Acid-free: Acid in paper causes the paper to change chemically over time as it reacts to air and other environmental conditions. Acid-free paper is produced in a process that makes it chemically stable over time. Something made with acid-free paper will probably be around for the next 300 years or so.

Archival: In the case of books and boxes, the term refers to the use of materials that allow the contents of the books and boxes to last indefinitely, without deterioration.

Artists' books: Simply stated, an artist's book is art expressed in book form. Such books have some of the basic elements that we think of when we think of the typical book (some sort of pages, some words or images on the pages, and some sort of beginning and end between some sort of cover), but go far beyond or outside of the traditional image of a book. Go to web links for more information on artists' books. A good book that will introduce you to both basic book construction techniques and artists' books is Shareen LaPlantz, "Cover to Cover: Creative Techniques For Making Beautiful Books, Journals & Albums".

Bone folder: An essential tool in lots of crafts (I had my first one for weaving baskets), this is a smooth tool that looks sort of like a pointed, rounded tongue depressor. Some are actually made of bone. Others are made of various synthetics such as hard plastics. Lacking a bone folder, you could probably use a tongue depressor. But as long as you're going out to pick up tongue depressors, you might as well stop at a craft store and get a bone folder.

Book cloth: Book cloth was introduced in the early 19th century as an alterative to leather in bookbinding. Book cloth is usually a fabric that is bonded to a paper backing so that it can be glued without the glue penetrating through. Book cloth can be used by itself to cover a whole book or box. Because it is more durable and flexible than paper, it is most often used on the spine of the book.

Book press: This is essentially a vice-like contraption into which you insert the book after it has been glued so that there is an even pressure over all the surface of a book during the drying process. Did you ever wonder how they get that crack that goes from the top to the bottom of a book? I do it with a "nipping press." A metal plate at the top and bottom of the press helps to form the crease in the hinge between the book board and the spine. Lacking that, placing the book between two (even and clean) boards will accomplish much the same thing.

Case-bound: You most likely recognize it as a hard-cover book. It is a book in which the three basic elements (cover boards, spine, and text block) are made separately and put together in the final assembly of the book.

Clamshell: Also known as a drop-spine box, the distinguishing feature of this box is that when the box is opened, the spine lies flat. A book or other contents rest in a small box on one side. When the box is closed, the small side is nested in a larger box that fits over it. The clam-like way in which the box closes explains its name.

Coptic stitch: A variety of open-spine binding in which the cover and text pages are held together with a series of exposed stitches. For a closer look, see the section on Coptic binding.

Davey board: If longevity of your project is important to you, then Davey board is the way to go. Davey board is a strong, acid-free binder's board that resists warping. A significant advantage of Davey board is that its strength keeps the edges of books and boxes from denting. A major disadvantage is that it is really, really hard to cut. To look for sources on the web, simply put Davey board into your favorite search engine. It's best to look for it locally since it's very heavy so costs a bundle to ship.

Fettling knife: This is a 4 ½" steel-bladed knife with a wooden handle and a blunt end. Actually designed for working with clay, this is the one I learned to use for cutting folded paper, and it works for me.

Flat spine: This construction contrasts with the rounded spine book . A stiff piece of board approximately the width of spine edge of the text block is joined to the book boards to create a case. In preparation for assembly, the signatures are carefully leveled (rather than curved) so that they rest flat against the spine of the book.

Folio: A single sheet of paper folded once. The fold creates two leaves. Fold it again and it's a quarto. One more time and it's an octavo. Again and - you guessed it - it's a sexto-decimo. Fold it again and . . . . it's impossible.

Grain: In the making of milled paper, the cellulose fibers are aligned parallel to each other as the sheet is made. Folds made parallel to the grain will be straighter and stronger than those made against the grain. See if you can find the grain in a piece of ordinary printer paper. First, bring the top edge of the paper down to the bottom edge gently, without folding. Notice the amount of bounce or resistance. Let the paper rest flat again, and then bring the left side gently over to the right side, again without folding it. Notice the bounce or resistance. The fold with the least resistance goes with the direction of the grain.

