Librarians Share Their Best Book Repair Tips

Glue to the Rescue!

• Avoid tape for repairs whenever possible. Use Demco glue. It is difficult to remove tape to glue a spine that needs repair. Untrained staff with a roll of tape can mean the end of an otherwise salvageable book.
• When fixing a spine, use glue and a knitting needle. The knitting needle will easily slide all the way from end to end of the book. It helps to spread the glue carefully. Use a cotton ball to clean up any excess. Use a large square of scrap wood or heavy books to hold it tight until dry. Make sure the books or board are larger and heavier than the repaired book.
• For goo and spills on the top of the book when it is closed, very fine sandpaper will clean it up! Just sand it away!
• Use fine sandpaper to even pages after repairing spines.
• If you have a book that will not be kept forever and the spine breaks, I find that a hot glue gun can fix it in a hurry and get it back into circulation. If you want to keep the book, then use liquid plastic to hold it together. In our library we have an antique book press; when I glue the spine I put it in the press overnight and it holds beautifully.
• Always use the book glue first. Use a rubber band to hold it together and put a heavy book on it. Let sit at least 24 hours. Then use book tape if needed. If you do tape first, the glue won’t dry.
• After gluing, I use skewers on the outside of the book to keep the shape of the hinge and put pressure on the correct place before I weigh the book down to “cure.” They come in different diameters, and if the book has really deep hinges, I use round pencils.

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