Book Care, Repair and Conservation
Compiled by Estrella M.Domingo
Chief, Archives Preservation Division
The National Archives of the Philippines
For the Aquinas University Library, Legazpi City
October 8-9, 2009
INTRODUCTION:
Everyone has books. While they involve many of the preservation issues as do works of art on
paper, there is a major difference: we handle books much more than we handle art. Therefore,
books are more apt to show signs of wear and tear. Because they are made from a variety of
materials (different kinds of paper, ink and adhesives, leather, parchment, fabric, hemp cord
and thread), treating books can draw on a number of different skills and materials.
A library is a repository of wisdom of great thinkers of the past and the present. It is a social
institution charged with the responsibility of disseminating knowledge to the people without
any discrimination. Any librarian responsible for the preservation of these documentary
heritages should know the various causes of deterioration of the library materials and the
possible methods for their preservation.
Except a few libraries, all others have paper based reading materials in the form of manuscripts,
books, periodicals, paintings, drawings, charts, maps etc. The basic materials and constituents
of the physical entity of these library materials are mostly organic in nature, which are
susceptible to natural decay and deterioration. In books, apart from paper the other materials
used are board, cloth, leather, thread, ink, adhesive etc. All these materials used are nutrition
to some living organisms. So the library materials need protection from factors of deterioration.
Acid
Acid has been the major cause of deterioration in paper publications since paper making was
industrialized a few centuries ago. Alkaline substances preserve and strengthen paper. Acidfree materials have a PH of 7.0 or higher. Alkaline material also has a PH of 7.0 or higher.
Magnesium carbonate and calcium carbonate are the most common alkaline buffers used to
strengthen paper.
Photo chemicals are also an important problem. Ultraviolet or near ultraviolet light causes
bindings, inks, and dyes to fade, darkens and yellows paper and bleaches and oxidizes paper
fiber. Collection managers should use incandescent lamps or fluorescent lamps which emit little
UV, shield fluorescent tubes and widows with UV filters and use window blinds to control
sunlight from outside. As much as possible, lights should be off in areas where collections are
stored. A UV monitor and a light meter plus fade strips should be used to test light problems,
especially in areas where longer term preservation/conservation is important.
Biological substances such as Fungi--mold or mildew -- harm library materials as well as to
people. Mold outbreaks have damaged many books and caused the evacuation of librarians and
users in several libraries in recent years. High humidity and warm temperatures cause fungi to
grow and rapidly multiply (temperatures about 70 degrees with humidity above 50% are a
problem). Relative humidity and temperature should be monitored on a regular basis. A proper
heating/ventilation/air conditioning system and humidity control should solve the problem. It is
important to avoid temperature and humidity fluctuations since such change harms most
containers. Basements and walls below ground level should be carefully water-proofed.
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Insects and rodents can also be a problem. Cellulose (the major component of
paper) is a food source for a number of living things. Spilled food and drink
attracts insects. Rodents also eat cellulose and make nests with. A quality
extermination firm should be able to control insects and rodents. It is better if
staff and customers do not bring food and drink into the areas where
collections are stored.
Water damage is a fairly common hazard and one that should be anticipated in most disaster
prevention/planning programs. Poor maintenance of old plumbing, leaks in the roof, and
careless placement of air-conditioning or ventilation ducts are often problems in older buildings
or newer buildings with design problems.
Photocopying frequently damages bound volumes. With over sewing and narrow margins,
volumes must be forced open on the machine, damaging the binding and the paper.
Shelving is often a problem in libraries, especially those without adequate space. Leaning books
cause undue strain on the spine, sewing, and pages. Tightly packed books are harmed with
shelving and removal. Poor quality metal shelving may cause substantial wear and tear as
material comes into contact with the metal.
Book drops often damage material as it falls through the chute and lands on the bottom. The
longer the fall, the greater the damage.
Normal wear and tear will eventually degrade an item so that it will need to be discarded. In
some situations, abnormal wear and tear is a problem. Educational initiatives with users can
often substantially reduce such problems, but there will always be some problem users.
Information agency staff should identify items that need mending or repair when
charging/discharging and shelving. Prompt identification and mending substantially prolongs
the life of material.
Theft is a problem, especially those with relatively rare or valuable items. Security systems,
vigilant staff, and special collections for more valuable items make a substantial difference.
