulous evening of Frankenstein and his Monster, an exciting space caper story, and science fiction fun with authors David D. Levine and David M. Sandner. Both authors will read a selection from their…

  • Disappearing Art—the History and Craftsmanship of the Vanishing Fore-edge

    Immerse yourself in the magic of the vanishing fore-edge, where paintings fade into gold. Join acclaimed artist Martin Frost in a virtual webinar discussing the history of the vanishing fore-edge. Benefit from valuable insights and techniques derived from the artist's extensive 57 years of expertise in this revered craft. Martin…

  • Bound to be Different Reception

    Opening Reception We are celebrating Private Presses and handbound books. Join us for food, drinks and great conversations. Meet some of the press owners and mingle with like-minded collectors and book lovers. Saturday February 3 4:30pm RSVP

  • Marbling Fine Bindings

    Deborah V. Thomson, Echo Art Bindery Join bookbinder–and marbler–Deborah V. Thomson of Echo Art Bindery for a look at marbling techniques on fine bindings. Deborah has a diploma in fine binding from the American Academy of Bookbinding where she studied with Don Glaister, Peter Geraty and…

  • A Beginner’s Bindery in a Hide-Away Box

    “When I started bookbinding, I always felt limited by the tools I had. 30 years later I have all the best tools imaginable. Yet the bench where I make DAS Bookbinding videos is tiny and 90% of what I do is done with the tools hanging on a small wall…

  • Collector’s Talk and Tour for Stenciling in Book & Applied Arts

    Join us on Saturday, December 9th at 2pm at the American Bookbinders Museum, for a talk and tour of ABM's newest exhibition, Stenciling in Book & Applied Arts. Collector Alex Angell with share his immense store of knowledge regarding the art, history and technique of stenciling in Japanese Katazome, French…

  • Marbling Fine Bindings

      Saturday Dec. 2, 11am  PT Deborah V. Thomson, Echo Art Bindery Join bookbinder--and marbler--Deborah V. Thomson of Echo Art Bindery for a look at marbling techniques on fine bindings. Deborah has a diploma in fine binding from the American Academy of Bookbinding where she studied…

  • The Poison Book Project:

    Toxic Heavy Metals in Mass-Produced 19th-C. Euro-American Bookbinding   Dr. Melissa Tedone will discuss the discovery of arsenic in Victorian-era bookcloth and how this discovery influences our understanding of Euro-American bookbinding materials and manufacture. The Poison Book Project investigates the use of toxic heavy metals (including arsenic, chromium, lead, and…

  • SF in SF with Rick Wilbur, E. Lily Yu, and Chaz Brenchley

    Join us on November 12 for SF in SF, when writers Rick Wilbur, E. Lily Yu, and Chaz Brenchley come to read and talk with Bay Area writer and moderator Cliff Winnig. Rick Wilber is an award-winning writer, editor, poet, and professor; the author of four novels, four short-story collections,…

  • Designing with Typography

    Join us on Saturday, October 21 for the second of two virtual lectures with design binder Brenda Gallagher. "As a graphic designer, I enjoy making designs for books using letterforms in my designs. I'll show you several ways to use letters as objects of design and discuss several ways of…

  • SF in SF with Nancy Kress and Jack Skillingstead

    Join us on October 14 for a special Saturday SF in SF, when writers Nancy Kress and Jack Skillingstead come to read and talk with Bay Area writer and moderator Cliff Winnig. Nancy Kress is the author of thirty-three books, including twenty-six novels, four collections of short stories, and three books…

  • Tips & Tricks for Developing Design Ideas

    Join us on Saturday, October 7, for the first of two virtual lectures with designer and book artist Brenda Gallagher. This first will cover generating design ideas for bookbinding. A basic how-to for bookbinders looking for ways to create design ideas for bookbinding, the talk will begin with the content…

  • SF in SF with John Scalzi

    Join us for a special mid-week SF in SF when SF author and raconteur John Scalzi comes to the American Bookbinders Museum, reading and in conversation with writer, gamer, and futurist Kimberly Unger. John Scalzi is probably best known for his Old Man's War series, three novels of which have been…

