Evening journal., 1902-06-09
LIBRARY HOSPITALS
A QUIET CORNER WHERE MANNED
AND AGED BOOKS ARE DOcTORED.

sary For Injured Volumes and
Much Ingenuity Is Required St
Times-Hovv Book Surgeons Work.
In every up to date public library
there is a quiet co. ler used as book
hospital, where worn, aged and maim-
ed volumes are sent for treatment and
often surgical operations. The women
and children Of the library that is, the
novels and juveniles-are found in the
hospital the most frequently, and often
they are beyond cure. But the skillful
library worker has all sorts of devices
for making broken down books appear
fresh and new again, and often a re-
markable cure is effected.
If book were cast aside the minute
its back was broken or were not given
proper treatment when a 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
er hand, will add years to the life of
book and viii materially lessen the ex-
penses OF a public library.
This hospital is fitted up in a 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 convalesce and sometimes to
regain consciousness after a serious
surgical operation. There are operating
tables and neat little boxes in which
there are rolls of black percale and
yards of white percale, sheets Of par
aiTin paper, long strips Of thin but fine
quality paper, narrow rolls of gummed
paper, bundles of grass cloth, balls OF
string, sandpaper, coarse thread and
white null.
In snug little compartments is the
medicine. consisting of glue and paste.
The surgical instruments in a little
case consist of a pair Of forceps, a
small wooden paddle, a thin wooden
board and papers Of needles. Then
there is an instrument of torture-a
heavy press which is generally applied
at the close Of an operatio.i.
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 unhealth-
full position, such as leaning up lazily
against other boolSv, resting on its front
edges or lying fiat on its side. A vigor-
GUS use Of paste and glue often cures
this complaint but in some cases a del
icate operation is resorted to.
Then the cover is stripped entirely
/ off 1n NJ d al H.
cut out. Next the paper back Of the
book is peeled Off. A piece Of grass
cloth is then applied and firmly glued
into its place. The old ct-yer, with the
exception of the title. is pasted on
again, and then the book is tied up
with strings and left on the shelf to
recover n little. when strong enough,
a black percale back is carefully fitted
over the old back, and the old title is
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
off 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
thin strip of nice quality paper is
: pasted on to make a clean, regular
edge.
: 'Butting" is a method of operating
that is not used by all book surgeons
This consists in placing with the wood
en- paddle a thin line of glue on the
E edges Of a torn leaf and then pressing
= them tightly together. 1t has beer
demonstrated thoroughly that this but
E ting holds the torn leaf just as firmly
as and is much more satisfactory thar
= the old method of pasting gummed
transparent paper over the torn places
The loose leaves are a frequent
: source of annoyance to the book doc
t tors The remedy for these bother
/ some leaves is a hinge of percale o.
paper, which holds the unruly page II
= place after the heavy press has beeI
] brought to bear on the book. In sucl
cases the thin board is always used t.
! slip into the volume, so that it will
} keep its shape properly.
The operation which requires thl
D most skill is the sewing of the sigma
ture or division Of a book back int,
place. The needle and coarse threa;
are pushed in and out of the holes II
? the signature and the binding. anl
J. when it becomes awkward to use tn
: fingers the slender forceps are used t
draw the needle in and out.
1t is part Of the work Of every pubh
p library employee to take a hand in tn
I hospital department, and ingenuit,
e supplies means to remedy every com
b plant that is conjured up by even tn
o most erratic book. The book docto
trusts wholly to her own wit and skill
[ ful fingers TO effect a cure, and ther
:. are few cases that are hopeless.-Ney
+ York Mail and Express.