The Tucson citizen., 1902-07-03
LIBRARY HOSPITALS
A QUIET CORNER wHERE MANNED
AND AGED BOOKS ARE DOcTORED,

REry FOr hmJureu NohuM~% ~@'s
Much Ingenuity IS Required at
TiMes-ROw Hook surgeons Work.
IN every up to GATE public library
there is a quiet corner used as q DOCK
hospital, where worn, aged and malm-
pd volumes are sent for treatment ana
often surgical operations. The women
and children Of the library hat Is, the
novels and juveniles are found In the
hospital the most frequently, and often
they are beyond cure, But the skillfui
library worker has all sorts OF devices
for making broken down books appear
fresh and new again and often re.
markahle cure is effected.
II book were east aside the minute
It's back was broken or were not given
proper treatment when leaf became
loose, the library would soon find itself
doubling expenses for duplicates OF old
volumes and with little money for new
works. Careful treatment, on the 9th
cr hand. Will add years to the life of
book and will materially lessen the ex.
pcnses Of a public library.
This hospital is fitted up in Il very
simple manner. There are shelves upon
which the invalid books are placed un-
til treatment can be given them. Then
there are other shelves where they are
placed to convalcsce and sometimes to
regain consciousness after serious
surgical operation. There are operating
tables and neat little boxes in which
there are rolls of black percale and
yards of white percalc, sheets OF par
ATTN paper, long strips of thin but fine
quality paper, narrow rolls of gummed
paper, bundles Of grass cloth, balls of
string, sandpHper. coarse thread and
white null.
In snng little compartments is the
medicine. consisting of glue and paste.
The surgical Instruments in a little
case consist OF pair of foseeps.
small wooden paddle. a thin wooden
Board and papers Of needles, Then
there is an instrument OF tUrthre-a
heavy press which Is generally applied
at the close of an operation.
There are all sorts OF complaints
ameng the books, and the most preva-
lent is the broken back. This comes
@fF0fg tire book assuming an unlfea lth-
fuf position, such as leaning up Iazily
against other books. resting on its front
edges or lying fat on it's side. A yigor-
Gus USE of paste and glue often cures
this, complaint. but in some cases del
icate operation is resorted to.
HsfAsk hn 10 nttit -
or the back. and the title is carefully
cut out. Next the paper back Of the
book is peeled OF A piece OF grass
cloth is then applied and firmly glaa3e
into it's place. The old cover. wish tue
exception OF, the title. is pasted on
again, and then the book is tied up
with strings ana left on the shelf 10
recover a little. When strong enough.
black percale back Ia carefully fitted
over the old back. and the old title 10
pasted on the outside.
Small fingers injure the complexion
OF the books greatly, and sandpaper is
used a great deal on juvenile fiction
invalids. The edges of the book are
rubbed with this rough paper, taking
OF the dirt and the yellow appearance.
Rough edges of leaves are frequent
also In this branch Of literature. These
leaves are carefully trimmed off. and
a thin strip of nice quality paper 10
pasted on to make q clean, regular
edge.
"Bntting" is method of operating
that is not used by all book surgeons.
This consists in placing with the wood
en- paddle thin line of glue on the
edges OF a torn leaf and then pressing
them tightly together. ri has been
demonstrated thoroughly that this but
ting holds the torn leaf just as firmly
as and is much more satisfactory than
the old method OF pasting gummel
transparent paper over the torn places.
The loose leaves are frequent
source OF annoyance to the book doc
tors. The remedy for these bother.
some leaves Is a hinge of percale or
paper, which holds the unruly page in
place after the heavy press has been
brought. to bear on the book In such
cases the thin board is always used to
slip into the volume. so that it will
keep its shape properly.
The operation which requires the
most skill Is the sewing of the sigma
fnre or division OF book back into |
place. The needle and coarse thread |
are pushed in and out OF the holes in
the signature and the binding. and |
when it becomes awkward to Use the |
fingers the slender forceps are used to
draw the needle in and out.
1t is part of the work Of every public
library employee to take hand in the
hospital department, and ingenuity
supplies means TO remedy every com.
pIaint that is conjured up by even the
most erratic book. The book doctor
trusts wholly TO her own wit and skill
fui fingers to effect a cure. and there