Book Repair Basics For Libraries: Peter D. Verheyen & Marianne Hanley, Syracuse University

Book Repair Basics for
Libraries
Peter D. Verheyen & Marianne Hanley,
Syracuse University
Upcoming Webinars
Floating Collections, Dawn Peters,
September 21st
RDA and Cartographic Materials, Paige G.
Andrew, September 28th
Hosted by ALCTS
The Association for Library Collections and Technical Services
Introductions
Peter D. Verheyen, Head of Preservation and

Conservation
Began
with circulating collections repair while

work-study student at Johns Hopkins. Followed
by binding and rare book conservation training
and career.
Marianne Hanley, Assistant Conservator

Manages
circulating collections rehousing and

repair unit, trains and supervises work-study
students in repair, and is learning further
aspects of conservation.
3
Aims and scope of this presentation
Familiarize viewers with different aspects of circulating

collections book repair for school, public, and academic
library staff by showing:
Basic
descriptions of techniques, images, and video
This presentation should not be construed as a how-to,

hands-on workshop.
Not aimed at treatment of special collections items
Resources for training will be provided at end.
4
Circulating collections repair at

Syracuse*
Materials retained for long-term

Weeding
of collections very selective
Selection criteria for repair

From
circulation, proactively from heavily used areas of

the collections
Types treatments
Simple
repairs (tip-ins, hinge tightening, )

Spine repairs (rebacking)
Rebinding (sent to commercial bindery)
* and many other research / academic libraries
5
Public and school library context
Materials not necessarily retained for long-term

Circulated,
weeded..
Often minimal to enable a few more circulations

Dont
repaired, circulated, repaired, circulated,
address complex structural issues
More likely to use self-adhesive products rather than wet

adhesives
Require
less infrastructure and training
Quicker
What we will cover
Tools
Adhesives and other materials
Simple repairs
Mending
tears, tip-ins, hinge tightening
Spine repairs
Simple
quick and dirty

Replacing missing spines
Self adhesive
Glues
Tools
Bonefolder
Scissors
Box cutters and other knives
Awl
Straight edge
Cutting mat
Brushes
Adhesives Tape 1
NO duct or packing tape, rubber cement, gluesticks
Images courtesy of Suzy Morgan
Adhesives Tape 2
Archival PVA, like Elmers but formulated to be more

flexible
Filmoplast and other archival tapes
10
Simple repairs
Page tears and tip-ins
11
Mending tears
Align parts of tear

Prefer using Filmoplast P mending tape
as it is thinner and more flexible,
making it less likely to cause paper to
tear adjacent to repair.
Full width of roll not needed for most
repairs
Recommend cutting in half
before applying
Reversible, to a point. Water soluble,
but adhesives bonds tighter over time.
Click to view video on YouTube
12
Page tip-ins
Used to reinsert loose pages

Used when inserting replacement pages
Run very narrow bead of adhesive (PVA)
along spine edge, insert into gutter and
align, apply pressure and let dry.
If tipping-in replacement pages, make
sure they are double-sided so as not to
add excessive bulk and split the
textblock. Larger numbers of pages can
be glued together first, then inserted into
textblock when dry.
13
Hinge tightening
14
Hinge tightening
Loose or shaken hinges

one of the leading causes
of a further breakdown of
the structure of a book
Hinge tightening quick
and easy
Minimal tools
Bonefolder, knitting needle, glue
See also:
http://www.philobiblon.com/
bkrepair/BookRepair.html
15
Spine Repairs - Before
16
Taped spine repairs I
Using tape to reinforce

weakening spine
DO
NOT use on books being

permanently retained
Quick and dirty, do not hold

up well with heavy use
Can be damaging especially
if needing to be removed
Does
not require special

adhesives
Can be combined with hinge
tightening.
17
Spine repairs II
Self-adhesive
bookcloth
Good
for simple
repairs when
boards still well
attached and
book spine solid.
Buckram with glue

Stronger
cloth
and better when
boards are
detached
Filmoplast T (at right) and Archival Products

C-cloth slit to custom widths. 10pt folder stock
for spine-stiffeners.
18
Simple reback when boards

attached
Self-adhesive bookcloth or buckram (to be glued)

10 pt. folder stock for the spine stiffener
19
Simple reback when boards

attached

Click here for glued with buckram variant
20
Full reback when boards detached
Buckram and spine lining cloth (to be glued)

10 pt. folder stock for the spine stiffener
See book at right for exterior

21
Full reback when boards detached

22
When to consult a conservator
If the item is of historic or intrinsic value and

significance.
A
well-intentioned repair can cause irreparable damage.
If the repair is above your skill level.

