Edition Bookbinder

Class Specifications – G.75
Edition Bookbinder Operations and Production Supervisor – 8804
Principal Edition Bookbinder (B) – 8805
Principal Edition Bookbinder (A) – 8806
Senior Edition Bookbinder – 8807
Edition Bookbinder – 8808
Assistant Edition Bookbinder – 8809

November, 1984

Series Concept

Edition Bookbinders gather, cut, fold, stitch, bind and trim, and glue signatures to produce pamphlets, magazines, or books; operate binding machinery used in the formation of printed matter such as magazines and books; and perform other related duties as required.

The Edition Bookbinders are distinguished from Bookbinders by the types of edition bindery machinery used in the mass production of books such as perfect binder/collator, saddle stitcher/3-knife trimmer, automatic spacer/cutter, and continuous or pile-fed folding machines.

Class Concepts

Edition Bookbinder Operations and Production Supervisor

Under general direction of a plant manager, incumbents plan, organize, direct, and control all operations and provide supervision and overall production control for the edition bookbindery and related units in the printing plant.

Incumbents at this level initiate and control overall production and work schedules, establish priorities based upon delivery requirements, and plan and direct the flow of work through assigned plant operations covering all shifts.

Incumbents serve as the operational supervisors for an assigned area of responsibility; plan for and determine work schedule and personnel requirements; determine the training needed to maximize employee productivity and ensure adequate training of personnel; evaluate the performance of employees, in part based on the input of the working leaders; authorize the hiring, promoting, demoting, disciplining or discharging employees; and serve as the first line administrative supervisor in the hearing and resolution of employee grievances.

Incumbents serve as liaison with department service representatives, division working leaders -and outside vendors concerning production requirements for specific jobs; make scheduling commitments for the department; review job planning, galley proofs, blueline proofs, and quality of product at any stage of manufacture to insure specification accuracy and customer satisfaction; research and recommend equipment or materials for acquisi ton; and direct the installation and implementation of new equipment and/ or procedures.

Principal Edition Bookbinder (B)

Under direction of an operations and production supervisor incumbents serve as working leaders in designated edition bindery operations during a shift, and coordinate, schedule, and monitor the workflow, on all shifts; assume responsibility for work quality and production of Edition Bindery crews, and oversee all activities associated with forming and finishing final printed products such as books, magazines, catalogs and pamphlets. As delegated, institute on-the-job training and cross training programs for Edition Bookbinders.

Incumbents at this level inspect binding operations to verify conformance with work order and plant standards; coordinate with press operations and schedule work to meet job delivery dates; purchase and inventory a ready supply of necessary bindery materials; verify and forward all daily multi-shift Bookbinder’s operations time and material costs for billing and cost analysis; and supervise the maintenance and setup of equipment.

Principal Edition Bookbinder (A)

Under direction, incumbents typically provide operational and technical supervision for a small crew of bindery workers and assume all the duties and responsibilities of Principal Edition Bookbinders B in their absence.

Incumbents set up a multioperation, perfect bookbinding machine that gathers,. compresses, assembles signatures into book bodies, and glues bodies to covers; use hand tools to install and adjust feed guides, holding clamps, pockets, and rollers; set clamps in accordance with thickness of signatures; fill glue pot and adjust flow and temperature; start and stop machine; check collating marks to verify accuracy of assembly; and may set up crisscross section of perfect binder for collating.

As a saddle-stitcher operator, incumbents set up automatic wire stitching machine that binds pages of magazines, pamphlets or other printed material; adjust feeder pockets to size of folder signature; set stitcher for specified length and thickness; set three-knife trimmer; start, stop, and readjust machine, and regulate machine speed.

Senior Edition Bookbinder

Under general supervision incumbents operate a variety of edition binding machines as outlined in the series concept and may direct a crew engaged in feeding and offbearing activities.

As a cutting machine operator, incumbents set up and operate an automatic spacer/ cutter machine, or a single edge trimmer; review work order to determine page sequence; measure page length and set cutting guides, clamps, and knives to cut paper to prescribed dimensions; set automatic spacer for duplication cuts; remove trimming preparatory to next cut; remove sheets and check for ragged edges or trimming imperfections; and stack sheets on skids.

As a folding machine operator, incumbents insert sample sheet in machine and set side guides to edge of sheet; adjust knurled rollers; adjust screws to regulate tension on creasing blades and folding rollers in accordance with paper thickness and number of folds; set perforating, scoring or slitting blades; stack sheets on a pile or roll out sheets on a conveyor belt of automatic feeder; adjust machine during production; tip end sheets; and stack sheets for next operation.

As a leader of a small crew of Edition Bookbinders, incumbents coordinate a team assigned to operational help on the perfect binder, saddle stitcher and three-knife trimmer; supervise hand-collating operations, tipping, side stitching, drilling, and padding; and adjust small semi-automatic machines such as joggers, side stitchers, and paper hole driller.

Edition Bookbinder

Under supervision, incumbents, operate small semi-automatic or hand-bindery machines; and hand-collate, insert, glue, jog, and perform special binding tasks.

Incumbents at this level typically work as a member of a crew assigned to operational work in loading, feeding, and offbearing on the large bindery machines; operate jogger machines, side stitcher; crease and compress signatures prior to affixing covers using handpress; examine stitched or bound books to verify proper sequence; check and correct defects such as imperfect bindings, ink spots, and torn, loose and uneven pages; insert illustrated pages or extra sheets into catalog or directories; and may perform minor maintenance on bindery equipment.

Assistant Edition Bookbinder

Under close supervision, incumbents assist edition bookbinders in the performance of routine edition bindery tasks. Typical duties include the loading and off-bearing of printed material on large bindery machines; page gathering and counting; and gluing.

Assistant Edition Bookbinder is the entry level class in the series. Incumbents are selected with the prospect of participation in on-the-job training in preparation for promotion to Edition Bookbinder. Incumbents who successfully complete such training and who are assigned appropriate duties may be promoted to Edition Bookbinder. Other incumbents, however, may continue to serve as Assistant Edition Bookbinders performing the routine duties of loading, gathering and gluing.

Minimum Qualifications

Applicants for positions in the Edition Bookbinder series are expected to possess the skills, knowledge, and abilities essential to the successful performance of the duties assigned to the positions.

Note: Specific qualification requirements are approved for positions by the Personnel Manager in accordance with the provisions of Staff Personnel Policies 210.8 and 210.9.