The Washington herald., 1908-01-05
The CARE OF BOOKS
Shelves Should Be Built Low
and Always Open.
GILT EDGES ARE A PROTECTION
Avoid Extremes of Heat or of Cold
In Library-EiOOks Need Fresh
AIR and Handling - Picturesque
RRvages of BoOISwOrms-PoisOn in
Paste Advised as IA Remedy.

MY annual crouch has set In worse
than ever" declared a confirmed book
lover the other day, in the New York
Sun Have you noticed that every year
about this time minute directions for the
care OF house plants appear?
Il read good deal Of 1t because like
plants pretty well myself But after
about the third dose I get mad Why?
Because folks actually worry themselves
into the papers over their spindIing fern
cries and their knock kneed rubber
plants, while they don't seem to know or
to care what becomes Of their books"
The grouchy booklover was quite right.
Any experienced librarian will agree that
the average private collection os books is
treated as il the owner knew little and
cared less about the printed members Of
his family
The next six months will be the most
trying season Of the year for books. Heat
and light are two sources Of danger.
A library that is kept warm enough for
the average human being is too warm for
the best health Of its books. As for the
torrid apartments If most American
houses. their atmosphere is enough TO
shrivel folio volume TO the size Of a
duodecimo.
Make Book Cases Low.
The least you can do for the protection
of books in these superheateG rooms is
20 make your bookcases low. Sit on top
.of q stepladder yourself for a while II
you want 70 be convinced that book
shelves should not extend to the ceiling
All bindings on books that are placed on
high shelves become looscned because of
the drying Of the paste and the glue In
addition 20 this leather bindings become
so dry that the leather itself will crumble
TO pieces. All old leather bindings lose
their natural oil anyway. and should be
thoroughly rubbed once or twice a year
with vaseline.
Another enemy Of books Is gas a IL
brary which is much used should not be
lighted with gas, especially if the shelves
contain many leather bindings.
The heat and the chemical action Of the
gas viii ruin the leather in time In ad-
dition. as every housewife knows. there is
an oily deposit from gas. The film Of
grease catches dust and will ruin exposed
surfaces, especially those which cannot
be cleaned easily and frequently.
Electric light ls the best in a library.
As for oil lamps. which gives so pleasant
Ia light for reading. they are TOO treacher-
Gus.
A lamp seems TO have as fendIsh de-
light in smoking By stealth as a small
boy has But the small boy ruins only
his own constitution. while q smoking lamp
can run the Constitution Of the United
States
Glass Doors of Use.
Il is true that these enemies Of books.
as well as dust and excessive dampness.
can be overcome by the use OF glass doors
Probably in private houses this would
really be the best way Of equipping book
eases. but It is by no means the ideal ar
rangement
Authorities now unite In saying that
books need fresh air and that the almost
Theoretically sealed cases with glass doors
are not good for them. It is said that
damp will get into these cases, even II
Of course. the ca ses are opened often. the
books viii mildew All the weight of
opinion now is in favor Of open shelves.
protected by metal network. II such pro-
lection against handling is necessary.
It is almost as bad for books 20 be I'm a
freezing temperature as in an overheated
room. And it does not help them either
to be suddenly warmed up after having
been nipped with cold.
Gilt tops. by the way, are a great pro-
lection 10 books. No book should be left
with rough or uncut leaves at the top.
though 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
picturesque havoc with the inside Of a
volume. Comparatively few persons have