  • Special Exhibit Opening Reception

    Celebrate the opening of a new exhibit: Stenciling in Book & Applied Arts Saturday, September 16, 2023 4:30pm   View the Exhibit Meet the Collector: Alex Angell Enjoy Food & Fine Beverages Meet up with Friends Partake in conversation and Scholarship Please RSVP

  • SF in SF with Marie Brennan and Alyc Helms

    Join us on Sunday, July 30, when writers Marie Brennan and Alyc Helms meet for an evening of readings and conversation with Bay Area writer Cliff Winig. Marie Brennan  is a former anthropologist and folklorist who shamelessly pillages her academic fields for inspiration. She recently misapplied her professors’ hard work…

  • August 6, Join Us at Makers Market at Yerba Buena Gardens

    The Yerba Buena Community Benefit District's Makers Market has returned! The first Sunday of each month from June to November, Yerba Buena Gardens will feature one-of-a-kind vendors selling unique jewelry, original art, brilliant prints, and other exquisite pieces made from ceramics and macrame, as well as live music and general…

  • Introduction to Bookbinding for Adults / Introducción a la Encuadernación para Adultos

    August 5, 10:00 - 2:00 Back by popular demand--last chance to take Introduction to Bookbinding with master binder Dulce Maria Luna! Adults 18 and up will learn the elements that make up a book. Bookbinding is a traditional craft still practiced today. In this 4-hour session you will produce a…

  • SF in SF with Charlie Jane Anders and Kate Maruyama

    Join us on Sunday, July 30, when writers Charlie Jane Anders and Kate Maruyama meet for an evening of readings and conversation with Bay Area writer Cliff Winig. Charlie Jane Anders  Most recently, she wrote the young adult Unstoppable trilogy: Victories Greater Than Death, Dreams Bigger Than Heartbreak, and Promises…

  • Introduction to Bookbinding for Adults | Introducción a la Encuadernación para Adultos

    July 29, 12:30 - 4:30 ABM is delighted to have Mexican bookbinder and teacher Dulce Maria Luna, offer this four-hour workshop for adults 18 and up. Students will learn about the elements that make up a book, and the materials and tools used in its construction and care. Bookbinding is…

  • Introduction to Bookbinding for Kids | Introducción a la Encuadernación para Niños

    July 28, 1:30 - 4:30 pm ABM is delighted to have Mexican bookbinder and teacher Dulce Maria Luna offer this three-hour workshop for kids from 7-17. Students will learn about the elements that make up a book, and the materials and tools used in its construction and care. Bookbinding is…

  • SF in SF with Fran Wilde and Henry Lien

    Join us on Sunday, June 25, when writers Fran Wilde and Henry Lien meet for an evening of readings and conversation with Bay Area writer Cliff Winnig. Fran Wilde's first novel, Updraft, won the Nebula and Compton Crook awards; it was followed by Cloudbound and Horizon, completing the Bone trilogy.…

  • Hosting Word For Word

    The American Bookbinders Museum is proud to be hosting: Off the Page Staged readings that are the first step in Word for Word's production process—taking a short story from the page to the stage. Join us for the first of many steps in bringing stories to the stage. "The Secret…

  • Introduction to Bookbinding for Adults

    June 10, 12:30 - 4:30 ABM is delighted to have Mexican bookbinder and teacher Dulce Maria Luna, offer this four-hour workshop for adults 18 and up. Students will learn about the elements that make up a book, and the materials and tools used in its construction and care. Bookbinding is…

  • June 4th, Join Us at Makers’ Market at Yerba Buena Gardens

    The Yerba Buena Community Benefit District's Makers Market has returned! The first Sunday of each month from June to November, Yerba Buena Gardens will feature one-of-a-kind vendors selling unique jewelry, original art, brilliant prints, and other exquisite pieces made from ceramics and macrame, as well as live music and general…

