Tuesday, Oct 22, 2024

This question is usually posed after something bad has affected people’s books, such as fire or smoke damage, or being eaten by silverfish and other vermin –or by the family dog. Sometimes the damage occurs through a misguided attempt to preserve one’s books. Sadly, best intentions can become weapons of destruction.

Some years ago, we were asked to preview a large collection of twentieth-century books covering a diverse range of subjects. The vendor, who was terminally ill, wanted to ensure that his library was preserved after his death. During my visit I commented on the importance of dust wrappers and that it was good to see books in such fine condition, with like dust wrappers. When we returned a couple of years later, we discovered that the collector had misunderstood my comments, spending his remaining time cutting the dust wrappers into different panels and pasting them on to various parts of each book. Consequently, we could not purchase the collection.

For the sake of honesty, I admit that at the age of fourteen, I wanted to be a librarian. Based on the appearance of the modern fiction my mother was borrowing from a local library, I performed a librarianship experiment at home. I cut the front panels from the dust wrappers of all my books and pasted these to the boards. I then lacquered the covers with clear varnish, repeating the process with my sister Patricia’s books as well. The family’s reaction was such that I lost interest in being a librarian.

Why look after one's books? There are three basic reasons:    
1. Custodianship: We are only custodians of our collections for a time–they need to be preserved for future generations     
2. Aesthetics: There is physical pleasure to be gained from the appearance, handling and reading of fine copies of books  
3. Value: Condition affects the commercial and intrinsic value of books.

There are many books and articles devoted to caring for books–with too many aspects to include in this Marginal Note. The following are some basic tips:

Books are made of organic materials such as paper, leather and vellum, and are sensitive to environmental conditions. They can be adversely affected by temperature and humidity, poor ventilation and light.

A simple rule to start with: Don’t do anything to your collection that cannot be undone. And in simple terms, to ensure that your books remain in the best condition and retain their intrinsic and commercial value we suggest that you

Do

- keep them out of direct sunlight

- keep them away from damp, humid and unventilated areas

- regularly air books and keep them dust free

- handle them from time to time

- check for signs of deterioration

- protect dust wrappers in archival material and use archival quality sleeves for news clippings,     letters or other loosely inserted items of interest [we buy our supplies from Archival Survival]

- seek professional advice before attempting repairs

Do not

- cover dust wrappers with plastic or contact adhesives

- use sticky tape on dust wrappers or in books

- ‘stick’ items into or on books

- write, print, emboss or stamp your name in a book [unless you are, or hope to be, famous]

- excise inscriptions or obliterate them with white out, felt pens or sticky labels

- place coffee mugs, wine glasses or foodstuffs on a book (risk of spillage)