The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1902-06-23
LIBRARY HOSPITALS
A QUIET CORNER WHERE MANNED
AND AGED BOOKS ARE oocTOReo.

Delicate Operations Are often Neces-
sary For Injured Volumes aud
Mech Ingenuity L. Required Rt
Times-IIov Book Surgeons work.
In every up to date public library
there Is a quiet corner used as n book
hospital. whore worn. aged and MAIN
ed volumes are sent for treatment aud
often surgical operations. The women
and children Of the llbrary-that IL. 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
mnrkable cure Is effected.
II a book were cast aside the minute
its back was broken or were not given
proper treatment when a leaf became
loose. ~ library would soon find itself
doubling expenses for duplicates Of old
volumes and with little money for new
works Careful treatment, on the 9TH
CT hand, will add years 10 the life OF
book and will materially lessen the ex-
penses Of public library.
This hospital Is fitted up I'm very
simple manner. There are shelves upon
which the invalid books are placed un.
I'll treatment can be given them. Then
there are other shelves where they are
placed 70 cOnvulcscc 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.
afiin paper, long strips OF thin but fine
quality paper. narrow rolls Of gummed
paper, bundles Of grass cloth. balls of
string. sandpuper, coarse thread and
white null.
In snug little compartments Is the
medicine. consisting Of glue and paste
The surgical Instruments IN little
case consist OF a pair Of forcops. n
small wooden paddle. thin wooden
board and papers Of needles. Then
there Is an instrument Of torturc-a
heavy press which is generally applied
al 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 uuhcalth-
full position, such as leaning up luzily
against other books resting on lts front
edges or lying Hat on it's side. \ 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
.nm ha I.a L.. fssfI
cut out. Next the paper back OF the
book is peeled OH. A piece OF grass
cloth Is then applied aud 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. ana sandpapcr il
used great deal on juvenile fiction
invalids. The edges OF the book nre
rubbed with this rough paper, tnling
off the dirt and the yellow appearance.
Rough edges Of leaves are frequent
also I'm this branch of literature. These
leaves are carefully trimmed Off, and
u ,hln strip OF nice Qunlity 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 n thin line OF glue on the
edges Of torn leaf and then pressing
them tightly together II has been
demonstrated thoroughly that this but
ting holds the torn leaf Just rs firmly
as and is much more satisfactory than
the old method OF pasting gummcd
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 I'm
place after the heavy press has been
brought 10 bear on the book. In such
cases the thin board is always used to
slip into the volume. so that II will
Keep its shape properly.
The operation which requires the
most skill is the sewing OF the sigma
ture or division OF book back into
place. The needle and coarse thread
are pushed in ana 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 I'm and ont.
II 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
plaint that is conjured up by even the
most erratic book. The book doctor
trusts wholly 20 her own wit aud skill
ful fingers 10 effect a cure. and there
are few cases that are hopeless.-New
York Mail ana Express.