  • The Opening of Poetic Journey/Travesía Poética

    Celebrating the Opening of Poetic Journey/Travesía Poética Join us Saturday, June 3, from 4:30-6:30 pm, for a reception to celebrate Mexican book artist, Dulce Maria Luna. Browse the gallery, meet the artist, and enjoy a 50-year retrospective of her work. Light snacks and refreshment swill be served. Please RSVP, free…

  • Book Conservators in Private Practice – a Virtual Event

    Join us for a look behind the covers, with an in-person event marking the closing of The Many Lives of Books: Exploring the Work of Book Conservators. Local private practice conservators Juliayn Coleman and Karen Zukor will share a peek into their work conserving books from personal collections—the rare, the…

  • Hosting Word For Word

    The American Bookbinders Museum is proud to be hosting: Off the Page Staged readings that are the first step in Word for Word's production process—taking a short story from the page to the stage. Join us for the first of many steps in bringing stories to the stage.   Two…

  • SF in SF with Mia Tsai and Becca Gomez Farrell

    Join us on Sunday, March 26th for SF in SF when authors Mia Tsai and Becca Gomez Farrell join at the American Bookbinders Museum for an evening of reading and conversation with Bay Area writer Cliff Winnig. Mia Tsai is a Taiwanese American author of speculative fiction. She lives in Atlanta…

  • SF in SF with Annalee Newitz and Naseem Jamnia

    Join us on Sunday, January 29th for SF in SF’s first event of the new year, when authors Annalee Newitz and Naseem Jamnia return to the American Bookbinders Museum for an evening of reading and conversation with Bay Area writer, editor, and raconteur Terry Bisson. ANNALEE NEWITZ writes science fiction…

  • Linking the Past, Forging the Future: Conservation of a Medieval Chained Binding

    In our digital age, it's hard to remember (or even believe) that books were once so rare and costly that they were kept chained to the shelves. But even chains cannot protect a centuries-old book from the wear of time--and many hands. When a chained medieval book in Stanford Libraries'…

  • SF in SF with Kim Stanley Robinson and Cecelia Holland

    Join us on Sunday, January 29th for SF in SF's first event of the new year, when authors Kim Stanley Robinson and Cecelia Holland return to the American Bookbinders Museum for an evening of reading and conversation with Bay Area writer, editor, and raconteur Terry Bisson. KIM STANLEY ROBINSON is an American writer of…

  • Opening Reception for The Many Lives of Books

    Click here to RSVP Join us on Saturday, January 28 from 4:30 - 6:30  for an in-person reception celebrating the opening of ABM's latest exhibition: The Many Lives of Books: Exploring the Work of Book Conservators. Meet curators Kimberly Kwan, Elizabeth Ryan, and Michelle C. Smith, and take a dive…

  • Jeff Peachey: The Craft of Hand-Paring Leather

    Join us for a virtual lecture and demonstration! For at least fifteen centuries, tanned leather has provided a durable, attractive, and pleasing tactile sensation for the covering of books. The leather must be selectively pared – reduced in thickness — to achieve proper functioning and meet aesthetic expectations. Book Conservator…

  • SF in SF with Mary Robinette Kowal and Adam Savage

    Please join us for an evening of reading and conversation with author Mary Robinette Kowal and Adam Savage, in conversation with Bay Area writer Cliff Winnig. Nebula and Hugo Award-winning author Mary Robinette Kowal is a novelist, voice actor, and professional puppeteer. The first book in her Lady Astronaut series The Calculating…

  • Megan Rosenbloom: Anthropodermic Bindings: Books Bound in Human Skin

    The macabre practice of binding books in human skin sounds like the stuff of horror movies, but was actually perpetrated by well-respected doctors in the 19th century, a practice now known as anthropodermic bibliopegy. Would you know a human skin book if you held one in your hand? Join librarian…

  • SF in SF with Laura Anne Gilman, Dana Fredsti, and Meg Elison

    Please join us for an evening of reading and conversation with authors Laura Anne Gilman, Dana Fredsti, and Meg Elison, in conversation with Bay Area writer, editor, and raconteur Terry Bisson. Laura Anne Gilman's most recent book, Uncanny Times, is being lauded as a "lush, atmospheric historical fantasy" (Publishers Weekly) that…

