Omaha daily bee., 1903-02-22
LIFE OF A WELL BOUND BOOK
Library Usage Determines the Work Of the
Maker Very Readily.
EXPERIENCE IN OMAHA PUBLIC LIBRARY
Operation of the Bindery Proves n
Success and Adds Much 20
the Availability OF the
Volumes for Patrons.

WIS., Aoulll udH n Ithboudulb pElue IN Nuo
bindery OF the public library, which has
been in operation in the library basement
since January, 1901.
when we began this work." she said
recently, I'VE had on hand a large number
OF books which had accumulated. and the
unbound magazines and newspapers OF
years. We have worked away at these
during the two years, decreasing the stock
Of dilapidated books by the larger part,
and at the same time repairing and re-
binding books which we're put out OF COM
mission in the library. During 1902 we
bound 4,209 volumes, OF which S5S were
periodicals and newspapers. During the
same year only 1878 books we're withdrawn
from the library. and this number is PROT
ably twice what It will be this year, be-
cause l went very carefully through the
fiction and children's departments and
threw out all doubtful volumes. So you
see we will soon work through the aceu-
INFLATED material Of years"
Cheaper and Better.
1t has been found that the average cost
of binding is 1886 cents per volume, which
is a trihe cheaper than 1t could be done by
outside firms. Then the books are only
withdrawn from circulation for two weeks,
or seven days for a volume which is in
constant demand, while under the old ar
rangement, where they we're sent to
binders, a longer time was necessary. For
books which are seldom taken from the
library, canvas has been found to be the
best binding material, as 1t seems to stand
the shelf wear much better than other
covers. Heavy reference books, which are
in constant use. are much better covered
with morocco, although the expense pro-
hibits a large use of this material. The
Tttrlrnp rod unArA,nA aAan,H a. -aN- -
very best binding. Books Of fiction have
been rebound in half leather, that is, with
leather back and board covers, and this
may be said to be the standard binding Of
the library. Recently the experiment has
been tried of binding these books in can
vas, because the leather has been found
to crack and tear. The material for the
canvas binding is cheaper than the half
leather and will, therefore, be better IL IL
is found to wear as long. 1t has the draw
back Of taking more time in the binding.
Red leather is used more than leather OF
any other color, as II wears better, the
dye, especially black. apparently rotting
the material. A new art canvas is being
tried and makes a handsome volume.
English binding Lasts Longest.
The English-made books, while they do
not look as well as the American, are
much better for rebinding, as their paper
Is thin and strong and does not crack, as
does the heavy starched paper used IN
American volumes. especially the illus
trated ones. The library is forced to buy
the more expensive editions. because the
cheaper books have such narrow margins
that they can be rebound only with DIM
Guilty, and do not then last, as the reader
is constantly straining the binding In an
attempt to see easily the type at the
inner end of the line.
1t is dificult to form an opinion as to
the life Of a book in the public library.
Original bindings differ, and also the usage.
For example. the original set OF Bulwer's
books is still in use, but some OF the
duplicate volumes, which were acquired at
a later day. are now worn out. This can
in a measure be accounted for by the fact
that the best volume, where there is more
than one copy. is Usually given out.
Fiction Books Not Durable.
The original binding Of the ordina book
of fiction is not at all durable. The covers
themselves wear fairly we'll, but become
detached from the leaves. This structural
weakness is due either to the fact that the
binding strings, three in number, are cut
short as a means OF economy in produce
tion. which causes them to tear out of the
CONeIS, OF are NOT carried 10 the cover at
all, but a strip of material resembling a
coarse cheese cloth pasted on as a substi-
tute, which It is not. One volume of the
Tauchnitz ~edition-printed in Germany-has
been in the library for eighteen years and
has been taken out on an average Of once
a month for that time. 1t is still in serv-
iceable condition. Three very popular books
are "The Mississippi Bubble" Dorothy
South" and "The Virginian." The first OF
these has been in commission since last
April and the others since June. They
have been taken out nearly every week
and are still good for from one month to
six weeks, after which they will have TO 20
to the blndery.
Children's books last longer than those
for adult circulation. They are taken out
in the ratio OF 4 to 1 and last as long as
the others. Moffett's Careers OF Danger
has been out twenty-seven times during
1902; Cluster. the Boy General" twenty
two times; STORY OF Lincoln" nineteen
times, and brakes "On Plymouth Rock
fourteen times. These are still in good
condition. "Rolfe House. was in use seven
months before being rebound; Bonnie
Prince Charlie" two years and seven
months; "Alice in Wonderland" nineteen
months; True Story of Columbus" thirty
three months; Five Little Peppers" eight
cen months; "Child's Rhymes thirty-two
months.
Reference Books Live Long.
In the reference room the Scientific
American Recipe Book" was used three
years and three months before being re,
bound; Encyclopedia Britannica. fourteen
years, bound again after eight years
Pools Index. fourteen months, bound again
after eight years; Century Dictionary
three years.
Among popular fiction, one OF Henty'i
books was used eighteen months and re-
bound, then withdrawn after two years.
princess Idleways'' was worn out in tive
years; Vanity Fair" was used nine years
being rebound after six; Captain Polly
ran three years and was withdrawn a yeal
after rebinding; John Paget," ive years
rebound, four; two OF Kings books ran on
and two years respectively and were with
!, drawn two and three years after rebinding
The life OF public school text books 4
more uniform than that OF library volumes
and the minimum Of usefulness may b.
put down at FIVE years. with most OF tn
books lasting several years more In mos
Of the buildings adhesive paper is kept Of