Japanese Bookbinding: This is a form of binding that is used to bind single leaves of paper using decorative stitching at the spine of the book.

Japanese yuzen: Also called chiyogami, this is a soft and light-weight paper that is also quite strong. A silk-screen printing process that was developed in Japan between the 17th and 19th centuries creates the design on the paper. Hollanders (www.hollanders.com) and Flax (www.flaxart.com) are just two of the many stores that display Japanese papers on their web sites.

Linen tape: Linen bookbinding tape is available in a variety of widths. Linen is the traditional fabric of choice, although a strong cotton tape from a fabric shop is a reasonable substitute.

Mull: Also called super, mull is a type of open-weave muslin that is used to line the spine of a book. It reminds me a little of starched cheesecloth. A good substitute for mull is a light-weight muslin, available at any fabric shop.

Needle: If book-binding needles aren't available, tapestry needles will substitute. The eye of the needle should be fairly small so as not to make an unnecessarily large hole in the paper while sewing the signatures together.

PVA (Polyvinyl Acetate) is a glue that replaced animal glues. In addition to being smelly, the animal glues had to be heated before using. And then there's the vegetarian thing. It's major advantage is that it remains somewhat flexible when it dries. This is especially important when using it for book spines, which require elasticity. The primary disadvantage of PVA is that it dries very quickly, and once it's laid down, it bonds permanently to the board.. Not all PVA glue is archival, so be sure to check the label if that's important to you.

Rounded spine: This construction contrasts with the flat spine book. The latter has a stiff piece of board approximately the width of the spine which is joined to the book boards to create a case. Rather than being flat, the rounded spine is manipulated and tamped to create an evenly rounded spine which is then glued in place.

Rotary cutter: If you think of an Xacto knife as a blade on the end of a stick, you could think of a rotary cutter as a circular blade on the end of a stick. It is often called an Olfa cutter (for the same reason that tissues are often called Kleenex). Unlike the stationary blade of an Xacto knife, the rotary cutter blade moves as you run it across the fabric, paper, or board. Not a typical tool for the book arts, you are most likely to find it in a craft or fabric store. If you want to see one for yourself, go to www.olfa.com

Self healing mat: Again, my self-healing mat is a left over from quilting. This is a light-weight but very durable hard rubber mat that isn't marred when used as a cutting surface. It both protects your table top and also extends the life of the rotary blade.

Signature: Several folios are put together to make a set. The number of folios that make a signature vary depending on the weight of the paper. A too-fat folio makes a book that is bulky at the spine.

Spine: The back edge of a book, where the pages are sewn or glued. In western books, the spine is on the left side.

Super: See mull.

Text block: Also called a book block, it is simply the pages between the covers of a book.

Thread: Thread used to bind books should be strong, but not thick, since a thick thread will cause bulk at the spine. Stores that carry any bookbinding supplies will usually have a suitable linen thread. Other threads (such as embroidery floss or thin hemp) can be substituted. Some linen threads are pre-waxed. Waxing the thread adds strength.

Tsatskehs: little toys, doo dads, playthings, this-n-that, silly stuff.

Unryu: Unruyu paper is a light-weight (almost tissue-weight) Thai paper made of mulberry (aka kozo) trees. Kozo trees are a great source of pulp for paper, since they are rapidly growing. Trees are trimmed rather than cut down, and within six months of trimming new branches and leaves have matured and the trees are ready for harvest. There is virtually no waste in the production of kozo paper, since all of the parts can be used.

Weights: There are stages in the process where the pieces of the book or box (and later, the entire item) have to be weighted in order to insure a tight, even seal of glue to paper and board. This doesn't take a large investment. What ever you use simply needs to be (a) heavy and (b) sufficient to exert even pressure over the whole surface. You need:

• A clean, flat surface for under and on top of the portions to be pressed. I went to the lumberyard and had a large piece of fiber board cut into various smaller sizes.
• A heavy weight that will be even over the whole surface. Some of my strategies include a retired set of ankle weights , my very old Singer sewing machine (example), or several large coffee-table type books.