People also contribute to the deterioration of library materials. Although wear and tear from
normal handling and use is inevitable, much of the damage that occurs could be avoided. And
although some damage to library materials is willful--such as cutting pages out of books and
underlining passages of text—most damage is unintentional, and is the result of uninformed or
thoughtless practices on the part of patrons or staff. To be truly effective in preserving the
collections over time, preservation-conscious practices need to be part of the everyday routines
and habits of library staff and users.
DISASTERS
No library is exempted to the devastations that can occur as a result of natural or man made
disasters. In libraries, archives and museums there is a likely-hood of fire as the collections are
mostly organic in nature. Once fire starts, it is difficult to save those materials which get fire.
Items not directly engulfed in flames can be charred by soot and smoke. Heat emitted from fire
causes bindings to shrink and warp and plastic base materials to melt. Water used for fighting
fire can cause enormous damage. Besides fire, floods, high winds, cyclones, earth quakes are
also agents of deterioration for the library collections. These will lead documents to absorb
water, swell, warp and become extremely vulnerable to physical damage. Dyes and ink may
bleed and book pages stick together. Leather bindings seriously warp and change shape. Effects
of disasters on library collections are too obvious to comprehend.
Water damage refers to the losses incurred by a person which are caused by water. It can be as
small as a water spot that comes from leaks in your faucet or water pipes or it can be caused by
flash floods which would be catastrophic and devastating. Whatever the cause might be, water
damage left unattended or unsolved might be detrimental to a person’s health and can cause
deterioration and damage to property.
In such cases, your books and important documents might get damaged because it is made up
of paper which is very fragile and can absorb water quickly. Paper is very sensitive that it can
even get damaged even without direct exposure to water. A paper damaged by water might
begin to distort, its writings will possibly fade and the pages might stick together. Paper damage
caused by water can manifest itself in non-physical ways. In order to check and gauge the level
of damage, lightly touch your documents. If majority of its parts are wet or moist, it is a definite
sign of water damage. Your documents and books can even be damaged without direct contact
with the soured of water, because increased exposure to humidity can also damage it as well.
In water damage, prompt action is needed in order to salvage your belongings. If your
documents are damaged and the response lag time is very long, you might need to entail the
services of an expert in order to restore your documents to its previous state. This is a very tedious and
expensive process. So when water damage happens, keep in mind that time is of the essence if you want
to do it yourself and at your home’s convenience.
In any salvage operation, your own safety should come first. Be sure the area is safe to enter,
particularly that there are no live electricity wires and no risk of shelving collapsing. In some cases, you
may have to take into account infected water, slippery floors, etc.
Paper items should be salvaged and dried out as soon as possible to prevent the material deteriorating
further. If left wet, the paper becomes weak and mould will soon start to grow. Mould digests and stains
paper, sometimes irreversibly, and poses a serious health risk to people working with the records. Many
inks are water-soluble and will run when the document becomes wet. They will continue to run until it is
dried out again.
You will need to prioritize what you can salvage. Some materials
cannot stand being in water for very long at all, while other records can
wait a little longer.
You should consider whether there is any material that can be
replaced. If so, that material can be left to one side while the more
important material is salvaged. Materials such as current books or
newspaper microfilm items are relatively easy to replace so should be
put lower on the list of salvage priorities.
Make the water-affected material your first priority.
Also, check all material in the affected area for dampness, whether obviously wet or not, and ensure
that anything that is even a little damp is properly dried.
Once you have decided how much of the material needs to be salvaged, you then have to salvage
material in order of fragility. Drying needs to take place in a well-ventilated area. If fans or dehumidifiers
are available, these will greatly assist the drying process. Otherwise open as many windows as you can
to keep the air moving and to encourage evaporation.
When preparing material for drying remove any wet packaging material, record any information written
on it, and throw the packaging away. Drying can be a risky process and each material type requires its
own drying method to minimize this danger.
Plain paper documents/files
Handle with care as wet paper is extremely fragile. Separate wet sheets
and interleave every few pages with paper towels or blotting paper.
Spread the paper out as much as possible to ensure proper air
circulation. Change the interleaving regularly to ensure rapid drying.
