The free lance. (Fredericksburg, Va.) 1885-1926, 1902-06-17

A QUIET coRNsR WHERE MANNED
AND AGED BOOKS ARs .oocToREo.

DFtttar Operations are Ofaen Ncrsa-
cary For Injured Volumes and
Aueh Ingenuity L. Required st
sim~s-iiow Hook Surgeons work.
In every up t. date public library
there Is a quiet corner used rs a book
/ hospital. where worn. aged and MAIN
ell volumes are sent Tor treatment and
often surgical opcrat ions. The women
AMI children OF the library that Is. the
novels and juvcniles-are found I'm the
| hospital the most frequently. and often
I they are beyond cure But the skillful
/ library worker has all sorts OF devices
/ Tor making broken down books appear
/ fresh ami new a-ain. and often a re-
markable cure Is effected.
n book were cast aside The minute
/ its back WAS broken or were not given
proper treatment when n leaf became
. loose. the library would soon find itself
/ doubling expenses for duplicates of old
| volumes and with little morey for new
works Careful treatment. on the 9th.
or hand. will add years To- the life of
book and will materially lessen the ox-
pcnscS Of public library.
This hospital is fitted up in a very
which the invalid books are placed un.
an treatment can DE given them Then
there are other shelves where they are
placed e. conNnicscc and sometimes 70
REGAIN consciousness after serious
surgical operation. There are operating
tables and neat LITTLE boxes ina which
there are rolls Of black percalc and
yards Of white porcalc. sheets of par
ailin paper. long strips Of thin hut line
/ quality paper. narrow rolls of f.uinmcd
/ paper. bundles OF grass cloth. balls OF
/ string. sandpapor, coarse thread and
white null.
In snug little compartments is the
medicine. consisting Of glue and paste.
! The surgical Instruments IN a little
ease consist Of pair of forcops. a
small wooden paddle. thin wooden
! board and papers Of needles. Then
there is an instrument Of tormrc-a
! heavy press which is generally applied
ant the close OF an operation.
There are all sorts OF complaints
among the books. and the most preva-
| lent is the broken back This comes
from the book assuming an unhcalth-
| ful position. such as leaning mp lazly
against other books. resting on its front
edges or lying fiat on its side. 4 vigor-
GUS use OF paste aud giuc often cures
this complaint. but in some cases del
/ icatc operation Is rcsort,d To.
Then the cover Is stripped entirely
/ or the back. and the title is carefully
cut out. Next the paper back Of the
book IL peeled on. \ piece OF grass
cloth is then applied and firmly glued
] frstr Ii
exception of the title. t. pasted on
again. and then the book is tied up
| with strings and left on the shelf 10
recover a little. When strong enough.
black percalc back is carefully fitted
over the old back. and the old title is
pasted on the outside.
Small fingers iniurc the complexion
OF The books greatly, and snndpapcr il
used a great deal on juvenile fiction
| invaiids. 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 II literature. These
| leaves are carefully trimmed Off. and
thin strip of nice quality paper is
/ pasted on 10 make n clean. regular
edge.
Quitting Is method Of operating
/ that snot used 10y all book surgeons.
I This consists in placing with the wood
en- paddle a thin line OF glue on the
edges OF torn leaf and then pressing
I them tightly together II has been
! demonstrated thoroughly that this but
I ting holds the torn leaf just rs firmly
as and is much more satisfactory than
] the g11 IN -
transparent paper over the torn places.
The loose leaves are a frequent
/ source Of annoyance to the book doc
tors. The remedy for these bother
some leaves is a hinge OF percale or
I paper. which holds the unruly page In
I 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 il will
keep its shape properly
/ The operation which requires the
most skin is the sewing of the sigma
ture or division OF a book back into
I place. The needle and coarse thread
are pushed in and out OF the holes I'm
/ the signature and the binding. and
when II becomes awkward 60 use the
fingers the slender forccps are used to
draw the needle in and out.
1t is part Of the work Of every public
library employee 10 take hand in the
hospital department. and ingenuity
supplies means 10 remedy every com
piaint that is conjurcd up by even the
most giraffe book. The book doctor
trusts wholly to her own wit and skill
full fingers TO effect a cure, and there
are few cases that are hopelcss.-New
York Mail and Express.