To repair hardback binding, he uses a strip of buckram material and acid-free glue. With paperbacks, a clear adhesive will often do. For leather books, Eudey uses Klucel G, a leather consolidation agent that gives the leather a smooth surface. Most books aren't made to withstand the treatment they receive in libraries, Eudey says. However, a library book gets banged around in transit, and when people photocopy pages of a library book, they press down hard on the spine.
Some books are much sturdier than others.
Paper used for books in the modern era is far less durable than book paper produced in earlier centuries, says Eudey, who does page repair with special library tape. Eudey came to Rice with no experience in book repair. Book repair is a skill passed on from person to person, and it was McCool who taught Eudey. He could be very abrupt, but I liked him. Eudey grew up in Fort Worth and, after graduating from Texas Weslayan University, moved to Houston to attend the University of Houston law school.