Akron daily Democrat. [volume] (Akron, Ohio) 1892-1902, 1902-07-07
LIBRARY HOSPITALS
A QUIET CORNER WHERE MANNED
AND AGED BOOKS ARE oocToREp.
Delicate Operations Are often Neces-
snry For Injured Volumes and
Much Ingenuity Is Required Mt
Times-Hovv Book Surgeons Work.

DeAtcnte OperhtfOne arc Orten NeceB-
sary For Injured Volumes and
Much Ingenuity Is Required Mt
Times--How Book Surgeons Work.
In every up to date public library
there is quiet corner used as a book
hospital, where worn, aged and main.
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 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 will materially lessen the ex-
PciibVo VI. puDhC uDIuLys
This hospital is fitted up in 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
fok havao tn fnh
there are rolls Of black percale and
| yards of white percale, sheets of par
affin 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 mum.
| In snug little compartments is the
medicine. consisting of glue and paste.
| The surgical instruments in. little
| case consist of pair Of forceps. a
| small wooden paddle, 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 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 unhealth-
full position, such as leaning up lazily
against other books, resting on Its front
| edges or lying fiat on it's side. A vigor-
GUS use Of paste and glue often cures
this complaint, but in some cases del
icate operation is resorted to.
/ l.
of the back, and the title is carefully
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 cover, 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 little, When strong enough
black percale back Is carefully fitted
over the old back, and the old title is
pasted on the outside.
l Small fingers injure the complexion
of the books greatly, and sandpaper IL
used great deal on Juvenile fiction
inyalids. 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, anG
thin strip Of nice quality paper ID
pasted on to make a clean, regular
edge.
"Butting" Is q method of operating
that is not used by oil book surgeons
This consists in placing viii the wood
en- paddle thin line Of glue on the
edges of a torn leaf and then pressing
them tightly together 1t has beer
demonstrated thoroughly that this but
ting holds the torn leaf just as flrml!
as and Is much more satisfactory thar
the old method Of pasting gumme(
transparent paper over the torn places
The loose leaves are frequen
source of annoyance to the book doc
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 beel
brought to hear on the book. In sucl
cases the thin board is always used t
slip into the volume, SO that it viii
keep its shape properly.
The operation which requires tn
most skill is the sewing of the sigma
ture or division of book back int
place. The needle and coarse threa
{, are pushed in md out of the holes 4
the signature and the binding, an
when it becomes awkward to use tn
fingers the slender forceps are used
draw the needle In and out.
1t is part OF the work. Of every publ
library employee to take a hand in tn
hospital department, and ingeuuit
supplies means to remedy every con
plaint that is conjured up by even tn
/, most erratic book. The book docto
trusts wholly to her own wit and skill
ful fingers to effect cure, and ther
are few cases that are hopeless
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