The Book Doctor

Stepping inside Dorothy’s Book Bindery down a flight of stairs inside the Charleston Library Society is like stepping into the past as James Davis ’11 carefully applies a strip of Japanese mulberry paper to repair the torn fold of a 19th-century family Bible. The paper’s long fibers and wheat-based glue will help restore the book’s structural integrity while preserving its historical authenticity – a delicate balance that defines Davis’ work as the society’s conservator and bindery director.

“I love that when I go home at the end of the day, I haven’t been staring at a computer screen,” says Davis. “It’s challenging, creative and always different. I feel like I’m providing a good service to the community through an organization that does the same.”

The bindery, named after a socialite who practiced bookbinding as a hobby, is where Davis combines art, science and history to repair and preserve precious volumes. His current projects include everything from family Bibles to rare institutional collections, with some restorations taking over a year.

One of his most challenging projects is a 1693 Huguenot Bible containing irreplaceable family history written inside its covers. After 19 months of painstaking work, Davis has reinforced the spine, reattached the boards and even re-created the original decorative thread colors he discovered hidden within – all while preserving the book’s essential historical elements.

“It’s a super important book with high historical value,” says Davis. “I really wanted to make sure I did it right.”

An art history major, Davis discovered conservation during a study abroad program in Florence, Italy – the birthplace of modern conservation. After graduation, he worked in publishing before a visit to the Dead Sea Scrolls laboratory in Israel sparked his interest in book and paper conservation.

This led him to specialized training at West Dean College in the U.K. He returned to Charleston and spent six years as a conservation technician at the Library Society before taking over as bindery director in 2020.

“Without the expertise of a conservator such as James in house, we would be at a complete disservice to our collections in terms of proper care and preservation,” says Executive Director Laura Pelzer, noting the advantage to the community as well. “The ability for a family to preserve a Bible or document that has been passed through generations is invaluable.”

Davis demonstrates the difference between modern machine-made books and traditional hand-binding. While mass-produced books rely on glue to hold individual pages together, hand-bound books feature an intricate structure of folded sections sewn around cords that support the spine. A single hand-bound volume can take eight hours or more to create.

His conservation work requires equal patience. A typical family Bible restoration can cost as much as $2,000 and involve hours of careful repair work. The process includes assessing damage, reinforcing torn pages with special conservation tissue, resewing sections and reconstructing the spine – all while maintaining as much of the original material as possible.

Reyling on word of mouth, Davis maintains a monthslong waiting list of projects. He hopes to expand the bindery’s work with institutional collections while continuing to serve individual clients who understand the value of preserving irreplaceable historical volumes.

“People understand their value,” he says, “and they want to preserve them for the future.” –Tom Cunneff