Book Care
For the most part books are a fairly sturdy invention designed to last and are meant to be handled, with care. That said there are a few steps to ensure your books remain in the best possible condition for the longest possible time. There are also some further measures you can take for extra special volumes in your collection. Bookseller recommended companies who provide book care supplies include Brodart and Demco.
Everyday Tips
These are tips that every book owner should follow even if they do not consider themselves a collector. These basic precautions should be taken with any book to ensure a long life.
- Place similar sized books next to each other on shelves and don’t shelve books too tightly. This will prevent warping or damage when removing books.
- Avoid leaving acidic papers (such as newsprint) stored in books, it will darken the pages.
- Keep your books in a stable, cool, clean and non-humid environment. Excessive heat and humidity can cause growth of mould and attract insects.
- Avoid direct sunlight that can dull colors and fade leather, cloth or paper dust jackets
- Don’t lay books face down to keep your place, use book marks.
- Clean your shelves regularly (annually even).
- Don’t eat or drink near your books.
- Ensure that the bottom shelves of your bookcases are a few inches off the floor to protect against flooding.
Simple Protection
One cannot afford to give the upmost protection to every volume as advanced protection methods can be become very expensive. Here are a few affordable suggestions to add additional protection to the bulk of your collection.
- Purchase a bookshelf with a closing glass door. This allows you to see your collection but reduces dust build up.
- Protect books without existing dust jackets by making your own acid-free clear cover out of acetate.
- Protect books with dust jackets by covering them with an acid-free clear cover (a jacket over your dust jacket).
- If you live in a particularly hostile (hot and humid) environment, consider air conditioning or a dehumidifier for your library.
Advanced Protection
The best protection you can provide your most treasured books is a custom-made case or box. This kind of protection is not cheap as it must be custom-made to the size of each specific book and will probably end up costing something north of $100 per book. This type of protection should be considered for only the most valuable and fragile books. There are a few different kinds of cases or boxes.
- Slip cases: Generally an open-faced box that allows the spine of the volume (or volumes) to show.
- Clamshell cases: that has a double-hinged spine that allows it to lie flat when opened. The lower half of the box holds the book and the upper half closes over the lower
- A Pull-off case: these are often made from leather and form an airtight seal around the book. They can appear like two slip cases that fit over each other, or more like a box for chocolates.
Restoration and Repair
Owing to the value placed on books in their original state, any repairs made to highly collectible books ought to be completed only after considerable thought and research. If you are unsure about how restoring your book may affect the value of your collection you may want to seek an appraisal of your book in its current condition and compare that to the value of similar volumes which have undergone restorative work.
Once you are sure that repairing your book is the best course of action find a book binder or restorer who specializes in the type of repair you require. Your favorite rare book seller (or ILAB member) should be able to help recommend a book restoration expert in your area.
