Forgotten Skillz offers hands-on workshops, outdoor experiences, and experiential education programs across Long Island. Our events explore the connections between nature, traditional skills, cultural history, craft, science, stewardship, and human ingenuity through direct participation and discovery.
Programs may take participants into the woods to learn fire-making, navigation, foraging, ecology, or wilderness skills; into the workshop to explore historic crafts and technologies; or into the past through activities inspired by the ways people have created, adapted, solved problems, and understood their world. Events are designed for a range of ages and experience levels, with opportunities for children, teens, adults, families, homeschool communities, and the general public.
ScribeCraft IV: Coptic Bookbinding — West Islip
October 21st, 2026 | 7pm | Adults | West Islip Public Library
Discover one of the world’s oldest surviving bookbinding traditions in this hands-on workshop for adults. Participants will create their own hand-bound journal using the distinctive Coptic binding style, a technique developed by early Christian communities in Egypt more than 1,500 years ago. Known for its beautiful exposed spine stitching, Coptic binding allows books to open completely flat while showcasing the craftsmanship of the binder.
Along the way, we’ll explore the history of the written word and the technologies that helped preserve knowledge across generations, from handwritten manuscripts and bound codices to printing presses and modern publishing. Participants will learn how pages are folded into signatures, how covers are prepared, and how the characteristic chain stitching of Coptic books is assembled by hand.
No prior experience is required. Whether you are a writer, artist, journal keeper, history enthusiast, or simply enjoy learning traditional crafts, this workshop offers an engaging introduction to a skill that combines artistry, function, and centuries of human innovation.
Each participant will leave with a completed hand-bound journal and the knowledge to continue exploring the art of bookbinding at home.
Every Forgotten Skillz event is built around learning by doing. Whether you are trying something for the first time or building on skills you already have, our programs invite you to experiment, ask questions, work with real materials, and discover new ways of looking at the natural and human world.
Explore the calendar above to find upcoming Forgotten Skillz workshops and events throughout Long Island.