Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1902-12-25
LIBRARY HOSPITALS
A QUIET CORNER WHERE MANNED
AND AGED BOOKS ARE pocToREp.

AND AGED BOOKS ARE DOCTOREO.
Delicate Operations Are Often Neces-
sary For Injured Volumes and
Much Ingenuity Is Required at
Times-How Book Surgeons Work.
In every up to date public library
there is quiet corner used as 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.
II book were cast aside the minute
its 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
err hand, will add years to the life of a
book and will materially lessen the ex-
penses of a public library.
This hospital liz 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
tables and neat little boxes in which
there are rolls Of black percale and
yards of white percale, 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, 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 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 its side. A vigor-
Gus use of paste and glue often cures
this complaint, but in some cases del
icate operation is resorted to.
Then the cover is stripped entirely
Off 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.
Small fingers injure the complexion
Of the books greatly, and sandpaper is
used 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 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
edges of torn leaf and then pressing
them tightly together. 1t 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 gummed
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
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
ture or division OF a 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
plant that is conjured up by even the
most erratic 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 hopeless.-New