Cliché: Don't judge a book by its cover.

This was certainly the case at the St. Bride Library. Day 13 and I am completely worn out. I was convinced that I was going to have to muster up some enthuasism and feign excitement for any place with the word "library" in its name.

Boy, oh boy was I ever wrong. First, we were greeted by Kristina, a gal from my hometown, Chicago. She now lives and works in England. Then, we met Nigel and Clare.

Nigel possessed an immense amount of knowledge extending well beyond the history of printing and the printing press.

When we looked at the actual printing presses, I was suprised by how slow the process was. First, everything had to be assembled by hand. Each font type had letters on tiny blocks that had to be meticulously arranged to form words. Once the letters had been lined up and covered in ink, a piece of paper about the size of a man's arm would be pressed against them to produce a page.

I really liked looking at books from the Elizabethan period and comparing them to the books of today. We saw 2 versions of the First Folio which were very different. The process has remained the same, but the types of books first printed were mostly religious. I am glad there are so many books for me to choose from today. A style of writing to suit everyone's taste, for sure!

Sincerely Yours,

Part 1: History of Printing	Part 2: How a Press Works

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