Books/volumes
Wet volumes can become badly distorted through water absorption. There is not a lot that can be done
about this except to dry the volume out as quickly as possible. To achieve this, interleave the book every
few pages with paper towels of blotting paper, sit the book on its base and fan the pages open. Change
the interleaving regularly to ensure rapid drying.
Photographs
Place wet photographs in a tub of clear water and separate any that
are stuck together. Dislodge any dirt by gentle agitation of the clean
water then lay the images face up on kitchen towel. Never wipe the
wet emulsion of a photograph. (See the section on Photographs for
more information.)
Coated paper (picture book and magazine paper)
While the items are wet, separate each page and blot excess water off. Stand the books up on absorbent
paper and fan the pages open. Keep checking the books and separating any pages that stick together
while they dry.
Water-affected material will never be 'as good as new'. It will be distorted and stained, inks will have
run and bindings will have swollen. But if dried as described above, this damage will be minimized.
When you are sure the material is dry (which may take up to a week) there is still much work to do. The
material needs to be checked for damage and decisions made as to what is retrievable and what is not.
If anything is dirty the dirt should be carefully brushed away with a soft brush. The material should then
be placed in new packaging and returned to storage. You should also at this point ensure that the cause
of the original flood has been dealt with. If this proves impossible, the material should be moved to
another storage area.
If material has been damp for a long time before salvage, or if too long is taken to dry it out, mould can
start to grow. Mould can be a health risk, and it would be well worth seeking specialist advice from one
of the institutions listed in this booklet on how to deal with mould, should you see signs of it developing.
Cleaning your wet books and documents
 If your documents are damaged by clean water
Clean water is not dangerous and can be from sink overflows
or water pipe leaks. If you have documents damaged by clean
water, remove the books from the water with care;
remember that since these are damaged with water, these
documents can be very fragile. Refrain from opening and
closing the books to minimize the damage. Books which are
bound by parchment, leather and vellum have the tendency
to disfigure and deteriorate faster so you might want to save those books first.
 If your documents are damaged by contaminated or dirty water
Contaminated water is also known as dirt water, sources of which can be sea water and water
from the sewage. This type of water can be a breeding ground for microorganisms and bacteria
which can pose serious threats to a person’s health. For your documents damaged by
contaminated water, it might be a bit trickier to solve compared to documents which are
damaged by clean water. The first step is to gently remove the documents from the water. If
you have disposable plastic gloves, then use it to avoid any form of contamination and to
minimize direct contact with the dirty water. After this, you must rinse the wet books in cold,
running water. If there are dirt and mud in the documents, gently use a sponge to spray these
away. Do not utilize the sponge to remove the debris directly, because it will bring more
damage.
Dealing with Wet Books
The main objective in air drying wet books is to remove water as efficiently as possible
while also trying to prevent structural distortion. Structural distortion (excessive
swelling of the foreedge, concavity of the backbone) can be avoided if proper judgment
is used in determining the point at which the book should be opened. The following
steps assume that the covers are in good condition and still attached to the book. If the
covers must be removed (because of delamination, color running out of the binding
materials, board swelling and warping, and the like), the book should be stood on edge
as described below, but supported by loose pieces of binder's board, blocks of wood, or
bookends.
NOTE: Depending on the degree of saturation, a book can take from a day to a week to dry.
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Books that are thoroughly wet. Do not attempt to open the book. Do not attempt to
fan the leaves. Do not remove the covers. Place the book in a closed position (with
boards slightly open) on its head on sheets of absorbent paper. To permit water to
drain efficiently, place small pieces of binder's board at the fore-edge. Place
absorbent sheets of paper between the text block and the binding. Change the paper
on the table when it becomes wet. If the book is placed in a moving current of air, it
should soon dry to the point at which it may be opened for the next step.
Books that are partially wet. With care, partially open the book (at a fairly shallow
angle) and interleave with absorbent paper. Paper towels are ideal. Begin at the back
of the book and interleave every 20 or so leaves. Given good drying conditions, the
book may be left flat until the interleaving material has absorbed some of the water,
probably after one hour. Change interleaf material periodically until the book is only
very slightly damp, then go to step 3.
Books that are damp. Stand the book on edge, lightly fan the leaves, and allow the
book to dry in a current of air. If the binding is damper than the text, place paper
between the boards and the book. When the book is almost dry, go to step 4.