Know
your limitations
To find a conservator see the American Institute of

Conservation.
23
Appendix 1 Selected workshops
Check with your local/regional library consortia and your closest research library
preservation department for hands-on workshops or other training opportunities in your
area. Below are a few links to sample opportunities.
Amigos
California Preservation Program
Book repair workshop supplies list

Book repair workshop
See also InfoPeople
Lyrasis
NE Florida Information Network (NEFLIN)
Northeast Document Conservation Center (NEDCC)
Northwest Central (Pacific Northwest)
24
Appendix 2 Recommended videos
Amigos
DEMCO inc
Book Repair - Spine Repair Part I

Book Repair - Spine Repair Part II
American University Library
25 videos most use tapes for repairing headcaps, spines, tears
SUNY New Paltz Library
Mending a Book with Book Repair Tape

Hinge Tightening Instructions
How To Repair a Book Spine
University of North Carolina Health Sciences Library
Tip-ins
25
Appendix 3 Manuals and guides

online
Pamphlets
Departmental Manuals
Three Basic Book Repair Procedures Instructions for three simple, non-invasive repair
techniques produced for ALA by Carole Dyal and Pete Merrill-Oldham
Gaylord Bros Bookcraft Guide: Simple Techniques for the Maintenance & Repair of Books
Alaska State Library Conservation Book Repair
Cornell University Library Extensive series of manuals including basic circulating collections
repair
Dartmouth College Library - A Simple Book Repair Manual
Indiana University Library Online Manual
Listservs
Book_Arts-L General book arts and bookbinding listserv that often has discussions on binding
structure, adhesives, and materials.
CoOL Home of the Conservation Distlist. THE resource for conservation topics in all disciplines
PADG Listserv of the ALA/ALCTS group formerly known as the Preservation Administrators
Discussion Group. Good place to ask about workshops
26
Appendix 4 Selected vendors
These vendors stock supplies for repairing circulating collections items, most with a large
selection of self-adhesive products like tapes
Brodart
Demco
Gaylord Bros.
Kapco
TALAS: a great source of specialized tools
University Products
27
Thank you
Please feel free to contact us with questions at
Department of Preservation and Conservation

http://library.syr.edu/about/departments/preservation
See also our Resource Guide and YouTube channel.

http://researchguides.library.syr.edu/preservation (Includes these slides and video)
http://www.youtube.com/user/SULPreservation
28

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Book Repair Basics for

RDA and Cartographic Materials, Paige G.

Andrew, September 28th

Peter D. Verheyen, Head of Preservation and

with circulating collections repair while

Marianne Hanley, Assistant Conservator

circulating collections rehousing and

Aims and scope of this presentation

Familiarize viewers with different aspects of circulating

descriptions of techniques, images, and video

This presentation should not be construed as a how-to,

Circulating collections repair at

Materials retained for long-term

of collections very selective

Selection criteria for repair

circulation, proactively from heavily used areas of

repairs (tip-ins, hinge tightening, )

Public and school library context

Materials not necessarily retained for long-term

Often minimal to enable a few more circulations

repaired, circulated, repaired, circulated,

address complex structural issues

More likely to use self-adhesive products rather than wet

less infrastructure and training

What we will cover

tears, tip-ins, hinge tightening

quick and dirty

NO duct or packing tape, rubber cement, gluesticks

Images courtesy of Suzy Morgan

Archival PVA, like Elmers but formulated to be more

Page tears and tip-ins

Align parts of tear

Click to view video on YouTube

Used to reinsert loose pages

Click to view video on YouTube

Loose or shaken hinges

Click to view video on YouTube

Spine Repairs - Before

Taped spine repairs I

Using tape to reinforce

NOT use on books being

Quick and dirty, do not hold

not require special

Buckram with glue

Filmoplast T (at right) and Archival Products

Simple reback when boards

Self-adhesive bookcloth or buckram (to be glued)

Simple reback when boards

Click to view video on YouTube

Full reback when boards detached

Buckram and spine lining cloth (to be glued)

See book at right for exterior

Full reback when boards detached

Click to view video on YouTube

When to consult a conservator

If the item is of historic or intrinsic value and

well-intentioned repair can cause irreparable damage.

If the repair is above your skill level.