  • Yerba Buena Night at ABM Presents

    A Word for Word Reading of: HOME by George Saunders Directed by Sheila Balter "Home" by George Saunders was first published in The New Yorker, June 13 & 20, 2011. The story of a vet, returning from the war only to discover family trouble at home. Of "Home", George Saunders…

  • SF in SF with Authors Scott Nicolay & Anya Martin

    Join us as SF in SF returns for the Fall. Authors Scott Nicolay and Anya Martin will read and discuss their work, followed by a Q&A with the audience, moderated by author Terry Bisson. Scott Nicolay is the World Fantasy Award-winning author of "Do You Like to Look at Monsters?"…

  • Special Lecture

    Marco Birnholz: A Life in Bookplates This multimedia presentation will look at Marco Birnholz and his ex libris collection. Marco encountered an ex libris as a young student and was transfixed, “gripped by my collector’s passion.” He commissioned his first ex libris in 1913, and his 264th in 1964. As a…

  • Opening Reception for Ex Libris

    Please join us Tuesday, September 13th, from 1pm - 4pm for an in-person reception celebrating the opening of Ex Libris: The Art of Contemporary World Bookplates. Meet exhibit curator James Keenan, as well as collectors and exhibitors. Experience the beauty of bookplate art from 33 countries and more than 100…

  • Sunday Streets in SOMA

    On Sunday, August 21 from 11am - 4pm, Folsom Street will be closed to traffic and open for fun! From Spear to 9th Streets, find performers, vendors, food--and The American Bookbinders Museum! To celebrate our SOMA neighborhood we'll be open that day from 11-4. If you haven't visited ABM lately, now's…

  • Alice Vaughan: The Way is Narrow – Some Spine-Titling Options for the Hand Bookbinders

    What's in a name? Or more aptly, what's in a title? In spine titling there are a range of different issues, aesthetics, and techniques the hand bookbinder considers before beginning work. Is the spine flat or rounded? Paneled? Will the titling work be done on or off-book? A range of…

  • Yerba Buena Art & Makers Market

    Sunday, July 17, 11am - 4:00pm   Yerba Buena Gardens, Mission Street between 3rd and 4th Streets The Yerba Buena Community Benefit District is hosting its first Art & Makers Market. Find one-of-a-kind vendors selling unique jewelry, original art, brilliant prints, and other exquisite pieces made from ceramics and macrame.…

  • SF in SF: Sam J. Miller and Kimberly Unger

    After a 2-year hiatus, ABM welcomes back SF in SF! San Francisco’s science fiction reading program has presented a host of established and debut writers in its 20+ year history. The return program features Sam J. Miller and Kimberly Unger reading and in conversation with writer Cliff Winnig. Sam J.…

  • The Life and Times of Jo Mora: Iconic Artist of the American West

    The Life and Times of Jo Mora provides an in-depth portrait of this gifted illustrator, painter, writer, cartographer, and sculptor (1876-1947). Mora was one of the first American artists to elevate the cultural importance of the Western frontier, presaging broad shifts in twentieth-century thought and expression. Through his celebration of…

  • Mallette Dean, A Printmaker and His Art

    A Talk by John Hawk John Hawk will give an illustrated talk on the career of Mallette Dean (1907-1975). A major figure in the history of the fine press book in California, Dean was a prolific artist whose career as a printmaker, painter, muralist, illustrator, and letterpress printer spanned several…

  • Standard | Deluxe | Design Opening Reception

    Join the American Bookbinders Museum and the Book Club of California for an in-person reception celebrating our joint exhibition: Standard | Deluxe | Design Bindings of the Book Club of California   View the exhibit and meet BCC's Executive Director Kevin Kosik with Librarian and exhibit curator Elizabeth Newsom.  Join…

  • Manufacture of Leather

    The second of two lectures as part of the 49th Annual Members Exhibition for the Hand Bookbinders of California. The American Bookbinders Museum is pleased to present The Manufacture of Leather, led by David Lanning, of J. Hewit and Sons, UK. David will present a virtual tour of the J…

