The semi-weekly messenger., 1902-07-04
LIBRARY HOSPITALS
\ QUIET CORNER WHERE MANNED
AND AGED BOOKS ARE DOcTOREO.
Delicate Operations Are Often Neces-
sary For IRjured Volumes and
Much Ingenuity Is Required at
TImes-Hoyv Book Surgeons Work.


TImes-How Book Surgeons Work.
In every up to date public library
! there is a 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 anG 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
or hand, will add years to the life of q
book and will materially lessen the eX
penses of a public library.
This hospital is fitted up in a very
simple manner. There are shelves urpn
| which the invalid books are placed un-
til treatment can be given them. Then
| there are other shelves where they are
placed to conyalesce 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
off ,4riy1 af hY,t
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.
small wooden paddle q thin wooden
board and papers of needles. Then
there is an instrument of torture
heavy press which is generally applied
at the close of an operation.
There are all sorts of complaints
among the books, and the most prevu
lent is the broken back. This comes
| from the book assuming an unheaith-
| full position, such as leaning up l&:..!y
against other books, resting on its frar,
edges or lying fiat on its side. A vignr-
Gus use of paste and glue often cures
| this complaint, but in some cases a Gei-
icate operation is resorted to.
Then the cover is stripped entirely
| off the back, and the title is CAREFUL
cut out. Next the paper back of the
book is peeled off. A piece Of grass
cloth is then applied and firmly glued
| into it's 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 a 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 a great deal Oh Juvenile ficticn
| 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
a thin strip of nice quality paper is
| pasted on to make a clean, regular
| edge.
"Butting" is method of operatin"
| that is not used by all book surgeon.
| This consists in placing with the WOO
| en- paddle a thin line of glue on the
| edges of a 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 tie 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
mC$t skill is the sewing of the sigma
tire 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
Gr'w the needle in and out.
| 1t is part of the work of every public
library employee to take a hand in the
| hospital department, and ingenuity
| supplies means to remedy every COM
| pIaint that is conjured up by even the
| r,Cst erratic book. The book doctor
| tr;sts wholly to her own wit and skill
| ful fingers to effect a cure, and there
are few cases that are hopeless.-New