The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1907-12-15
HOW TO CARE FOR BOOKS
THE SHELVES SHOULD BE BOTH
Low AND OPEN.

-. ~ -
80. 10 ng.oS ~ v
you o'Sly
-" ''
- "Ous1 PnS sPp0"''
sOOU uoai VI oeo@u9o %
Ia psos1y ~1n mysoI' outl si'er ADOuI
: soI "Su' why DeO1us'
y wOrly I.SnhSs.Vos 'UO U"s
papoIs Ovsr InoI Sptnu"ns IornoIUeS snO
Snevn NnocA Nneeo ruooer p'ants' etney
% Nn0" Or 70 cHro "hSI becomes
Oh SneE oOOSS'
A"e srOucny DooHloVer was quite rlEnt'
any oAperlenceo librarian Will agree ina
~ AvoIaso prIVAUe co"eCtIoh OF DOCKS
~ ueaVeu az II the owner knew httle n
49, IesS aOou' V"e PrhIeu members Oh
Instantly.
Inc next 81 months VIII De the most Try
ing season OF the year ior DOCKS meat ana
ngnt are Two sources OF danger
library that - Q p warm enouS Tor
tne average human being Is TOO warm Tor
tne pest neaNh OF JUS oooks' As Tor the
torrid apartments OF most American houses
their atmosphere 10 enoush to shriVel a toho
volume 70 the size OF a duodecimo.
II least you can do for the protection
OF DOCKS IN these superheated rooms 10 TO
make your bookcases low. Sit on top OF
s~tepladder yourself for a while II you want to
be convinced that bookshelves should not
extend 10 the ceiling.
All bindings on books that are placed on
hig shelves become loosened because OF the
crying OF the paste and the glue. In addition
70 TINS leather bindings become so dry mat
the leatner ITSELF Will crumoie 10 pieces. All
old leather bindings lose their natural oil
anyway should be thoroughly rubbed
once or twice a year with Vaseline.
Another enemy OF books II gas. A IL
orary Whicn Is much used should not be
ngnted with gas especially II the shelves
contain many leather bindings.
Inc neat ana the action OF the
gas will ruin the leather in time. In adj
ditlon, as every housewife knows, there Is
an oily deposit from gas. This fhm OF
grease catches dust and Will ruin exposed
surfaces especially those which cannot be
cleaned easily and frequently.
Electric light is the best in a library. As
Tor oil lamps, which give so pleasant a light
Tor reading, they are too treacherous.
A lamp seems to have as fendish a de-
ngnt IN smoklng by stealth as a small boy
mas. But the small boy ruins only his own
constitution, while a snoSinS lamp can ruin
tne CONSTITUTION OF the United states.
IL IL true that these enemies OF books
as wen as dust ana excessive dampness,
can Dc overcome oy the use Of glass doors.
fropaDly IN priVate houses MS would
really De the nest way OF apr DOCK
cases Dut IL is Dy no means the ideal
arrangement
Authoritles now unite IN saying that
oooks neeu Iresn ar ana tnat the almost
hermetlcaiiy sealed cases with glass doors
are not goou Tor them' IL IL sald That
uamp VIII get INTO THESE cases even II fresh
VT cannot ana mat In time. unless, OF
course the cases are opened often' the
DOCKS VIII mlldew. All the weight OF
OPINION now II IN favor OF open shelves.
protecteu oy metaI Network II sucn pro-
Sectioh against hahuhng II necessary.
IL IL almost an oau Tor BOOKS TO be IN a
treezinS temperature "a IN an overheated
room ana u does not neIp them either
10 ne suddenly warmed up AFTER having
oeen hippeu WIN coIu'
ulIt TOT by the way are a great pro-
cection TO DOCKS NO 0OOk should be left
Win rough OF uncut leaves az the top.
o they are all right at the other two
sides.
Most OF the troubles OF books affect only
their bindings. but there is one enemy
which occasionally creates very pictur-
esque havoc with the inside Of a volume.
Comparatively few persons have ever seen
. bookworm. that is a real bOokworm of
the six legged variety.
In fact their depredations in this country
we're at one time 80 little known that a Phila-
delphian. writing in 1871. announced ~ a
great curiosity that there was one library
In that city containing "a book perforated
by this insect" Perhaps in time the Phila-
delphia gentleman arrived with customary
Quaker City deliberateness at the knowl-
edge that there are many books all over
his country which have been eaten by
bookworms.
What is more. there are plenty Of them
still being eaten. The writer recently I'm
packed some books which had been boxed
for several years and found one leather
covered volume perforated with several
very pretty designs.
The worm was not to be found. however.
It rarely is. Many Librarians have dis
covered the winding holes by which the
insect burrows into the book. but the insect
itself mysteriously disappears.