  • EX UNO MULTIS: Out of One Many

    A Conservator’s Challenge: the repair and preservation of objects which have complex structures & materials. Books may appear as single objects but they are actually composite items.  Particularly with older works, the materials used in a book may include paper, leather, parchment, board, cloth, wood, thread, and all sorts of…

  • Content to Cover

    In conversation with Juliayn Coleman A virtual lecture discussing the convergence of traditional bookbinding and book arts, exemplified by the books in the 49th Annual Members’ Exhibition of the Hand Bookbinders of California. Juliayn is president of the Hand Bookbinders of California. She has a diploma in bookbinding and book…

  • A Journey into “Wild/LIFE” Lecture Series: Suzanne Moore

    Part Two: Poetic Imagery Suzanne Moore is a lettering artist, painter, and printmaker whose eclectic interests meld in the diversity of her artists' books. Her books blend abstract and representational imagery, rich color and surface treatments with textual content and contemporary lettering to create work that obscures the line between…

  • A Journey into “Wild/LIFE” Lecture Series: Graham Patten

    Part One: Binding in the Third Dimension Graham Patten is a bookbinder who applies his interests in origami, movement, and bookbinding to create unusual pieces that merge books and sculpture. The decorative and design elements of his work tend to arise from mechanical, structural, and kinetic ideas rather than from…

  • Making Their Mark Lecture Series: Lecture 2

    Going for the Gold, with Samuel Feinstein Missed the Lecture? No problem, you can access a recording of the lecture. Click Here Samuel Feinstein is a bookbinder and finisher working in Chicago. While the basic tenets of gold finishing have not changed much over the years, approach in terms of…

  • Making Their Mark Lecture Series: Lecture 1

    Tools of the Trade, with Brien Beidler Missed the Lecture? No problem, you can access a recording of the lecture. Click Here Brien is a toolmaker and bookbinder. In his work, he draws inspiration from the tooled decorations found on leather bindings of the 17th and 18th centuries. For Brien,…

  • Making Their Mark Virtual Reception

    Missed the reception? Watch a recording of this lively conversation with our special guest panelists. Hosted by Kristine Connelly, moderated by Madeleine Robins, and with guest panelists: Brien Beidler, Paul Brubaker, Sameul Feinstein and Anita Engles. Find out why practitioners and exhibit curators love decorating and finishing! Recorded on April…

  • San Francisco History Days, Sept. 25-27, 2020

    A important part of San Francisco history, national history, and women's history. Celebrating the 19th Amendment, Suffragists in Print. Tour the eighty-plus years of the struggle for women's suffrage. By women-ing the press, suffragists took control of the narrative and their future. Meet some of the courageous women who demanded…

  • A Virtual Party to Celebrate the 19th Amendment

    WE'RE CELEBRATING THE CENTENARY OF THE 19TH AMENDMENT August 26th marks the 100th anniversary of women's suffrage, and we would like to share this historic day with you. Join the American Bookbinders Museum in a virtual celebration of the 19th amendment's centenary.    We are hosting a virtual reception at…

  • CANCELED: The Art and Social History of 19th Century Book Cover Design

    Due to unforeseen circumstances we have to cancel this lecture. If we are able to reschedule it for a later date, we will update this event and send out an announcement. Please check back with us.  Bound for Beauty Exhibit Lecture An Illustrated Talk by ABM Donor, Kathleen Roberts Adapted…

  • SF in SF with Juliette Wade, Tiffany Trent, and Mike Chen

    Please join us for an evening of reading and conversation with authors Juliette Wade, Tiffany Trent, and Mike Chen, in conversation with Bay Area writer, editor, and raconteur Terry Bisson. Juliette Wade's first novel, Mazes of Power, is just out from Daw; a work of sociological science fiction, it follows…

  • Collector’s Tour Led by ABM Donor Kathleen Roberts

    Bound for Beauty Highlights of the Kathleen V. Roberts Collection of Decorated Publishers’ Bindings The American Bookbinders Museum proudly presents the Bound for Beauty Collector’s Tour. Collector Kathleen V. Roberts, will lead two 60-minute tours of the Bound for Beauty Exhibit, featuring Decorated Publishers’ Bindings from 1840-1920. The Collectors Tours…

