Library Bookbinding

Excerpt: ... fiction and juvenile books the following are some of the questions which the binding assistant must ask and decide before determining whether a book is to go to the shelves in a new dress, or to the junk-man as waste paper: (a) Is the book in such poor condition that it Pg 126 cannot be rebound or recased? If so, it must be discarded. While this decision is generally easy to make, it is sometimes made difficult by books which are in too good condition to throw away and in too poor condition to rebind. In such cases the decision must depend on the popularity of the book. If very popular, it may be wise to rebind it, for it must be remembered that good library binders can accomplish wonders with books that are in poor condition. Sometimes the question arises whether the book is in poor enough condition to need rebinding. Perhaps it will survive a few more issues just as it stands. If the book is a trifle shaky in its covers, the decision should be to rebind. The binder can do a better job at this time than he can when the book becomes more worn, and the life of the book will be prolonged by prompt binding. If the assistant decides not to rebind it, the book will be issued only a few more times before it will have to be withdrawn from circulation and sent to the repair room again. The result is a greater loss of time with no actual gain in wear. (b) Is the book much read? If it is an old one that is evidently popular, it is reasonable to suppose that it is the policy of the library to supply the demand for this book, and the book will be rebound as a matter of course. A decision about new books which are popular is harder to make because it is fair to ask: (c) Is the demand falling off? It is here that the assistant must show good judgment. It may be Pg 127 that the book can be rebound easily with profit, if there is a sufficient demand to keep all the copies in circulation. It may be that the book is waning in popularity and that other copies in the...