Books that are almost dry. Lay the book flat, push the back and boards gently into
position, and place the book under a light weight, leaving it in this position until it is
thoroughly dry.
CAUTION!
Coated paper (shiny paper used for periodicals and art books and occasional illustrations). Give coated
paper immediate attention—once the paper starts to dry, it fuses together and can rarely be separated.
It may be possible to salvage the item by interleaving every sheet with waxed paper. If time or staff do
not permit this, make arrangements to freeze the book and KEEP IT WET until it is placed in the freezer.
 Water soluble inks or media (manuscripts, drawings, water colors), rare or unique
items, and nonpaper material (film, photographs, discs, oil paintings). Contact a
trained conservator.
 Bound manuscripts or books printed or bound in vellum or leather. DO NOT AIR DRY
except under the direction of a specialist.
Paper documents or pamphlets
Do not attempt to air dry manuscripts, drawings, or material with water soluble colors except under the
advice of a conservation specialist. Do not attempt to separate leaves that are very wet or that are
sticking together unless you have been trained to do so.
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Hang thin pamphlets over strung fishing line to dry.
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Lay single pages or small stacks of documents out on an absorbent material on
tables, floors, and other flat surfaces, protecting them if necessary with paper towels
or newsprint (unprinted).
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String clotheslines close together and lay documents across them for drying.
Drying your wet books and documents
The next step to salvage your water damaged documents is to dry them and keep it away from any
water source that might contribute to the damage. Drying your books and documents will also prevent
the occurrence of molds, which can be very harmful to people with respiratory problems. Remember
that molds and other bacteria only need 24 to 48 hours to cultivate, so fast response is needed to
counter this potential problem.
Of course, different drying and salvaging methods need to be applied in different cases. In applying the
right drying method, you need to consider some things before choosing the applicable one. These would
include: assessing the type of document which has been damaged, determining the type of water which
damaged the document and the importance and value of the document.
You must also be able to evaluate and categorize the items in terms of its priority levels. As an example,
you might want to put high priority for documents which are high in value and irreplaceable like birth
certificates, marriage licenses, property titles and the like. You can place second priority on important
books and pictures and lastly, on other replaceable books and items.
 Air Drying
The common method of drying is to let the wet items dry naturally or by air drying. You can
also use a dehumidifier as another drying method. This equipment will surely increase the
drying speed and lessen the time needed for your documents to dry. The air drying method can
be used for books which have strong binding. Open the book gently and find the driest edge
and put the weight there. Make sure that you turn the book upside-down every few hours to
enable it to dry evenly. You can also use fans to make the drying process faster.
 Freezing
In cases of water damage, freezing your wet books and documents is another way of saving it.
Freezing can help stop the ink from spreading which would help restore the document better,
making it readable even after the drying process. This method can be used when you need the
document to be salvaged and restored at the fastest time possible. To do this the proper way,
seal your documents or books in a zip lock bag and put it in the freezer. It will be better to use a
frost-free freezer since it is equipped with a fan which can make the drying process faster. The
process of freezing will stop the water damage from increasing and prevent the deterioration
of your documents.
 Vacuum freeze drying
A conservation procedure by which water-saturated books are frozen, then dried by placing
them in a chamber from which the air has been extracted, causing ice crystals to vaporize
without melting (a process known as sublimation). For best results, the Northeast Document
Conservation Center (NEDCC) recommends that materials be frozen as soon as possible after
becoming wet. According to former Yale University conservator Jane Greenfield, the method
minimizes swelling and distortion of the book's structure, so that materials require little extra
storage space when dry (The Care of Fine books, Nick Lyons Books, 1988). Labor-intensive, the
procedure is expensive because wet materials must be shipped to a specialized treatment
facility equipped with a vacuum sealer. The method is not recommended for photographic
materials, and leather and vellum bindings may not survive the process.
 Vacuum thermal drying
A conservation procedure by which slightly to very wet books (or other records) are placed wet
or frozen in a vacuum chamber and dried at just above 32 degrees F. Because the materials
remain wet while drying, the method may produce extreme distortion of the text block and
binding in books and blocking of coated papers. According to the Northeast Document
Conservation Center (NEDCC), the method is more cost-effective than air drying for large
numbers of water-damaged items, but extensive rebinding or recasing is often necessary.
