DIY Book Repair Resources

As the “do it yourself” trend continues I thought it would be helpful to provide some useful resources for how YOU can best take care of YOUR books! (If you have a library book in need of repair, please refrain from making any repairs and turn it in at the Circulation desk. We have professionals who will take it from there!)

Book Care/Repair

Does your book need repair? If you are unable to bring it in to a professional, you may be looking for other resources for help!

Before we begin, it is very important to remember to use the right types of adhesives when repairing a book. These can be easily found in craft stores and online (see links below). It is imperative that you do not use typical glues or tapes that you can find in your office. The acidic nature of these can cause more damage than good and it won’t be long until you are looking for a replacement book for the one you currently have.

If you are looking for the right type of glue to use in any DIY project, I highly recommend thistothat. This website provides insight into the best glues for gluing different objects together. My favorite glue to use in book repair is PVA (polyvinyl acetate), an acid-free, clear-drying, flexible glue that dries fast. Unlike many glues on the market, this one does not turn brown and it does not cause chemical damage to books.

This is the type of chemical damage typical office tapes and glues can cause. -image courtesy of J. Dalbey

Look out for tutorials using adhesives that are not appropriate for the repair (ex: Elmers glue, Gorilla glue, duct tape, packing tape, rubber cement, gluesticks, etc.). Make sure you are using something like PVA glue (it is similar to Elmer’s but is formulated to be more flexible), Filmoplast tape or other “archival” glues and tapes. See below for more information!

Book Repair Resources for You:

Save Your Books Videos: https://www.youtube.com/user/DIYbookrepair

Book Repair Tape (Video): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EYC7mWsLow0

Hinge Tightening (Video showing how to fix a book in which the textblock has fallen loose from its covers or case): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p3pCh2o0krk

One Book at a Time (Videos and Photos): http://www.bookmenders.org/p/tutorials.html

Powerpoint for Libraries (contains useful information for anyone): http://downloads.alcts.ala.org/ce/091411book_repair_basics.pdf

Simple Book Repair Manual: http://www.dartmouth.edu/~library/preservation/repair/?mswitch-redir=classic%20target=%22_blank%22

Conservation Training Manual: http://library.alaska.gov/hist/hist_docs/conman/conman4.pdf

Help! I have a Wet Book*: http://www.heritagepreservation.org/savewetbooks/

*When in doubt, put it in the freezer until you know the best way to dry it!

What kind of supplies can I use for book repair? The Amigos Library Services website has a great list of supplies that can be used based on type of repair needed.

Where can I buy supplies?*

http://www.gaylord.com/

http://www.hollingermetaledge.com/

http://www.amazon.com/

www.archivalmethods.com

http://www.archival.com/

http://nielsenbainbridgegroup.com/content/archivart

(*Note: this list contains recommendations from my own personal experience. In no way is this a means for endorsement.)

Find more information and resources at http://lib.mnsu.edu/services/preservation/

Do you have questions or comments about these resources? Comment below!

 

Jamie Dalbey is a Preservation and Government Documents Technician at Minnesota State University, Mankato. Learn more about Preservation here.