#ndlibraries

Here are some frequently encountered DIY repairs that, while well-meaning, are, alas, misguided interventions that exacerbate damage and some alternative approaches that better promote ongoing usability.

While scotch tape is great for wrapping presents and many other tasks, when used on book pages and documents it typically creates problems. The adhesives in clear, pressure-sensitive adhesive tape tend to degrade and discolor over time, resulting in significant damage to the paper. A clear example of degraded tape damage is this 1862 letter from Confederate soldier M.A. Harvey to his wife, “My Dear Eva”.

While this letter would have been relatively straightforward to mend with kozo paper and paste, the tape caused permanent damage, and days of work were required to stabilize the letter so that it could be mended appropriately.

When the boards of a beloved volume become detached, simply applying duct tape to reattach them might seem like a swell solution.

Though duct tape can temporarily reattach book covers, it tends to create significant damage and shorten the book’s lifespan. Similarly, where the spine of a book has become loose or detached, at first glance it might seem that adhering a loose spine covering directly to its text block would be a simple fix.

However, the spines of most modern books are not actually glued to the spine of the text by functional design. Adhering the spine covering directly alters the book’s mechanical structure and impedes its functioning, resulting in stress points that create further damage as the book is used. 

In order to retain loose book covers or spines, consider tying the book with cotton twill tape, positioning the knot along the head, tail, or fore-edge of the book.

Even better, alkaline book boxes from a preservation supply vendor offer protection from further damage or loss while helping to moderate acidic degradation processes. The repair of books that one wishes to remain functional over time is best left to trained conservators or technicians. For further preservation resources, preservation supply vendors, and information on locating a conservator, see the Hesburgh Libraries Preserving Private Collections guide.

Applying leather dressings such as leather conditioner, neatsfoot oil, or shoe polish to leather books hampers their preservation. While one may enjoy the appearance of polished leather spines in a bookcase, in the short term, leather dressings may darken leather and over time tend to further dry out the skin as well as cause stickiness and/or significant discoloration to the leather, known as leather bloom. 

If a leather-bound book is exhibiting signs of leather decay such as red rot (crumbling leather that creates a dusty mess that can transfer to the book pages during use), consider ordering an archival alkaline box for the book or consulting a conservator for further advice on preservation and treatment options. 

Using books as a place to “preserve” newspaper clippings, flowers, etc.

With proper care, handling, and storage, you can extend the life of your books and preserve them for years of enjoyment. When considering places to house your books, avoid attics, basements, and any other place where humidity and heat can fluctuate wildly. These locations can encourage mold growth, harbor unseen insects and pests, speed up the degradation of acidic paper, and encourage some adhesives used in books to fail. If you wouldn’t be comfortable living in a certain space, neither will your books! Avoid placing your books in bathrooms or kitchens where they will be exposed to increased humidity and water splashes, and avoid locations near radiators and vents where they will be subjected to rapid blasts of heat or cold. 

Likewise, while we might like to live with the blinds open and bask in the glow of the afternoon sun, the covers of some books are easily damaged by regular exposure to sunlight and some types of artificial light.

Consider placing your books on shelves in hallways, bedrooms, and other areas where light exposure is minimal and temperature and humidity are controlled. 

Store books on shelves off the ground in case of a leak. Avoid shelving books on their fore-edge with their spines facing up as this encourages text blocks to sag and pull away from their covers.

Average-sized books are best stored upright on shelves alongside similarly sized volumes. If a book is too large to be shelved vertically, place it on its side on a separate shelf with similarly sized books. Avoid placing a very tall tome next to a short book as the larger book will not be well supported and can distort and damage smaller books that it is next to and in some scenarios could possibly tip over. Similarly, fill shelves or use bookends to ensure that books are stored snugly upright rather than leaning, as leaning books are subject to distortion and damage.

Conversely, avoid packing bookshelves so tightly that force is required when removing them from the shelves, as this too can damage bindings. 

When removing books from their shelves, gently grip the spine at the middle of the book (pushing neighboring books backwards slightly as necessary to allow a grip), instead of tugging at the top of the spine, known as the “headcap”, which is especially vulnerable to damage.

Do this:

Not this:

Headcap damage:

Handle books with clean dry hands, avoiding or being especially careful if eating or drinking while handling books. When reading, it is best to cradle books with the hand or support with other props, as many books are not designed to be opened all the way flat to 180° and can suffer stress and damage if forced to open to a wide angle. Avoid “dog-earing" i.e. fold the corners of pages to mark your spot, highlighting, or writing in books that you wish to preserve. Instead use bookmarks to temporarily hold your place and make sure to remove them when finished reading or doing research, especially when using a library book. Sticky notes, paper clips, or rubber bands can all result in damage: paperclips can rust and leave an indentation on the page; sticky notes can leave a residue; and rubber bands can cause tearing of the pages. Transport books safely by limiting the amount you carry by hand. Support them close to your body in order to avoid dropping the books, which can result in significant damage. 

Following our visit to paper maker extraordinaire Andrea Peterson in the fall (see our November blog post), we were eager to find opportunities to use her handmade papers in our conservation work. Of particular interest was her ABM binders board, which recycles phase box off-cuts to make a delightfully pulpy binders board that is reminiscent of boards used on books throughout the 16th through 19th centuries. Essentially a thick, dense sheet of handmade paper, Andrea’s ABM board is lightweight, alkaline, and comes in a variety of thicknesses that allow for a sympathetic pairing to an older text-block when a new case or binding is necessary. 

Hesburgh Libraries recently acquired a c. 15th century manuscript on paper of theological works by Denys the Carthusian. While the manuscript itself dates to the 15th century, it arrived in a much later binding that had broken sewing and very thin detached boards covered in brittle marbled paper.

Though we prefer reattaching loose boards where possible, in this case it was determined that splitting or lifting the covering material from these very thin, irregular boards would cause damage. We therefore decided, in collaboration with the curator, that the marble paper covered boards would be retained loose with the manuscript in a cloth-covered clamshell box, and the manuscript would be mended, resewn, and given a new binding. 

In the process of cleaning and mending the paper in preparation for resewing, a fragment of light blue paper was discovered adhered to one of the inner folios of the manuscript.

Though it is unclear why and when this paper fragment came to be attached to the manuscript, it is similar to the blue “sugar bag” paper found on many books from the 17th and 18th centuries. In constructing a new case for the manuscript, we used a thin (0.06”) piece of ABM board and covered it with Ruscombe Mills Sesley Sugar Bag handmade laid paper, which closely resembles the fragment of blue paper found inside the manuscript. 

Although the new binding does not attempt to be a facsimile of any particular binding, the new case stabilizes the manuscript for use while echoing elements of the manuscript’s history with its thin, textured boards and light blue covering paper. 

Claire Bosch is from Western Springs, Illinois. She is currently working towards a Bachelor of Arts degree in History with a minor in Theology. Claire applies her past experience working at the Snite Museum by demonstrating her knowledge of safeguarding and preserving our one-of-a-kind collections. She exhibits an exceptional level of manual dexterity and a commitment to precision and thoroughness. Claire’s accuracy is critical in the process of measuring and creating customized enclosures for various-sized books. She designs clamshell and “tuxedo” style boxes as demonstrated in the picture above. Claire fabricates mylar jackets that are tailored to protect rare volumes. She has recently learned how to preserve specialized collections by using deacidification spray to slow the process of future deterioration.