In last weeks post about book mending I mentioned that one of my duties at the Wasilla Public Library is to mend the circulating books when they come back damaged. it’s a job that I really enjoy.

In this post, I’ll walk you through the steps for mending a very common kind of problem:  A broken spine that has caused the text block (pages) to separate from the cover.

This little treasure came in with the typical problem described above

Obviously, this won’t do.

First, since the book is here and the cover is a tad ratty, we’ll replace the cover.  The tape holding the clear plastic book cover is cut and the jacket is removed for later re-covering

The original paper jacket is covered in clear plastic, but over time the plastic yellows, gets scratched and becomes quite dirty.

The actual repair is relatively simple.  A special glue called PVA or Poly Vinyl Acetate is applied to the affected area.  This is where things can get a little tricky, though.  Too much glue and you have a mess and you take the chance of pages sticking together.  Too little glue and the repair will not hold.

At this point, wax paper or some other kind of “slick” surfaced paper is gently inserted.  The purpose of this paper is to keep the pages from sticking together.

Wooden skewers are taped along the hinge joint.  These  will help to make a strong hinge and will add to the strength of the overall repair.

A wooden clamp is prepared to hold the book tightly while the glue dries.

The book rests for 24 hours or so.  Notice it is resting on its spine.  If any excess glue leaks out it won’t run down the edge of the pages – a nightmare in and of itself.

Time to put the paper cover into it’s new plastic protector!

The next day, the book is removed from the clamps.  Notice the crisp hinge?

The book is opened to the repaired area and the slick paper is removed by gently working it back and forth until it comes free.

You can see a slight reflective area on the left.  This is dried glue and is fairly subtle.  The repair worked and the book is whole again.

You can see that the hinges are firm and tight.

Let’s put that new cover on!  You’re going to look mah-velous with your new jacket!

When it’s all done, a happy book, a happy mender and happy patrons!

This post just highlighted a very common kind of problem with the books that are circulated in a library.   There are literally hundreds of variations and possible book problems.  There are also as many ways of repairing them as there are book menders.

I hope you enjoyed this story with a happy ending.