Book Repairs:A How-to Guide

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Introduction

Repairing books is an important and ongoing endeavor for any type of library. Books must constantly be repaired so they can circulate and be made available to the public for use.

Some Frequent causes of paper and book deterioration:

•Exposure to ultraviolet rays from sunlight or fluorescent light •Humidity greater than 68% causes paper to warp •Humidity lower than 40% causes paper to become brittle•The growth of mold or bacteria •Insects and rodents•Improper use by people (especially children)

IntroductionBefore you Begin

Examine the item and evaluate damage Handle the item with care Gather appropriate supplies All supplies used in book repairs need to be

archival quality and acid free to help prevent acid migration.

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InstructionsThere are three main sections to this how-to guide on simple book repairs. The forward arrows will advance you through the materials, the back arrows will take you back. You may want to discover more about one area or another. Choose Main Menu to return to the main sections. Choose Quit to exit the tutorial.

Icons & Navigation: To help you along, the following will help you navigate the site. The Navigation icons represent the particular topic you are in at the time. You may also go directly to a section if you choose that icon on the main menu page. You may end a session or return to the main menu at any time. You can navigate the program with the arrows provided. Whenever you want to leave a main information page and go to another page, the return arrow will bring you back to the last page you viewed.

Leaving the Program: If at any time you decide to end the tutorial or are finished with this session, choose Quit to end the session.Credits

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Main Menu

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Main Menu

Repairing Ripped pages

Tipping in a Page

Covering a Book

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Repairing Ripped PagesStep 1: Determine which direction the grain runs and match fibers in the tear so that they overlap correctly.

Step 2: Press the torn edges flat.

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Step 3: Measure the amount of archival document repair tape needed for the repair carefully.

Repairing Ripped PagesStep 4: Place archival document tape over torn area.

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Tip: Use

only as

much tape

as needed

to cover the

tear

Step 6: Cut any excess tape that hangs over the edge of the page and your finished!

Step 5: Smooth the tape so that it lays perfectly flat.

Repairing Ripped Pages

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Step 2: Carefully place the torn page as far as it will go into the inner margin of the book.

Tipping in a PageStep 1: Using a small brush, apply a thin layer of polyvinyl acetate (PVA) adhesive onto the inner margin of the torn out page.

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Tip: Be

careful not

to glue the

page upside

down!

Step 4: Close book and place a weight on it so that while it dries, it doesn’t curl. Let dry over night and then remove the Mylar strips when finished.

Step 3: Place stripes of Mylar near the inner margin of the pages directly before and after the tipped-in page.

Tipping in a Page

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F.Y.I. The Mylar protects the pages from moisture and

excess adhesive

Step 1: Remove book’s dust jacket and measure the open dust jacket on the new book cover.

Covering a BookStep 2: If the dust jacket cover is too tall or long, cut it down to the proper size.

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F.Y.I. Simple

dust jacket

covers are made

of durable paper

and Polyester.

Covering a BookStep 3: Slide the book dust jacket between the Polyester and the paper.

Step 4: Flip the new book cover over and place double-sided tape across the length of the paper.

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Covering a BookStep 6: Fold the Polyester over, so that it is held in place by the doubled-sided tape.

Step 5: Peel the paper backing off the double-sided tape.

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F.Y.I This will seal it off & protect it from the elements.

Covering a BookStep 7: Fold the new book cover around the book

Step 8: Use acid free tape to secure the cover to the book on the front and on the back and your done!

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Tip: Center

the book

spine so that

it matches

with the book

jacket spine!

Credits

This how-to guide was designed and developed by Allison Turrill for LIS 6303.721 Preparing Instructional Media, Spring 2009. Instructor: Diane Austin

This how-to guide should be used for learning and education purposes. The clip art images are from Microsoft Office Online. The photographs are of Allison Turrill.

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