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| Here is a little information about us and our binding services | |
| We started bookbinding in 1973. At that time we were interested in getting our loose magazines, The Watchtower and Awake!, bound together in several volumes. We visited a local bookbinder who encouraged us to bind them ourselves. So we read a few books about the techniques of binding. Shortly after this we started binding books for ourselves and a few friends. Well, through word of mouth, we started to bind books for many other brothers and sisters. Today it is still just the two of us working in our small business. A few years ago, someone suggested that we start a web site, the one you are visiting now. Our style of bookbinding
Our binding style or technique involves binding books as close
as possible to the Watch Tower printery's style of binding. That includes:
retaining the endsheet maps in the front and back, gold edging the same way
they do it and using the same leather they used in the past. (They no longer
bind books in leather.) We also stamp the title with the very same type font used
on Watch Tower Bibles and songbooks. We never use the Watch
Tower logo or any variations thereof on our bindings. (See the April 2009,
issue of Our Kingdom
Ministry, page 4.) We also do not add further
embellishments to the covers that they do not use, such as the
Tetragrammaton, among other things. (See the September 1974, issue of Our Kingdom Ministry, page 8.) The
end result we feel is very close to what the Watch Tower printery would
produce.
Our order form We have been very careful over the years not to take advantage of our theocratic connections for personal advantage. That is one reason we do not send order forms without being requested and on every order form state, "Please do not show this order form inside the Kingdom Hall." We follow this same advice when we are at the meetings. This is based on three Our Kingdom Ministrys, June 1977, December 1979, and September 1989, all on page 4. The December issue in particular says. "The Kingdom Hall should not be used as an 'agency' to advertise any 'business.' Let us use it for the purpose it is intended to serve, namely, the worship of Jehovah."
Why you must send books to bind We have always asked our customers to send books for binding. There are, at least, two good reasons for this. As you know, when brothers and sisters procure literature at the Kingdom Hall it is on a "complete donation basis." Each individual decides what he or she will donate. If we provided the books we would in essence be selling Watch Tower publications. We feel this would be unethical in view of the arrangement they have implemented and what they state on the title page of their publications, "This publication is not for sale." Secondly, we would soon deplete the local congregation's supply of Bibles, songbooks, Reasoning books and See the Good Land maps. As you know, this literature is for use in the field and for the personal use of individuals. As 1 Corinthians 14:40 says, "Let all things take place decently and by arrangement."
We hope this lets you know more about us and our binding services. If you have any questions about our services please feel free to contact us. R. J. Schneider Bookbinding | |
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