Compare with vacuum freeze drying.
This is a method which can be utilized after you’ve used other drying methods like air drying or
freezing. You can also opt to use this method if the document in question is in an unstable and
fragile condition. To do this, insert a white absorbent paper for every 10-15 pages of the
damaged book. Do not add too many absorbent papers at once because it can damage the
book’s binding. If the book is fully wet, you can do the interleaving by sections. Wait for an
hour, and then replace the absorbent paper with a new absorbent paper. You need to
place the book with the absorbent papers in a flat surface to minimize deformation. As
a tip, glossy paper is hard to separate when wet, so be careful in separating them to minimize
the damage.
 Making Use of Pressure to Dry your Water Damaged Documents
As a last step, you can apply pressure to your dried documents and books. If the document is
still not dry, then do not apply pressure to it because it will damage it even more. It might
cause the pages to stick together which will make it harder to separate and dry. You can
employ this technique to books which are no longer wet, but are still cool to touch. To do this
method properly, close the book and put it in a solid flat surface, then apply weight to it slowly.
Make sure that you are not damaging the spine or the book binding when you are pressing
weight into it.
In drying your water damaged books and documents, keep in mind that the original quality of
the book will not be fully restored. The dried books will be more or less 20% thicker due to the
permanent swelling of the fibers.
What Can Be Done to Prevent Deterioration and Damage?
The most important preservation efforts are those that prevent damage and slow the rate of
deterioration. Our preventive efforts include providing a safe and secure storage environment with
temperature and humidity controls and fire protection; disaster preparedness; and promoting the
careful handling and use of the collections by patrons and staff.
Each time a collection item is handled is an opportunity -- either to protect it, or contribute to
its demise.
Library materials are handled multiple times -- both by staff and patrons--each time they are
used. Materials are taken from the shelves, perhaps read over lunch, bookmarked,
photocopied, carried in backpacks, the trunks of cars, stored on floors or on radiators, and
returned in book drops. Library staff collect materials from the book drops, transport them
through the library, and reshelve them. The cycle of handling is repeated every time an item is
used. If careful handling practices are observed, Library staff and patrons can contribute greatly
to the long-term preservation of the Library's most valuable resource--its collection.
COLLECTION MAINTENANCE includes all of the housekeeping activities associated with keeping
a collection neat and clean. It might include inspection of shelves and individual items, item by
item dusting, vacuuming, and removal of items for mending and repair. Ideally, this is a
systematic on-going process that results in a collection likely to last longer and be more
attractive to the user. Evidence suggests that users take better care of items when collections
appear to be in good condition.
ENVIRONMENTAL MONITORING is the systematic visual observation of the conditions of collections and
materials. It might include checking on shelving practices, temperature, humidity, and presence of
particulate matter. Typically, scientific instruments are used to measure condition
There are certain do’s and don’ts which the library staff and the users should follow to increase
the longevity of the library resources. These are among others:  Important books and manuscripts should kept in specially prepared containers.
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For carrying a large number of books trolleys should be used. Utmost care should be
taken while transporting rare, valuable and delicate books.
Care should be taken while photocopying the books as at that time considerable stress
is imposed on the material and the bindings suffer most and also the spine damages.
Use bookends to support books when shelves are not full. Books should not be shelved
too tightly or too loosely.
It must be always ensured while opening the books, pages are not torn or covers are not
damaged.
To turn a page lift the top corner and lightly slip the finger tips down the fore-edge
supporting the page.
Pages should never be folded otherwise creases will be formed and they may be torn at
the folds. Corner of pages should not be folded to mark pages.
Avoid licking of fingers as an aid to turn pages.
Underlining must be avoided.
Books should not be left open on the reading table, face downwards.
Leaning on an open book should be avoided since this can damage the spine and
binding.
Never allow a book to stand on its fore edge.
When a book is displayed open, never use metal clips or pins to hold book pages open.
CONSERVATION STRATEGIES - a variety of treatments of valuable items in the collection to
extend their useful lives
Before any attempt is made to treat paper, its individual condition must be assessed. Brittle
paper should not be treated, except by a properly trained technician.
