Best Practices

Brodart Wrote the Book – On Book Care & Repair: Free Tutorial

Brodart has been in the business of taking care of your books for over 70 years, and it all began back in 1939 when Arthur Brody was a young Columbia University student involved in architectural photography. One day, he washed the emulsion off some film and folded it around his books for protection. It wasn’t long before demand grew among his fellow students and the book jacket cover was born.

Preventative maintenance with a book cover is the best way to keep your collection looking better and circulating longer. Brodart offers many cover styles to protect any type of volume, from paperbacks to hardcover books with or without dust jackets. There are book jacket cover sheets and clear film rolls to protect hardcover books and reusable vinyl covers to protect paperbacks.

Books that have already sustained damage from wear and tear may be kept in circulation using easy repair tactics. It’s not difficult to clean marked pages, to replace a loose page or signature, or to repair a loose or broken hinge. All you need are an art gum eraser, a good pair of shears, tape, adhesive, a paste brush and some H-bands or book weights.

For example, here is a step-by-step tutorial on how to replace a detached softcover:

	1.  Use a book repair knife to remove loose paper and dried glue from the exposed signatures.
	2. With a paste brush, apply a light coat of Bind-Art® to the signatures and let dry for three to four hours.
	3. Use the paste brush to apply adhesive to the spine of the book and then replace the signatures. Place a piece of waxed paper inside the front and back covers.
	4. Wrap the book with an H-band and let it dry overnight.
	5. When the glue has dried, gently remove the waxed paper. The hinges should then be reinforced with hinge reinforcing tape.

For more step-by-step instructions on a wide variety of hardcover, softcover and magazine repairs, download Brodart’s Guide to Book Care and Repair. Inside, you will find a list of the repair tools and supplies you need for each repair along with explicit instructions. Increase the value and shelf life of your collection! Go to:
http://www.shopbrodart.com/_resources/www/brodart/_system/content/images/BookRepairManual.pdf

Brodart Supplies & Furnishings. Selling library supplies, library furniture, and school supplies worldwide. Brodart is a library supply company and known as the inventor of the book cover. www.shopbrodart.com