fundamentals of book repair
TRANSCRIPT
Fundamentals of
Book Repair:Introductory
MaterialLYRASIS Preservation ServicesFunded in part by a grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities, division of Preservation and Access.
LYRASIS Preservation Services
We offer:• Education and training: full-day workshops, live online and self-paced classes.
• Information and referral: call us with your preservation questions!
• Loan services: we have environmental monitoring equipment available for loan.
• Publications: all types of preservation publications, downloadable for free.
• Disaster assistance: We are available 24/7 to assist you.
• Consulting: personalized assistance for your specific preservation needs.
Welcome• This short class is intended to introduce
participants to some concepts before the LYRASIS 2-day class, Fundamentals of Book Repair.– For information on registering for the class
or other Preservation classes available from LYRASIS, please go to: http://bit.ly/LYRClasses
Class ObjectivesIntroductory Material
• Learn the anatomy of the basic 20th century book
• Introduce decision making criteria for book repair, as not everything can (or should!) be repaired in house.
• Understand what to look for in quality, non-damaging supplies and materials.
• Introduce the basics of organizing and managing a repair unit.
What can a book repair program do for me?
• Extends the useable life and Improves the overall condition of a collection.
• Corrects damage incurred through poor manufacture, use, abuse and aging.
• Reduces the time materials are out of circulation. • Materials repaired in-house quickly can
reduce time out of circulation as opposed to commercial binding.
What can a book repair program do for me?
• Reduces number of books needing commercial binding, therefore saving your institution money. • ($6-12 to rebind, versus a hinge tighten or
spine replacement: ranging from $0.25 - $3.00 including labor & material.)
• Sends a positive message to patrons: they see that you care, and they will take care of the collections material.
Preservation ActivitiesPreservation is a combination of prospective (proactive) and retrospective (reactive) activities. It is any activity that is undertaken to ensure the longevity of material. You are probably doing some of these actions and may not have realized they are “preservation activities.”
• Collections conservation, book repair, conservation treatment (in-house or contract).
– Conservation is an activity performed on an item by a trained conservator. So, conservation is when there is physical intervention directly affecting the material.
– Book repair is preventive because it anticipates potential damage, so to continue providing information to patrons. Many repairs, such as hinge tightening, prevent more severe damage from occurring, prolonging the need for commercial rebinding or replacement.
Preservation Activities (continued)
• Commercial library binding– As you prep items going to the bindery, you might do
repairs such as tip-in, page mends and endsheets. By doing these repairs, you reduce binding costs and assure a quality end product.
• Staff and user education– Educate users about proper care and handling of
materials. Many institutions have food and drink policies, proper photocopy procedures, etc.
• Reformatting– Microfilming, digitization, preservation photocopying
Preservation Activities (continued)
• Emergency preparedness– Do you have a disaster plan in place? – Some resources from LYRASIS:
http://bit.ly/LYRdisasterresources
• Environmental monitoring– Gather comprehensive data about the storage
environment and compare with building systems.
• Pest management– Keep your building clean, take trash out daily,
segregate food and drink away from collections area.
Preservation Activities (continued)
• SO book repair, the focus of this class, is just one component of an overall preservation & collections maintenance program within a library. To DO Preservation doesn’t necessarily require that you launch new programs. -just do current activities differently -with an eye to their long term impact on collections, a matter of a change in perspective.– Library preservation programs range in size from an
individual given part time responsibility among other duties to a full scale program with a budget, a PA, and support staff.
• The target of a repair program should be heavily used, non-rare, modern volumes.– (Older volumes may be less appropriate for standard book repair,
due to intrinsic or historic value these can be further protected with an enclosure or taken to a conservator.)
Threats to Collections chemical and physical composition
• Items in collections are complex; composed of organic and inorganic materials that will deteriorate at different rates over time. (board, cloth, leather, glues, thread, etc)
• Design and construction of an item is vital as well - this could be true for a book as well as cd’s and other media.
• Examples critical to collections are temperature, RH, light, proper storage furniture, and good housekeeping. How do you ensure you have the correct conditions?
