Post on 14-Dec-2014
description
Katherine Rowland
Book Repair Project
LIBR 104
October 24, 2010
Doctoring a Cook Book
1943 Lily Wallace New American Cook Book
I recently acquired this volume at an antique store. It was very
cheap, largely because it was in a bad state of repair. From the
front, it doesn’t look too bad: the spine is obviously loose, and
the front cover is only partially attached to the book block.
Upon turning the
book over, however,
the extent of the
damage is more
serious. The back
cover is completely
detached from the
rest of the book. The
spine is attached
only partially to the
front cover. A few
pages of the index
are missing, and one
page is loose and
badly damaged.
As can be seen, even
in the front the hinge
is split and the end
paper has been torn
out. The front page is
in sad shape, as well.
What needed to be done:The cover needed to
be reattached to the book block
The spine needed to be reattached or reconstructed
The loose page needed to be reattached
Brodart Basic Repair Kit
Household itemsVarious repair
resources online and included in the kit
The TaskEquipment I had on hand:
First, I familiarized myself with the Brodart kit and guide. I discovered that the guide did not offer many solutions for my book’s needs.
Next, I visited the website for the University of Illinois Preservation and Conservation website (http://www.library.illinois.edu/prescons/preserve/index.html)According to their procedures, I would need to
recase my book and reconstruct the cover, in addition to the smaller necessary repairs.
I determined that I did not have some of the supplies that the website recommended. However, since the book is not valuable and is for my personal use, I felt that I could make do with what I had on hand. The biggest issue was that I had no tools, such as a bone or spatula.
I gathered the resources I did have and began to follow the step-by-step directions I found on the web site.
Taking Stock
•I used scissors and an exacto knife to
cut the covers away from the book
block
•I peeled off the paper and fabric from
the book block, removing as much of
the glue and material as I could.
•I was not able to remove all of the old
glue.
I decided that the logical place to start was with the cover reconstruction. I
was not, however, able to follow the recommended steps; I did not have the
necessary cloth and implements to create a new spine. I decided that I would
amend the techniques suggested in the Brodart manual. Accordingly, I first
determined that I had an almost-intact cover, with split hinges. I then sanded
the edges of the end paper, which would need to be done for the recasing
later on.
I knew that the repair tape I had was not
wide enough to cover the spine on the
outside to the width recommended. I
decided to try to mitigate this by
reinforcing the hinges on the inside as well
as on the outside.
Using a technique recommended by a
colleague, I brushed the fabric with glue
before applying Brodart’s hinge tape. I
then burnished the tape using the end of a
hair pick as a bone folder.
I repeated these steps on the other side of the
cover and spine, using a yardstick to be sure
that the boards were kept even during the
repair. I did end up having to make an
adjustment, removing the tape and retaping.
When finished, however, the cover was square
and reassembled.
The next step was to
use the widest cloth
tape I had to
reinforce the outside
of the spine. I cut off
a length that was
about an inch longer
than the spine of the
book. I laid the tape
face-up on a flat
surface and carefully
lowered the book
cover onto it. I
pressed the spine
onto the tape from
the top down to
prevent air pockets.
I folded the ends of the cloth tape over and
again burnished it with the trusty hair pick.
When I had firmly affixed the tape, I once
again had a sturdy cover to go onto my cook
book. I set it aside and turned my attention
to the book block.
I wanted to keep the last, loose page. I
used the U of I library site as a guide to
anchor the edges of the page to a new
piece of thin paper. I cut a ½” strip of
paper and slid it beneath the remaining
fragments of paper that were attached to
the rest of the signature. I used tweezers
and glue to attach these fragments to the
new paper. I lined up the page with this
and used the same method to adhere the
edge of the page to the new paper.
The loose page was
now reattached. I
decided to let it dry
for a while and
turned my
attention to
creating new end
pages, per the U of
I library web site.
I didn’t have official end paper to use,
so I improvised by using
scrapbooking paper, which seemed
thick enough to hold the weight of
the book. I folded the paper in half
and cut it to the dimension of the
book.
I then applied glue to the front page
in a 3/8” strip and pressed the folded
edge of the end paper onto it.
I did not have the recommended
cambric tape, so I substituted
unbleached muslin. I cut a piece as
long as the spine and 3 inches wider.
I coated the book block edge with
glue and reattached the salvaged
headbands, to reinforce the spine.
I pulled the muslin down until the
glue began to pop through it in
beads, as the site I was using had
indicated. When it was saturated with
glue, I placed a strip of heavy paper
on top of it and adhered it firmly.
My book was now ready to rest for a
few hours and dry.
After about four
hours, the glue
seemed dry
enough to
proceed to the
next—and most
anxious—step.
First, I returned
the book block to
its case to align it
exactly where it
should be. I then
opened the front
cover.
As recommended,
I placed a large
piece of scrap
paper between
the leaves of the
end pages. I
coated the top
part of the end
paper with glue,
then flipped the
fabric back onto
it and coated that
with glue.
I removed the
scrap paper ,
placed waxed
paper between
the halves of the
end paper, and
carefully closed
the top cover. I
lifted it quickly to
check whether
the paper was
aligned properly.
Seeing that it
had, I closed the
front cover,
turned the book
over, and
repeated the
process with the
back endpaper
and cover.
The book needed
to be weighted in
order for the glue
to dry without
warping. Since I
have neither book
weights nor a
book press, I
improvised: the
collected volumes
of Far Side and
Calvin and
Hobbes cartoons
seemed heavy
enough to keep it
flat. I was careful
to keep the book
square and not
skew it as I set
the weight down.
Before: The book sagged within what was left of its case and was clearly damaged.
ResultsAfter:The book sits straight in its case and appears more usable.
Before: The back cover is detached, there is a loose page, and the spine is loose.
ResultsAfter:The loose page has been reattached, both covers are reattached, and the spine has been reinforced.
Before: The hinges are split and the spine has come off. .
Results
After:The spine has been repaired.
Before: The end paper has been split and torn, and the front page is damaged.
ResultsAfter:The end paper has been replaced, the hinges reinforced, and the front page is more secure.
The back page has been reinserted and—while still needing care due to its tattered edges—is firmly anchored and legible.
The new end papers are neatly adhered and the front page is secure once more. The new end papers should protect it and the back page from further damage.
The outside of the
book has been
modified, but the
goal of the
project has been
achieved: the
book has been
stabilized and is
once again a
usable source of
information.
I knew going in that this project would be a challenge. The book had multiple problems that needed to be addressed, and I had very limited tools and supplies. This does, however, compare with library technical staff in many libraries who must make do with what they have in order to serve their patrons and care for their collections.
I would not have attempted this repair on a book which I thought would get heavy usage. While I have experience with minor repairs, I have never carried out repairs as extensive as these before, and I did have to compromise with some of the supplies. Since the book will be used only occasionally as a reference, however, I felt that the repairs I made would be adequate to return the book to a usable condition.
End Thoughts
I was glad to have multiple resources—from preservation web sites to a trusted colleague—to which I could turn for help. With libraries tending to be less fully staffed, it is important to locate resources outside one’s own experience.
The biggest thing I took away from this experience is a much clearer sense of how a book works, physically speaking. While I was familiar with the anatomy of a book, I had never really worked closely with a book’s inner workings before.
End Thoughts
Brodart Guide to Book Care and RepairUniversity of Illinois Library’s Preservation
and Conservation web site: http://www.library.illinois.edu/prescons/preserve/I primarily referenced the section on rehanging
or recasing a book: http://www.library.illinois.edu/prescons/preserve/casing1.html
Resources