Prior to 1984 Derry had been operating as a printers for over 100 years along with a well-established and renowned handcraft bookbinding department, where all types of traditional bookbinding, marbling and gold leaf finishing were carried out.

In the spring of 1984 it was decided to compliment these bookbinding skills with a paper and book conservation and restoration department. This has grown along with our reputation from a staff of six to a team of six handcraft bookbinders and restorers, seventeen experienced paper conservators and one trainee bookbinder. Derry Paper and Book Conservation Limited specialises in interventive, restorative conservation and repair of books, plans, maps, photographs, letters, posters, music scores and manuscripts.

Within the bookbinding department we have over 148 years of combined experience (38, 37, 28, 19, 18, 8 years respectively), All our binders are city and guilds qualified and have also served a five year in-house apprenticeship plus supplementary college courses in hand bookbinding.

The conservation department is made up of staff with a combined experience of over 200 years. In house training is implemented for all our conservators covering a two year period plus on going workshops and conference attendance.

All personnel are corporate members of the Institute of Paper Conservation.