  • Bound for Beauty Reception

    Saturday, January 18th, 3:30-5:30 Please join us for a reception in celebration of ABM's new exhibition, Bound for Beauty: Highlights of the Kathleen V. Roberts Collection of Decorated Publishers Bindings. The reception will follow Kathy Roberts’s 2pm lecture: The Art and Social History of 19th Century Book Cover Design. Come…

  • The Art and Social History of 19th Century Book Cover Design

    Bound for Beauty Exhibit Lecture An illustrated talk by ABM Donor, Kathleen Roberts The American Bookbinders Museum proudly presents an illustrated lecture by Kathleen Roberts. Kathy is the collector and co-curator of the Bound for Beauty exhibit. This special 60-minute talk focuses on the social and art history of Decorated…

  • SF in SF with Kim Stanley Robinson and Cecelia Holland

    Please join us when perennial Bay Area favorites Cecelia Holland and Kim Stanley Robinson return to the American Bookbinders Museum, reading and in conversation with Bay Area writer, editor, and raconteur Terry Bisson. Cecelia Holland is a grande dame of historical fiction who began writing at age twelve. Her first published work, The Firedrake, arrived in…

  • SF in SF with Annalee Newitz and Charlie Jane Anders

    Please join us for an evening of reading and conversation with authors Hannu Rajaniemi and Christopher Brown, in conversation with Bay Area writer, editor, and raconteur Terry Bisson. Charlie Jane Anders is the author of The City in the Middle of the Night  and the Nebula Award-winning All the Birds…

  • SF in SF with Garth Nix

    Please join us on a special night for an evening of reading and conversation with author Garth Nix in conversation with Bay Area writer, editor, and raconteur Terry Bisson. A chance to hang out with one of the most popular young adult novelists in the field!  Garth will read and…

  • ABM at the Creativity Festival

    Join us us to find your spark at the Children's Creativity Museum's Creativity Festival!  Want to bind a book to take home? Create something under the sea?  Experiment with Newton’s “musical” laws of motion and design vehicles powered by pushing, pulling, spinning, or the drop of gravity.  Use the energy…

  • Smithonian Museum Day at ABM

    Saturday, September 21, join the American Bookbinders Museum and other cultural institutions around the country for Smithsonian magazine's Museum Day. Download a ticket that provides free admission for two to the museum of your choice. But choose wisely! You can get one two-person admission ticket per email address (check out…

  • Culture for Community

    Mark your calendars! Thursday, Sep 19: free access to Yerba Buena neighborhood arts & culture institutions, including the American Bookbinders Museum, as well as an opportunity to celebrate the importance of intergenerational connections and stories. #CultureforGenerations #CultureforCommunity Participating Organizations 111 Minna American Bookbinders Museum California Historical Society Children's Creativity Museum…

  • SF in SF with Hannu Rajaniemi and Christopher Brown

    Please join us for an evening of reading and conversation with authors Hannu Rajaniemi and Christopher Brown, in conversation with Bay Area writer, editor, and raconteur Terry Bisson. Hannu Rajaniemi was born in Finland and obtained his PhD in string theory from the University of Edinburgh. He is the author…

  • Opening Reception for Book Smart: Learning to Break the Rules

    Join the American Bookbinders Museum in celebrating the opening of Book Smart: Learning to Break the Rules, a joint exhibition of works by instructors and students at San Francisco Art Institute, Mills College, and Oregon College of Art and Craft. In addition to the opportunity to see the works on…

  • He to She: The Challenge of Gender Change in Lurid 1950s to ’60s Pulp Cover Art

    Queer Voices Lecture Series He to She: The Challenge of Gender Change in Lurid 1950s to '60s Pulp Cover Art A conversation with Natasha Dennerstein, a local trans author, who will talk about "transvestite" and early trans pulp novels and their cover art. Natasha will explore the power of these…