• Know the appropriate environment for storage of library and archival material:
http://bit.ly/envirospecs• You can monitor the collections’ environment by
using environmental monitoring equipment such as hygrothermographs or data loggers
Threats to Collections Environment and storage
Threats to Collections
• Use and handling of a collection is another threat – The frequent use and poor handling of items by staff and patrons can cause damage. Poor repair practices, and poor handling in transportation can also accelerate damage.
Avoid Damaging Repair Practices
• Some of what we repair is the result of the handiwork of well-intentioned book repair staff of the past. We want to prevent future book repair staff from having to correct problems we cause today. We can do this by following a few simple principles:
Avoid Damaging Repair Practices• Do not apply a treatment greater or weaker than
the problem. Use mending materials that approximate the strength and character of the item to be repaired. A too strong repair will cause more breakage in other areas. Too weak will ensure the item comes back to the repair unit, therefore wasting time and resources.
• Use only non-damaging supplies and materials in repair such as alkaline papers, pH neutral adhesives, and inert plastics.
The Evils of Pressure - Sensitive Tape
• Tape is composed of two parts: the carrier (some type of plastic, paper or cloth) and the adhesive (commonly rubber or acrylic).
• Cold flow is a characteristic of pressure sensitive tapes. This means the adhesive tends to flow beyond edges of the carrier. It attracts dust as the edges become sticky, and can cause materials in proximity to stick together.
The Evils of Pressure - Sensitive Tape
• Damaging, non-permanent materials- Most plastics degrade and cause damage, such as “scotch tape” that will shrink and yellow as it ages. Eventually the backing will peel off and you are left with sticky, brown tape residue. This is very difficult to remove without solvents which could be harmful to paper. In the past most tapes had a rubber based adhesive. Rubber adhesives are particularly damaging (masking tapes are still rubber). Rubber adhesives give off acids as they degrade that break down paper, they discolor and cause staining. Today most adhesives are acrylic. Acrylic based adhesives tend to be more stable, however, composition varies widely, and they are not reversible without chemicals.
The Evils of Pressure - Sensitive Tape
• Tape DOES NOT repair structural problems. When a spine is damaged it often means the internal hinge is damaged, placing tape on the spine doesn’t do anything, except inhibit movement and flexibility of the spine, and cause breakage in other areas.
• It is very difficult to remove once applied, and can cause permanent damage.
The Evils of Pressure - Sensitive Tape
• Exception: Pressure sensitive tapes are easy to use and quick. The are “OK” for items regularly superseded, outdated and discarded. However, be aware that these repairs will not hold up to heavy use.
Anatomy of a book• To understand how to properly repair a
book, it is important to understand all the book parts and pieces.
• Knowledge of book construction is essential to understanding how mishandling and poor repairs affects the physical operation of a book.– Let’s take a look into the anatomy of a book
and how it is constructed…
Book
Stru
ctur
e
• The front and back covers protect the textblock. They are usually made of heavy book board or card stock in the case of “softbacks” (i.e. paperbacks).
Book
Stru
ctur
e
• The spine of the book cover protects the spine of the textblock.
Book
Stru
ctur
e
• The joint area, (also known as the hinge or groove) is the interior or exterior point on a book where the cover meets the spine. Inside, it's where the flyleaf (front free endpaper) meets the pastedown (the endpaper which is pasted to the inside cover of the book).
Book Structure• The top
edge of the boards, spine, and text block when a book is upright on a shelf is the head.
Book Structure • The unbound edge of the book's pages, opposite the spine. Older books and special editions may have gilded (gold) or painted fore-edges. When present, tabs or a thumb index are affixed to the fore-edge.
Book Structure• The bottom
edge of the boards, spine, and text block that the book rests on when it is sitting upright on a shelf is the tail.
Book Structure• Endpapers
are found at the very front and back of the book. They play a critical part in holding the textblock inside the case.
Book Structure• Pastedown–
the part of the endsheet/endpaper that is glued to the inside cover.
Book Structure• Fly leaf –the
loose part of the endsheet opposite the pastedown connected to the textblock.
Book Structure • Hinge – is the inner margin of the outside joint/groove. This internal area closest to the spine is also called the “gutter” of the book when referring to the inner textblock.
