Avoid too much mending.
Paper used for mending should be cut lengthwise with the
grain of the paper.
Cloth should be cut the long way of the material.
In mending always use paper of lighter weight than the
book. For books printed on heavily coated paper, tissue or
bond is too light, but paper cut from margins of advertising
pages of magazines is a suitable weight.
PAGES
Torn through the printing may be mended as follows:
(1) Use ungummed, transparent mending paper, cutting
it the size and shape of the tear, and about one-half
inch wide. Apply a thin coat of paste to the strip and
fit it carefully over the tear, having first placed a strip
of waste paper under the torn leaf to absorb extra paste.
(2) For finer or better class of books, upon which more
time and care may profitably be spent, rub a very little
paste on the torn edges, place torn edges together, then
take a rather large piece of ordinary tissue paper and
rub it gently along the tear so that the tissue paper will
adhere to the torn edges.
Put under press, and when dry the superfluous tissue
paper should be torn off, using care to pull always toward
the tear and from both sides at the same time. The delicate
fibre of the tissue paper acts as an adhesive and it is
almost impossible to discern the way in which the mending
has been done.
Torn in the margin
Use thin, firm mending paper, preferably a tint to match
paper of the book.
Cut a strip one-half inch wide corresponding to the size
and shape of the tear, apply paste and trim even with
the edge of the leaf.
When these processes are used, place books in press or
under a weight, until thoroughly dry.
There are gummed papers for this purpose but care should
be taken in their selection as some are likely to darken and
discolor.
LEAVES
When loose leaves are replaced the greatest care should
be taken to make sure that they do not extend beyond the
edge of the book. If this occurs, it shows careless or inexperienced
mending.
Loose leaves may be inserted in several ways:
(1) If the leaf fits exactly into the book, it may be
tipped in by applying paste to one-eighth inch of its
inner margin.
Place the loose leaf in the book, the outer edge even
with the book, and rub down the pasted inner margin
against the next leaf with bone folder.
Put the book in press until dry.
Illustrations may be tipped-in in this way when it is desirable
to preserve them.
(2) If it is found by measuring that the leaf when
inserted, will extend beyond the edge of the book, fold
the leaf at the inner margin over a ruler edge, or other
straight edge, slightly more than one-eighth of an inch,
thus making a hinge. Apply paste to this hinge with
the finger. Place leaf in the book and push well back;
rub the little pasted hinge down with bone folder, being
careful to leave no free paste.
(3) In case the quality of the paper of the leaf to be
inserted will not stand the tipping-in process, or is badly
worn at the inner margin, it may be inserted by a guard.
Fold a half-inch strip of onion skin paper, lengthwise.
Apply a thin coat of paste to the outside of this strip.
Attach half of the strip to the inner edge of the loose
leaf, and the other half to the adjoining page in the
book, close in by the fold. Trim edge of leaf if it projects.
Put in press until dry.
Do not use gummed muslin for this work. It destroys
the chance of proper rebinding and detracts from the appearance
of the rebound book.
SECTIONS
When more than one section, sometimes called signature,
is loose in a book which is worth rebinding, it should be
rebound at once.
When the thread in one section only is broken, or one
section only is loose in a rebound book and the rest of the
binding is intact, the section should be inserted. To avoid
further ravelling, it is necessary to secure the broken threads
of the book either by fastening them together, or attaching
to new threads; also that the loose section is sewed or tied
through the super on the back of the book.
Loose sections may be inserted as follows:
If the folds of the leaves in the loose section are torn or
thin, they should be mended before replacing the section.
Take a half-inch strip of thin, firm paper, the length of
the page; fold through the middle lengthwise and paste
down through the center fold of the leaves. A touch of
paste along the fold of each will hold all the sheets
together.
Open the book at the place where the section is loose.
(When the book is open the back of the book separates
from the cover.)
Open the loose section and place it in the proper position
in the book. Near the top and bottom in the center fold
of the section will be seen the holes which were made
by the binder.
Thread a needle with Barbour's linen thread No. 40,
or Hayes' linen thread No. 25, and tie new thread to
broken end of thread in book.
Pass the needle through the hole at the top of the loose
section and out between the book and its loose back.
Do not pull the thread clear through.
Drop the needle and thread down between the back of
the book and the loose back to the bottom.
Run the needle and thread from the outside in through
the hole at the bottom of the loose section.
Pass the needle and thread around again in the same
way. Draw tight and tie with a hard knot at the point
of beginning.