DRY CLEANING (MANUAL)
Dirt causes physical damage to paper by abrading the fiber structure and ink films. It also
attracts moisture and with it, atmospheric pollutants such as sulphur dioxide. The moisture
could encourage mold growth because spores are often present on the surface dust. A
secondary consideration is that the appearance of the paper and ink is marred by the presence
of dirt.
Paper must be dry before commencing mechanical cleaning. Careful choice of cleaning aide and
a gentle action are needed to protect the paper and the media on it. Erasers should always be
used at a right angle to the edge of the item - never parallel to it. All eraser crumbs must be
cleaned away.
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Brush surface dirt off with a soft brush, working with a gentle stroke from the center out
toward the edges. Any motion in from an edge is likely to result in a tear. Be particularly
careful around existing tears.
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Document cleaning powders or pads may be used for further cleaning. Lightly sized,
"soft" or "woolly" paper should not be cleaned beyond light brushing as they usually will
not respond well to erasers.
The pads or powders should be used with a circular movement, starting in the center.
When near the edges of the paper, only work outward and at a right angle to the edge.
Do not use erasers of any kind on coated "art" paper or on colored printing.
More abrasive erasers may seem to be effective at removing a mark but may also tear,
wrinkle, abrade and damage the item.
SURFACE CLEANING removes surface dirt; it will not remove embedded stains such as greasy
finger prints. Various grades of sponges, vinyl erasers, eraser crumbs, cloths and cleaning pads
are used. It must be done carefully in order not to damage the paper and is therefore quite
time consuming.
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Clean the surface with a soft brush. Sometimes a cleaning cloth for the initial wiping. If
more cleaning is needed, use cleaning sponges, erasers, or pads. As you work, make
sure no crumbs get between the document and the work surface beneath it. When
close to the edges, rub toward and off the edge to prevent tearing. If using the pads, rub
lightly in a circular motion. The pads produce a much greater quantity of crumbs than
the sponges; careful brushing after cleaning is essential to make sure no residue is left in
folds of documents, gutters of books and so on. Some of this material becomes airborne
during the cleaning process and may cause discomfort or allergic reactions to some
workers.
Rubber cleaning sponges without additives, made by Gonzo, are sold by hardware and
housewares stores and by the conservation catalogs. The plain, natural color sponges
are sold in stores as all-purpose lampshade and wallpaper cleaners and are very useful
for cleaning book pages, documents and maps. They are excellent for soot removal. Cut
the sponge into two or three pieces. As each erasing surface gets dirty, cut it away with
large scissors or a serrated knife. The sponges can be washed but take several days to
dry thoroughly and then they don't work as well as when new.
Erasers are useful for removing spots. As with the sponges, rub in one direction only,
not back and forth: this can cause wrinkles and tears. Rub toward and off the edges to
prevent tears. When cleaning is completed, inspect the work and brush all eraser
residue from the pages and from the gutter of the book.
Brittle paper: Clean with a soft brush only; do not use the other method
PAPER REPAIR USING JAPANESE TISSUE AND WHEAT STARCH PASTE
Traditional paper repair, using Japanese tissue and paste can be time consuming. Most
important, however, is the fact that only paste and Japanese tissue repair has been absolutely
proven to be reversible.
For general collections purposes, the leaves of a book need only enough mending to allow them
to be used without incurring further damage. Documents that are to be encapsulated require
only minimal mending.
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When repairing a leaf of a textblock, the open book must be appropriately supported to
insure that it will not be damaged during execution of the repair. The mended leaf will
need to dry between blotters and beneath weight and the book must be positioned to
support this.
A Japanese tissue should be chosen that is compatible to the leaf in weight and tone.
The repair should not be stronger than the material upon which it has been placed.
Tissue should always be torn, not cut, as the feathered edge not only blends the repair
in well, but, more importantly, distributes the stress of the join more evenly.
REPAIRING TEARS
 The best, most long-lasting paper repairs are made with Japanese tissue and wheat
paste or methyl-cellulose. Do not use Filmoplast or similar tapes on archival materials or
rare/research books because these tapes are not easily removable, especially after a
few years. Filmoplast is appropriate for circulating materials because it does not yellow
and adhesive does not ooze out from the edges even after many years.
