From: klier@iscsvax.uni.edu
Newsgroups: rec.arts.books
Subject: Re: Fixing Damaged Books
Date: 14 Oct 92 23:08:15 -0500
Distribution: world
Organization: University of Northern Iowa

ncramer@bbn.com (Nichael Cramer) writes:
> I was extremely lucky in that the set was bascially untouched except for
> one volume.  It has about 150 (out of some 600) pages that have been
> seriously mashed along the top edge.  The binding was untouched and the
> text is still readable, but the pages have suffered some serious cosmetic
> damage.  They are made of very good quality paper and there was virtually
> no tearing.  I've gone through the damaged pages one at a time and smoothed
> them out as best I can by hand, but, if possible, I'd like to fix them up
> even more.
> 
> Anyway, two questions:
> 
> 1] Any specific suggestions on how to further straighten the damaged pages?

You can burnish a page down flat along the crease with a "folding bone",
should you have such a critter, or one of the plastic burnishers
used for rub-on letters.  There will still be a weak spot in the paper,
though, so you'll have to be careful when shutting the book.

If it's really weak, you can buy some flexible PVA adhesive from a library
jobber (I like Demco's Norbond) and mix it about 1 part glue to 4-5 parts
water.  Then take a slender watercolor brush dipped in the thinned glue
and trace a line along the crease.  Don't saturate the paper-- just like
you might draw an ink line with a brush.  Lay a sheet of wax paper over the
top, then go on to the next page.  You can only do about 25 pages or so
at a time, so be patient.  Shut the book and weight it.  When it's dry
(about 24-48 hours) peel off the wax paper and do the next section.
This _does_ add a bit of thickness to the paper, so you may not want to
do every page.

Library PVA glues are made to stay flexible.  So even if they look like
Elmer's Glu-All, don't try to substitute.  You'll wind up with stiff 
pages and more damage.  Spend the $5 for a bottle that will probably
last 5-10 years for most of us!

If the paper is torn, get some white lens paper, untreated-- stuff the
biologists clean microscope lenses with.  Not siliconized.  Take some
of the thinned-out glue and brush a _little_ on both sides of the torn piece,
then lay a patch of lens paper over the glue lines.  Add wax paper.  Let
dry.  Remove wax paper and tear the un-glued lens paper off the glue line.
Result is an almost-transparent patch that is quite strong.  (Don't
spread the glue to the size of the paper patch -- just a thin line along
the torn edges, then add a tissue bigger than the glue spot.)

> 
> 2] More generally, can anyone recommend a general resource (e.g. a book) on
> how to repair/care for damaged books?
> 

I learned my book repair tricks from a library school seminar at UCLA one
Saturday AM.  Then I read whatever I could get my hands on re: book 
conservation or paper conservation and went on from there.  The library
supply houses like Demco and Gaylord and Highsmith generally have pamphlets
on book repair methods (often free!).  Talk to your local librarian to
look at these catalogs.

Other favorite repair techniques I've learned:

Loose hinges.  When the body of the book starts pulling away from the
covers, you can dip a thin knitting needle in Norbond and slide it
down the crease that the glue has broken on.  Usually it's front and
back hinges that need regluing.  Shut the book and clean up any slop
on the top or bottom of the pages, and let dry under weights for a day.

Broken hinges.  The paper that holds the book into the binding is
broken and the book is almost falling out of the cover... (I only
use this on reading copies of books -- not on a first edition folio
of Audubon's Birds of America!).  Cut a strip of Tyvek book repair
tape (the stuff those white untearable envelopes are made from-- spun-
bonded polyester) and use this to hold the book block to the cover.  
I used to use "gummed holland" (a fine white linen tape) to bridge the gap,
but I've found tyvek is stronger.  Really good for kid's books.

Bunged corners of cover:  For lab copies of books, I use tyvek or
clear book tape to take the abuse.  Clear book tape on the spine, too.
For "nice" books with broken corners, I mix up some 50-50 Norbond
and water, and inject it into the corner with a syringe and coarse
needle (one I used to use for vaccinating pigs, to be precise ;-) )
then work the corner into shape with my fingers and clamp between wax
paper and some scraps of masonite to dry.

These techniques are "first aid", and before you try them out on
something you want, practice on moldy oldies that are going nowhere.
Probably one of the most useful things you can do to teach yourself
is to get an old sewn-construction book and take it apart and _see_
how it went together.  Or take several books apart -- sewn construction,
glued, perfect binding....

The techniques I've mentioned above are not "archival", and they aren't
meant for fine or valuable books-- they ought to go to a professional 
conservator, who will use materials that are _much gentler_ to 
restore your book.

You might also check with your local library and see if you can learn
book mending techniques from someone on their staff -- and you can
give them some volunteer time repairing their books in return!

Kay Klier  (former trustee of a _very_ small and broke library!)
Newsgroups: rec.arts.books