Basic HandsOn Book Repair For Libraries 2004 An Infopeople Workshop Summer 2004

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Basic Hands-On Book Repair For Libraries
2004An Infopeople WorkshopSummer 2004

• Instructor
• Margit J. Smith
• mjps_at_sandiego.edu

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This Workshop Is Brought to You By the Infopeople
Project

• Infopeople is a federally-funded grant project
  supported by the California State Library. It
  provides a wide variety of training to California
  libraries. Infopeople workshops are offered
  around the state, and are open registration on a
  first-come first-served basis.
• For a complete list of workshops, and for other
  information about the Project, go to the
  Inopeople Web site at infopeople.org.

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Introductions

• Name
• Library
• Position
• Any previous experience or training with book
  repair?
• If so, what was it and did you enjoy it?

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Workshop Overview

• We will cover procedures and techniques suitable
  to repair of circulating collections in
• Public libraries
• School Libraries
• College Libraries
• It is not applicable to collections in
• Special libraries
• Special collections
• Archives
• Rare book repositories
• Valuable historic collections

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Why Do In-House Repair?

• Lower cost than replacement
• Faster turn-around
• Extends life of collection
• Prevents more expensive repairs and replacements
• Improves the look of collection
• Leads by example

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Book Anatomy Quiz

• Hinge
• Spine
• Cover
• Joint
• Head/Tail
• Fly Leaf/Free Leaf
• Fore Edge
• Boards
• Text Block
• Gutter

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More - Book Anatomy Quiz

• Crash/Mull/Cheesecloth
• Buckram
• Headband/Tailband
• Plates
• Cords

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Simple Repairs

• Simple repairs with inexpensive materials
• cleaning
• mending
• tightening of hinges
• repairing corners
• replacing torn spines
• replacing endsheeds

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Advanced Repairs

• Advanced repairs requiring specialized materials
  and tools
• mending with Japanese tissue
• rebuilding spine
• re-casing with new boards
• constructing boxes and other enclosures

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Commercial Repairs

• Library binding in commercial bindery
• bookblock loose from covers and broken in one or
  several places
• sections falling out
• spine completely gone
• covers torn or partially missing

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Conservation/Preservation

• Preservation includes Conservation and
  Restoration
• Conservation stabilizes and strengthens materials
  for continued use
• Conservation by a trained professional
• re-housing
• reformatting
• de-acidifying
• repairing leather and vellum bindings
• extensive paper repairs

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Restoration

• Working on materials to restore them as far as
  possible to their original state
• Keeping as much of the original matter as
  possible
• Use of materials and techniques contemporaneous
  with their original production
• Needs extensive documentation
• Needs lengthy training

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When Making Repair Decisions Consider

• Condition
• Use and need
• Timeliness
• Value
• provenance
• binding
• plates/illustrations

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Also Consider

• Institutional policies
• Options available
• Cost comparison
• Staff ability vs. professional treatment

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Tools We Use

• Most are inexpensive
• Easily available
• Easy to use
• Easy to replace

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Materials We Use

• Neutral pH, acid-free non-damaging materials and
  supplies
• PVA (Polyvinyl acetate) Jade
• Methyl cellulose or wheat starch paste
• Acid-free papers for endsheets
• Sharp knives instead of scissors
• Mat knives/utility knives, scalpels
• Starch-filled or impregnated buckram, grades C,
  D, F.
• Brushes of various sizes
• Cleaning
• Applying adhesives
• Erasers
• Magic Rub, art gum, dry-cleaning powders

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Slightly cracked, But holding
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Easy Repairs

• Cleaning
• Repairing corners
• Only repair complete corners
• Repairing hinges
• Two types of hinge repairs

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Exercise 1 Cleaning Covers and Pages
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Exercise 2 Repairing Corners
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Exercise 3 Repairing Hinges
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Paper

• Importance of grain direction
• How to determine it
• Cutting paper

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Exercise 4 Determining Paper Grain
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Paper Repairs

• Types of tears
• Endsheet problems

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Exercise 5 Repairing Tears
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Exercise 6Reattaching bookblock
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Exercise 7Replacing Endsheets
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Replacing Pages/Spines

• Tipping in pages
• singles and multiples
• Replacing spines
• With new spine overlapping on boards

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Exercise 8Tipping in Pages
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Repairing Spines

• Repairs with adhesive book cloth
• Repairs with clear adhesive
• Repairs with new spine overlapping cover cloth
• Repairs with new spine under cover cloth
  (advanced)

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Exercise 9 Replacing Spines
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Collection Care

• Monitor humidity and temperature
• Use proper shelving and bookends
• Keep environment clean and dry
• Train workers in basic sound handling of
  materials
• Formulate food and drink policy, then publicize
  it to users
• Use security system

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More Collection Care

• Inspect building for structural damage
• Develop a Disaster Plan Manual
• Conduct Disaster Plan reviews regularly
• Monitor for mold
• Monitor for insects

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Setting up a Work Space

• For a successful in-house repair station you
  need
• large work table
• easy access to water
• storage shelves
• light
• staff member trained in simple book repair

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Workflow Ideas

• Identify problems
• Round up the damaged books
• Communicate about damage
• Review candidates for repair and perform triage
• Work in batches
• Document completed repairs

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Recommendations

• Order supplies from reliable sources
• Get samples before ordering large quantities
• Buy the best quality you can
• Buy in larger quantities for best prices or batch
  order with other libraries
• Keep all equipment and tools clean and sharp

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Trimmed short
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More Recommendations

• Always clean up your work area when finished for
  the day
• Develop book repair policies and procedures
• Train staff who are interested in book repair and
  who have some manual dexterity
• Integrate book repair activities into
  departments responsibilities

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HAVE FUN!

• Be patient with yourself while learning
• It gets easier the more you do it
• AND
• The books and your users will thank you!

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Acknowledgements and Thanks

• Illustrations in the handouts are from the
  following sources
• Artemis BonaDea. Conservation Book Repair A
  Training Manual. 1995
• Carol Dyal, Pete Merrill-Oldham. Three Basic Book
  Repair Procedures. N.d.
• Gaylord Catalog. 2004
• Special thanks to
• Mel Kavin of KaterCraft Bookbindery in Pico
  Rivera, for donating the PVA.
• Metal Edge Co. for providing the archival boxes

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