  • SF in SF with Vylar Kaftan and Megan O’Keefe

    Please join us for an evening of reading and conversation with authors Vylar Kaftan and Megan O'Keefe, in conversation with Bay Area writer, editor, and raconteur Terry Bisson. Vylar Kaftan writes speculative fiction of all genres, including science fiction, fantasy, horror, and slipstream. She won a 2013 Nebula Award for…

  • SF LGBTQ+ Journalism in the Early Days of HIV/AIDS

    Queer Voices Lecture Series SF LGBTQ+ Journalism in the Early Days of HIV/AIDS A conversation with Randy Alfred, gay journalist who covered the early years of the HIV/AIDS epidemic and co-founder of the San Francisco Bay Times. Randy will discuss reportage of the terrifying and yet-to-be-named “gay plague” in 1981.…

  • When the Bar was the Only Place in Town

    Queer Voices Lecture Series When the Bar was the Only Place in Town Every city has its meeting places, where like-minded people go to socialize. For nearly a century in pre-Stonewall, pre-liberation San Francisco, bars were the only public places where gays and lesbians could meet openly. Those storefronts created…

  • Art Walk

    Join the American Bookbinders Museum and the Yerba Buena Alliance in celebrating the 12th Annual Yerba Buena Art Walk! Start at 1pm with the Yerba Buena Gardens Festival. At 2pm come to the ABM where we'll host the pre-Art Walk reception. And from 3-6pm sample some of SOMA's most fascinating…

  • Queer Voices Opening Happy Hour

    Join us and the GLBT Historical Society for a special Happy Hour to celebrate the  opening of ABM's new exhibit.  

  • SF in SF with Guy Gavriel Kay

    Please join us for an evening of reading and conversation with authors Guy Gavriel Kay and Ransom Stephens, and audiobook artist Simon Vance, in conversation with Bay Area writer, editor, and raconteur Terry Bisson. Guy Gavriel Kay is the author of fourteen fantasy novels, including the just-published A Brightness Long…

  • SF in SF with Peter Beagle and Jaymee Goh

    Please join us for an evening and reading and conversation with authors Peter S. Beagle and Jaymee Goh, in conversation with Bay Area writer Cliff Winnig. PETER S. BEAGLE is the internationally bestselling and beloved, author of numerous classic fantasy novels and collections, including The Last Unicorn, Tamsin, The Line Between, Sleight of Hand, Summerlong, In Calabria,…

  • SF in SF with Nancy Kress and Jack Skillingstead

    Please join us for authors Nancy Kress and Jack Skillingstead, reading and in conversation with Tachyon Publications publisher Jacob Weisman. Nancy Kress is the author of thirty-three books, including twenty-six novels, four collections of short stories, and three books on writing. Her work has won six Nebulas, two Hugos, a Sturgeon, and…

  • long live the book! Lecture Series: Generations: Legacies of Five Influential Hand Bookbinders

    Why do you save every piece of an original binding and study the original binding’s structure to recreate it? Why does design binding reference the text in the cover design or use sculptural boards? Find out where many of the practices we take for granted today have their origins and…

  • Reception for Long Live the Book!

    Join us on Saturday, March 2nd at 5:30 pm for the opportunity to meet and talk with some of the participants of long live the book!, a look at the broad range of contemporary bookbinding in 2019. Wine, sweets, and good conversation will be served.  

  • long live the book! Lecture Series: Paper – History, Culture, and Contemporary Art

    Join Michelle Wilson for an hour of paper: its history and how it is made. She will talk about why paper is part of her creative process and how it defines her work. As a book and paper artist, Michelle incorporates papermaking into her pieces. The unique paper she creates…

  • SF in SF with Anya Martin and Nick Mamatas

    Please join us for an evening with authors Anya Martin and Nick Mamatas reading and in conversation with Bay Area writer, editor, and raconteur Terry Bisson. Anya Martin is a fiction writer based in Atlanta. Sleeping with the Monster, her debut short story collection, was published by Lethe Press in autumn 2018. Publisher’s Weekly called Sleeping with…