MENDING EDGE TEARS
The edges of a tear may be feathered and overlapping, exposing inner layers of the paper. If the
overlapping edges are wide enough, the tear can often be repaired by pasting the two edges together.
Place a piece of polyester web (Remay or Hollitex) under the tear, and a piece of blotter under the
polyester. Align the edges of the tear and match the print or image carefully. Put a small weight on each
side of the tear. Gently separate the tear and apply a thin coat of paste to each edge of the tear. Set the
edges back together, cover with polyester web and blotter and rub down.
Repair long, irregularly shaped tears in segments, allowing each repaired section to dry before
proceeding to the next. If the overlapping surfaces are wide, this may be sufficient; otherwise,
consolidate the repair with Japanese tissue.
MENDING A SIMPLE EDGE WITH JAPANESE TISSUE PAPER
Choose a piece of Japanese tissue of adequate weight and tear it to size. Apply a light coat of paste or
methyl cellulose. If you apply paste to the mending strips on a blotter, some of the moisture will be
absorbed by the blotter. Pick up the pasted strip with a microspatula and place it over the tear. Allow
approx.1/4" to extend beyond the edge of the paper. (It will be cut off when the repair is dry.)
Place a piece of polyester over the repair, then a piece of blotter on top. Rub gently to absorb excess
moisture and paste. Change the blotters, and place a small weight on top. Let dry under weight. When
dry, cut the excess off.
If the tear is curved, you can shape the strip of Japanese tissue. Put a scrap of Mylar over the tear,
position the tissue on the Mylar and use a water pen to draw an outline a little bigger than the tear.
(Working on a light box makes it easier to see the shape of the tear). Tear off a repair strip along the
moistened outline. Proceed as above for pasting the strip and drying the repair.
Repair long tears in sections, using short strips placed end to end. This reduces pulling and buckling as
the repair dries.
MENDING TEARS IN BOOKS
When mending a tear in a book, provide support to the book so that the pages lie flat without any strain
on the binding. You may need to prop the book open with weights or place another book of suitable
thickness under the open board.
Before repairing a folding map that extends out, build up the surface under it to match the thickness of
the book. Use boards, other books, cardboard, etc.
MENDING A SIMPLE EDGE WITH JAPANESE TISSUE PAPER
Choose a piece of Japanese tissue of adequate weight and tear it to size. Apply a light coat of
paste or methyl cellulose. If you apply paste to the mending strips on a blotter, some of the
moisture will be absorbed by the blotter. Pick up the pasted strip with a microspatula and place
it over the tear. Allow approx.1/4" to extend beyond the edge of the paper. (It will be cut off
when the repair is dry.)
Place a piece of polyester over the repair, then a piece of blotter on top. Rub gently to absorb
excess moisture and paste. Change the blotters, and place a small weight on top. Let dry under
weight. When dry, cut the excess off.
If the tear is curved, you can shape the strip of Japanese tissue. Put a scrap of Mylar over the
tear, position the tissue on the Mylar and use a water pen to draw an outline a little bigger than
the tear. (Working on a light box makes it easier to see the shape of the tear). Tear off a repair
strip along the moistened outline. Proceed as above for pasting the strip and drying the repair.
Repair long tears in sections, using short strips placed end to end. This reduces pulling and
buckling as the repair dries.
MENDING TEARS IN BOOKS
When mending a tear in a book, provide support to the book so that the pages lie flat without
any strain on the binding. You may need to prop the book open with weights or place another
book of suitable thickness under the open board.
Before repairing a folding map that extends out, build up the surface under it to match the
thickness of the book. Use boards, other books, cardboard, etc.
STRAIGHT TEARS
Straight tears are characterized by the absence of protruding fibers from the edge of the tear.
Usually, these tears have followed the grain direction of the paper.
 Place waxed paper or a scrap of mylar beneath the tear.
 Tear a piece of repair tissue wide enough to extend 1/8" or less on either side of the
tear.
 Apply paste to the tissue and place it over the tear, stretching the tissue as little as
possible. If working at the edge of a leaf, allow the tissue to extend beyond the edge of
the leaf; it can be trimmed later. Note: when applying paste to Japanese tissues, it is


easiest and most effective to brush paste out onto a scrap of mylar or a litho stone, lay
the Japanese tissue on the pasted surface, rub down through waxed paper, remove the
tissue and position it on the tear.