Book Structure• Headcap-
the upper portion of the spine.
Book Structure• Headband- a
decorative ribbon / cording used at the head and tail of the spine
Book
Stru
ctur
e
Before the textblock and case are pasted together, this is what you would see.
(turn-in)
• Turn-in: Book cloth that forms the cover that is wrapped around the inner part of the boards.
Book
Stru
ctur
e
Before the textblock and case are pasted together, this is what you would see.
(turn-in)
• The inlay forms the spine of the case can be soft paper or hard cover board material.
Book
Stru
ctur
e
Before the textblock and case are pasted together, this is what you would see.
(turn-in)
• The board forms the covers of the bookcase- provides stiffness or rigidity for hardcover books.
Book
Stru
ctur
e
Before the textblock and case are pasted together, this is what you would see.
(turn-in)
• Textblock- the sewn or glued grouping of pages.
Book
Stru
ctur
e
Before the textblock and case are pasted together, this is what you would see.
(turn-in)
• The super is attached to the spine of the book and helps to attach the textblock to the case. The spine lining reinforces the attachment of the super.
• It is important to note that the only thing that holds a textblock in the covers in contemporary books is the pastedown part of the endsheet, and the super- (sometimes very weak and cheap, and sometimes non-existent!). These two connections hold the weight of the text block into the case.
• This is why proper shelving and care for books is so important. If materials are not cared for properly they can easily break and tear in these areas!
Book
Stru
ctur
e • Bindings
Sewn binding
Some books are sewn thru the groupings of folded sheets, called signatures.
In sewn bindings, you should be able to visibly see the signatures, and you will find thread in the center of each signature.
Book
Stru
ctur
e • Bindings
Other books are not sewn and have glued bindings. Commonly referred to as “double fan”, a gathering of loose pages are run over a roller ("fanning" the pages) to apply a thin layer of glue to each page edge. This is then done in the opposite direction so a small amount of glue adheres the pages together at the spine. However, certain types of paper do not hold adhesive well, and with wear and tear, the pages can come loose.
Glued binding
Identification of material There are two common ways to identify collections that may
be in need of repair. Don’t go through stacks item by item!
• Use• Circulation, new acquisitions, shelvers,
use for exhibits, gifts.• Survey
• Identify a portion of the collection to focus on (reference collection or reserves, for instance. They get heavy use, but do not circulate).
Consider two levels of decision making.
• Level 1 decisions are made by circulation staff as returned books are checked in. Books that are damaged are routed to preservation for repair.
• Level 2 decisions (which repair) or other appropriate options are made by preservation staff, curators or subject specialists.
Identification of material
• The key here is that the person with the knowledge of the in-house skill level should be making the final decision. If someone wants a repair done and it is outside your training and skill level, DON’T DO IT. You could cause more harm than good. Protect the material with an enclosure or send to commercial bindery or a conservator, depending on the material.
Identification of material
Decision-making• Collection significance- How important is the
item to the collection?
• Patterns of use- How is the material used?
• Condition of the item- Is the book brittle? Is the structure stable? If the material is not stable, DO NOT attempt to repair it.
• Is the item worth the staff time and money? Calculate the value of the item and the time it would take for you to repair it. Is it worth it?
The Universe of Options• Repair: is it a torn page or something you have
the knowledge to repair?
• Reformat: for access of brittle material or damaged beyond repair.– microfilm, preservation photocopy, digitization
• Re-house: build an enclosure for items outside of repair skills or for items that might cost too much money to repair or rebind.
?? ????
The Universe of Options• Commercial bind: for heavily used materials in
good shape.
• Return to shelf as is: some materials have slight damage that could circulate more times before repair.
• Purchase another copy: say you have a damaged copy of a popular novel…
• Transfer to limited access: example: an out of print art book to prevent from damage- make it non-circulating, used only in-house.