  • long live the book! Lecture Series: Birthing a Book

    Do you know what it takes to make a book and the choices that need to made? Berkeley-based book artist, letterpress printer and poet, Mary Laird, will share her poetry, letterpress publishing and binding process with you. She prints her own poetry as Quelquefois Press and has taught  letterpress printing…

  • Book Talk and Reception for Codex

    Join us for a celebration of books and libraries hosted by Stanford Libraries and the Hand Bookbinders of California at the American Bookbinder’s Museum in San Francisco. Elizabeth Ryan, book conservator with the Stanford Libraries Conservation Department, will give a presentation on conservation approaches to scholarly significant book damage and previous…

  • SF in SF with Cecelia Holland, Kim Stanley Robinson, and Howard Hendrix

    Please join us when perennial Bay Area favorites Cecelia Holland and Kim Stanley Robinson are joined by author Howard Hendrix, reading and in conversation with Bay Area writer, editor, and raconteur Terry Bisson. Cecelia Holland is a grande dame of historical fiction who began writing at age twelve. Her first published work, The…

  • Children’s Story Hour

    Join us every Saturday morning from November 17 - January 5 for story hour at the American Bookbinders Museum. Celebrating the new exhibit Of Wonders Wild and New, we'll share stories and activities with kids under 7 and their families. Each child can take a new book home!  

  • Children’s Story Hour

    Join us every Saturday morning from November 17 - January 5 for story hour at the American Bookbinders Museum. Celebrating the new exhibit Of Wonders Wild and New, we'll share stories and activities with kids under 7 and their families. Each child can take a new book home!  

  • Children’s Story Hour

    Join us every Saturday morning from November 17 - January 5 for story hour at the American Bookbinders Museum. Celebrating the new exhibit Of Wonders Wild and New, we'll share stories and activities with kids under 7 and their families. Each child can take a new book home!  

  • Children’s Story Hour

    Join us every Saturday morning from November 17 - January 5 for story hour at the American Bookbinders Museum. Celebrating the new exhibit Of Wonders Wild and New, we'll share stories and activities with kids under 7 and their families. Each child can take a new book home!  

  • Children’s Story Hour

    Join us every Saturday morning from November 17 - January 5 for story hour at the American Bookbinders Museum. Celebrating the new exhibit Of Wonders Wild and New, we'll share stories and activities with kids under 7 and their families. Each child can take a new book home!  

  • Children’s Story Hour

    Join us every Saturday morning from November 17 - January 5 for story hour at the American Bookbinders Museum. Celebrating the new exhibit Of Wonders Wild and New, we'll share stories and activities with kids under 7 and their families. Each child can take a new book home!  

  • Children’s Story Hour

    Join us every Saturday morning from November 17 - January 5 for story hour at the American Bookbinders Museum. Celebrating the new exhibit Of Wonders Wild and New, we'll share stories and activities with kids under 7 and their families. Each child can take a new book home!  

  • SF in SF with Nick Mamatas and Michael Marshal Smith

    Due to poor air quality in San Francisco and the surrounding Bay Area, this event has been postponed. Please watch for a new date!

  • Children’s Story Hour

    Join us every Saturday morning from November 17 - January 5 for story hour at the American Bookbinders Museum. Celebrating the new exhibit Of Wonders Wild and New, we'll share stories and activities with kids under 7 and their families. Each child can take a new book home!  

  • Opening Reception for Of Wonders Wild and New

    After the kids have gone home, please join ABM staff and Jennifer Crow of the Arne Nixon Center for Children's Literature for a reception to celebrate the exhibit with refreshments and conversation. This is a grown-up party, but it's okay to bring your inner child.

  • Family Party for Of Wonders Wild and New

    Help us celebrate the opening day of Of Wonders Wild and New, a new exhibit that explores the imaginative worlds of children’s books over three centuries. From the advent of children’s books in the early 19th century to today, picture books reflect our changing attitudes toward childhood, diversity, and inclusion.…

Want to host your event at the ABM? If you would like to inquire about collaborating on a special or space rental event, please contact us and specify your interest.

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