Don Etherington..............Monique Lallier..................Don Glaister 
Directorship Changes at American Academy of Bookbinding
As of January 1, 2010, Monique Lallier stepped down as Director of the American Academy of Bookbinding. Monique served as Director from 2005-2009, a five-year term.
Under Monique’s direction, the Academy grew tremendously. An adjunct campus was added at Hollander’s in Ann Arbor, Michigan in 2005, satellite classes were offered in San Francisco and Boston, and a program for visiting international instructors was created. Student numbers nearly doubled under her leadership, with a record 114 students attending classes in 2009. In 2004, only ten weeks of classes were offered through the Academy, and for 2010, 21 weeks of classes are now offered.
Another major change at the Academy was the addition of a program in the conservation of books, created and added to the AAB curriculum in 2005. AAB’s Conservation Program focuses on the repair and restoration of bindings, complementing the already prestigious Fine Binding program. Diplomas are offered for both courses of study, and since 2004, six students have received diplomas, three in Conservation and three in Fine Binding—ten graduates total.
Monique Lallier brought a high level of professionalism and sophistication to the Academy, and we will miss her leadership. The good news is that she will continue a rigorous teaching schedule at AAB, and she passed the torch to two very accomplished and well-known colleagues: Don Glaister and Don Etherington.
Don Glaister is the new Director of the Fine Binding Program. Don is a book artist now living and working on Vashon Island, Washington, near Seattle. He began his bookbinding career after taking degrees in painting and sculpture from San Jose State College in California, and studying binding privately with Barbara Hiller in San Francisco and Pierre Aufschnieder and Roger Arnoult in Paris. His professional career in design bookbinding, spanning more than thirty years, has centered on the exploration, development and use of unexpected binding materials, visual humor and spontaneous visual expression, while working within the classical framework of the European binding form. Beginning in 2002, Don’s work expanded to include the design and production of editions of artist’s books that include painting, sculpture and poetry that Don has made. Don has taught binding and design privately and as Professor of Book Arts at the University of Alabama. Don’s work appears in major private, public and national collections throughout North America and Europe.
We are absolutely thrilled to have Don Glaister as head of Fine Binding, and we look forward to an expansion of course offerings under his direction.
Don Etherington is the new Director of the Conservation. Don has spearheaded the Conservation Program from its inception, and will now have an official position as Director of the Conservation Program.
Don Etherington brings over 45 years of professional experience to the AAB. Don is nationally and internationally recognized for his innovative design and implementation of state-of-the-art conservation procedures, including phased preservation programs for libraries and institutions. After extensive training in England, he established a four-year program in bookbinding and design at Southampton College of Art and conducted workshops and seminars for colleges, universities and the Guild of Book Workers. President of the Etherington Conservation Center in Greensboro, N.C., Don also holds the position of Fellow in both the American Institute for Conservation and the International Institute for Conservation. Other professional affiliations include the Guild of Book Workers (Past chairman, Standards Committee); Accredited Fellow, Institute of Paper Conservation in England; and member of the American Library Association.
Although we are sad to see the departure of Monique Lallier as Director, we are excited by the energy our two new Directors will bring to their programs. As Monique jokes, “It takes two men to replace one woman!” The American Academy of Bookbinding heads into the next decade with a vision to grow and diversify, with tentative future plans for an international educational excursion and a traveling exhibition of student work.
For more information about AAB’s programs, visit AAB’s website.