Repair Cost EstimatesREPAIR Materials Labor* Time* Total
Cost Hinge Tightening N/A N/A 5 min. $.50 Endsheet $.15 $2.55 15 min. $2.70 Spine Repl. $.11 $5.10 30 min. $5.21 Recase-Orig. Cover $.28 $7.65 45 min. $7.93 Phase Box $3.69 $5.10 30 min. $8.75 Wrapper $1.68 $2.55 15 min. $4.23 Drop Spine Box $3.00 $20.00 2 hrs. $23.00
* Time based on batch production * Labor estimated at $10/hour * Cost is per item and excludes equipment
• You have to compute your own costs according to your institutions labor costs, overhead, etc. These costs are based upon batch processing and assumed proficiency. At first, it may take you a lot longer to complete repairs.
The maze of terminology
• “Archival quality”• “Acid-free”• “Alkaline buffered”• “Lignin” and “lignin-free”• “Permanent/durable”
ANSI / NISO Z39.48
Standard for Permanent Paper
– pH– Alkaline reserve– Tear resistance – Lignin content
Supplies• Adhesives
- PVA (polyvinyl acetate)- Paste (wheat or rice starch)- Methyl cellulose
• Cloth - Aqueous or acrylic coated- Conservation buckram - Starch filled
Supplies• Paper
– Alkaline-buffered and pH neutral– Lignin-free
• Plastics– Use polyester, polyethylene, or
polypropylene – (Mylar, Mellinex, Tyvek, or Reemay)
PVC’sACIDS
Implementing a Book Repair Program
• Justify the book repair operation.• Acquire space, equipment, and
supplies.• Develop job descriptions and show
where book repair fits within the organization.
• Decision-making.• Establish workflow.
Repair Unit• How will the material move through the workflow?
Focus on identification of material, sorting of material, determining treatment options, and keeping statistics— Don’t take material if you don’t have time to repair them! Use chart and memos to convey your workflow Use flags to help route material from person to person and to help determine where it has been, where it is going, where it should end up-it--OHD Show-flags in pkt- who sent it and where it should be returned, who did the repair
•
Repair Unit• How will the damaged material be organized? Sort by receipt
date or type of repair or size on proper shelving.This makes it easier for batch work.
• Who will perform the standardized repair techniques? know the strengths of your technicians or your workers--depends on yourturnaround time goals, the size of your backlog, the complexity of the repairs done in the unit, Who is better at certain techniques. Train and provide adequate equipment and supplies, for example precut materials or construct jigs to aid in repairs
• Repair staff need to know what they should not try to fix.Clear decision is needed about who decides what to repair in-house, what not to.
Repair Unit• What type of statistics will you keep?• Neededto gauge productivity, to re-affirm value of the
work being done to the administration, to justify the need for further staff, equipment, materials
• Some gather by type of treatment, but is difficult to classify treatment, some items receive more than one; Some gather by number of items treated, but if do many types of repairs, it is difficult to indicate complexity of repairs and how much repair is given to any single item. Combination of both is good, simplicity is best. There are some examples in your handout of statistic sheets.
Space: Three Basic Needs• Adequate space for work and storage
– Space should be dedicated and in a secure area
• Light : Daylight or incandescent– Task lighting is very helpful and reduces eye
strain
• Water and a sink– Water for cleaning bushes and surfaces and
distilled water for making glue and tearing paper
Book repair station layout• The following pictures illustrate a few book
repair stations and tools at different institutions. – Note The amount of space per person. Ideally 5-
6 foot length and 2-3 foot depth.– Also note:
• Task lighting• Use of drawers and shelving to hold necessary materials• Clean smooth work surfaces• Jars or cans to hold tools• Pegboard to hold rulers, Japanese paper, and other small items
Custom built work stations with pegboard wall
Cube work station
Desk work station
Storage of endsheets, spines, and bookcloth
Storage of rolled bookcloth
Equipment and Tools• We can discuss this more in class, but some
typical equipment would be• Board shears or cutter
• There can be some less expensive, safe solutions than having to buy an expensive cutter.
• Presses• Can be a worthy investment if you begin working in
large batches.• Hand tools
• Ideally, everyone will have their own set. Buy quality materials and many tools will be a one-time purchase.
Board shear ($$$$)
Paper cutter, Kutrimmer brand ($$$)
Louet cutting guide (from Talas) ($$)
Cutting mats, straight edge, and bar clamps ($)
A cast iron book press
