Repair
Manual Home
Introduction
Guiding Principles
Setting up the Area
Toolbox
Parts of a book
Practical Guidelines
Identifying Repairable Materials
Glossary
Bibliography
Acknowledgements
Your Comments
Self-Closing Wrapper
Cleaning
Torn pages
Tip in a Page
Hinge Repair
Corner Repair
Sewing a Single Signature
Spine Repair
Air Dry Method
Hinge Tightening
Setting up the In-House Repair Area
Training: This manual outlines 10 very simple repairs that can be successfully done by staff with proper training and simple supplies. Dartmouth Library Staff having gone through the repair workshop should feel confident in handling these repairs. Additional or more extensive conservation work must be handled by staff trained in book conservation.
Work Area: The best work area has a large washable table surface, adequate room to work. Floors should be bare. Proximity to the commercial binding prep area, an elevator (if needed), and circulation services is extremely useful.
Storage: While many items will be kept near the work area, a supply of regularly used items and expensive and/or seldom used items need to be stored in a conveniently located area. This locked area should be inventoried and one staff member responsible for maintaining an adequate amount of supplies on hand.
Equipment and Supplies: A section of this manual is entitled Book Repair Tool Kit. It contains a full list of the most commonly needed equipment and supplies. Such equipment as book presses, hand tools, and items such as brushes should be of conservation quality and appropriate for book repair. While the best equipment and tools may not be necessary, good quality equipment, while initially more expensive, will be a better long-term investment. A precision cutter such as a board shear, while being the most expensive piece of equipment, will be worth the investment because of the time saved in better cutting accuracy and ease of cutting.
Supplies should always be 'archival quality'. The terms 'archival quality' and 'acid free' are frequently used in describing conservation supplies. Briefly, 'archival quality' means lignin free. Lignin is the sticky stuff that makes plants stand up straight. Archival quality products are not only lignin-free but also buffered. Buffering neutralizes acid AND is a treatment that slows down future deterioration of an item. 'Acid Free' means that the term is pH (7) but does not have the buffering additive that protects it from acid migration. A good example of this is an acid free enclosure that is used to protect a brittle book. Eventually, the enclosure will also become acidic.