With waxed paper on either side of the leaf, rub down to set the tissue.
Sandwich the leaf between polyester webbing and blotting paper and beneath weight
until dry. If the weight is removed before the repair is completely dry, the leaf may
cockle.
HINGE TIGHTENING
This repair is for use in case bound books when the textblock is loose in its case, i.e., it is pulling
away from its cover but the cover material, endpapers and cloth spine linings remain intact. If
left unrepaired, the hinge and/or pastedown will tear, causing the textblock to separate from
the case partially or fully and necessitating a more extensive repair.
Hinge tightening consists of an application of adhesive between the separated materials to secure the
textblock to its case.
INNER JOINT REPAIR
 This repair is for use in case bound books when the joint of the endpaper has torn, but
the cover materials and spine linings remain intact.
 Inner joint repair consists of the removal of old, loose joint paper and replacement with
archival paper or Japanese tissue.
 Materials: archival paper or Japanese tissue, PVA or paste, glue or paste brush, waxed
paper, bone folder, waste paper, ruler, scalpel.
REPLACEMENT OF ENDPAPERS
Endpapers should be replaced only when necessary, e.g. when missing or brittle/acidic, and
then by using the method best suited to the particular item and its structure. There are literally
hundreds of endpaper configurations. For most of the general collections materials, the
following replacement method will suffice.
Decorated endpapers and those with signatures or meaningful notations should be kept
whenever possible. Bookplates, booksellers' and bookbinders' tickets should always be
removed and re-attached to new endpapers.
New endpapers should be made from archival stock and every effort should be made to choose
a paper compatible in tone and weight to the original.
REMOVAL OF ENDPAPERS
1. Remove the old endpaper by easing the flyleaf away from the textblock, pulling at a
shallow angle. DO NOT attempt this if the endpaper has been sewn on. Remove as much
as possible of the pastedown.
2. Gently sand the inside of the cover so that the new pastedown will go down smoothly.
Make and attach the appropriate endpaper.
RE-CASING
Occasionally, books have completely lost their bindings. More often, the boards of a binding are
extremely worn or damaged and warrant replacement. In these cases, a new case is
constructed. The book should be resewn as necessary before proceeding.
Materials: Binders' board; book cloth; PVA; scissors; board shear; brush; bone folder;
endpapers; waste paper; waxed paper; nipping press.
REBACKING OF CLOTH BINDINGS
If a book has a loose spine, worn out joints, broken hinges or detached boards, it can be
rebacked provided the sewing is intact and strong. If the boards are still attached to the book,
make sure that their attachment is strong. If it is not, detach the boards. If the sewing is broken
down, either repair the sewing or resew the book.
DEACIDIFICATION is the chemical process of treating acidic materials via an alkaline agent
which is either dissolved or suspended in an inert liquid to which the book is exposed or the
agent is dispersed via gas vapor that penetrates the book. Mass deacidification treats several
books at once and reduces the treatment cost per volume. However, treatment of a larger
collection remains expensive.
ENCAPSULATION
Polyester film is especially useful for the storage of weak, brittle, or torn items. It can be used
as a folder, with one sheet of polyester film folded in half and creased. Alternatively, two sheets
can be welded or taped together along one edge. If it is unnecessary for an item to be removed
from the polyester film, or if it should not be removed because of its fragility, it can be
encapsulated between two sheets of the film, with the film welded or taped along all four
edges. Research demonstrates that acidic papers may age much faster after encapsulation, and
that leaving an air space at the corners of an encapsulation does not slow this aging, as was
once speculated. Certain items might be protected from this aging by alkalization
(deacidification) prior to encapsulation. If alkalization is not appropriate or feasible,
encapsulation may still be desirable to protect items that are very fragile or heavily used. In
such a case, including a sheet of buffered paper behind the item can slow the rate of
deterioration.
EASY REPAIRS can be performed in most information agencies by those with minimal
conservation training. However, some instruction is needed to insure that proper materials and
techniques are used. Mending torn pages with archival quality tape is an example of an easy
repair. Simple repairs usually involve the circulating rather than special collections. Slitting
uncut pages, tipping in inserts, making pockets for loose parts, repairing pages, and
strengthening hinges are examples of easy repairs.
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