JOINTS
Books in the ordinary case or publishers' binding will,
after a short period of use, show signs of weakness in the
joints (where the book and cover are attached). The paper
cracks and both it and the super on the back of the book
loosen and unless immediate attention is given the stitching
breaks and the book must go to the bindery.
This super is a loosely woven cotton cloth which is glued
on the backs of books to help hold the sections together, and
extends from the back of the book to the inside of the cover
to help hold the book and cover together. In the publishers'
bindings, this super is usually all that holds a book in the
cover.
Loose joints may be
Reinforced by tightening and stripping.
Hold the book open in an upright position on the table.
The back will separate in a curve from body of book;
with the round brush apply paste between the loose
back and the book, along the joints only. If too much
paste is used it will spread over the back, causing the
cloth cover to become wrinkled and title illegible. Close
the book, care being taken to push book well back in
cover, and with bone folder rub well along the joints,
squeezing out any extra paste at head and foot. Dry
under weight for a half-day at least.
Then with knife clean off the ragged edges of torn
paper along the joint inside the cover. Place the book
flat upon the table, the front cover open, take book of
similar thickness and place under open cover.
Take a strip of muslin or paper. Cut this strip the
exact length of the book, and apply thick paste so that
the paper or cloth will not stretch.
Paste one-half of this strip to the fly-leaf and the other
half of the strip on the cover of the book. Make sure
that the strip is smoothly laid, not stretched too tightly
from book to cover, or it will pull up first pages when
book is used; if too loosely stretched it is unsightly and
fails of its purpose; allow the book to remain open until
the strip is dry. Repeat this process for the back cover.
RECASING
When the stitching has not broken, and the paper is of
good quality a book may be removed entirely from its cover
and recased.
In recasing, painstaking care is required and books must
be in condition specified to obtain satisfactory results.
Take a sharp knife and cut through the super at both
joints. This super is easily lifted from the inside of the
book cover. Pull it off the back of the book, taking great
care in this, and remove all particles of dried glue.
Take white outing flannel, which is light in weight and
double-faced, or canton flannel (downy side towards the
book), or cheesecloth. Cut a strip as long as the back
of the book and two inches wider; paste this over the
back only, allowing an inch extension on each side. Do
not, in this first process, put paste on the extensions.
Draw the cloth over the rounded edges of the back (or
joints); rub the back well with bone folder and also
over the rounded edges, but do not paste the cloth down
beyond the rounded edges. During this process hold the
back of the book so that the sections, or signatures, will
not separate. After thorough rubbing let dry.
Apply paste to inside of book covers one inch next to the
joints; do not put paste on back of book. Place book in
cover, pushing well back, making sure that it is correctly
placed. Paste down the one-inch extension of cloth,
laying waste paper between it and book; close book,
rub joints well with bone folder and allow to dry
thoroughly.
Strip joints, following instructions for re-inforcing; paste
clean paper lining on book covers, press and dry. The
book should then be opened as carefully as a new book.
PRESSING
This adds greatly to the appearance of the mended or
repaired books. Do not place weights over the rounded back
of a book.
Place the pressing boards or tins over the covers of the
book only, even with, but not extending over, the joints.
Pressure on the rounded back will weaken a book in the
most vital part.
DO NOT—
use too much paste.
use Lepage's glue or any mucilage.
use cloth strips in a book except at the joint.
paste heavily up the back unless a very old and not valuable
book.
overmend on a book which will ultimately be bound.
allow loose pages to be slipped up in the book above the
top of book.
use heavier paper for patching than paper of book.
ALWAYS—
handle books carefully.
allow sufficient drying.
have plenty of waste papers and discard when soiled.
wash brushes well each day.
pile up books alternating the backs with the foredges.
They will stand erect and not slip or slide.
MISSING PAGES
When a page is missing and it is impossible to replace the
book with a new copy, the page may be typewritten and
tipped in.
When it is necessary to rebind the book, the margin of
the typewritten page should be left an inch wider on each side
than the regular margin. This is for the convenience of the
binder, who will trim down the margin in process of rebinding.
Make typewritten page conform to size and shape of
printed page.
NOTATION FOR DAMAGES
When there is an injury to a book which is allowed to
remain in circulation, the reading public should be made
aware that the damage is known to the library by a notation,
with date, near the injury, e.g.,
"Damage noted 1 Mr. '20, Free Public Library."
