Free! Tips On How To Preserve Your Books

1. Beware of Basements
    Due to the dampness and chill of many basements, mold spots will grow on the covers and pages of your book within a relatively short time.
    If books must be kept in the basement, they should be stored in sturdy cardboard boxes and kept off of the floor.

2.Stand Books Upright
    All books need to be kept perpendicular to the shelf when standing on end.
    Do not let books lean on each other, there should be a finger width in between any standing books.
    Leaning books result in the spine or hinge area being bent out of shape and if kept to long in this position they become very hard to repair and undo the damage.

3.Dust
    Books should be dusted on all surface areas, every 3-6 months.
    Dust lightly pushing away from the spine and page areas using a soft feather duster.

4.Do Not Bend Books
    When opening or reading, book covers should be at no more than a 95% angle from each other.
    If a book is laying flat the covers are at about an 180% angle.

5.Use Bookmarks
    When reading the book do not bend page corners down or bend any part of the page, but use a bookmark instead.
    Bent pages result in the corners breaking off, and/or print being smudged off as well.

6.Avoid Attics
    Books stored in attic spaces, tend to dry out and crack in the spine or hinges areas, and will be stiff and brittle when used again.
    If books must be kept in the attic, they should be wrapped in a linen type cloth and stored in sturdy cardboard boxes make sure to place them away from windows, leaky areas, chimneys, stove pipes and/or heat vents.

Repairing it Right

  Having a Book Repairer do the job when your book is beyond saving.
  Do not use tape such as Scotch, Duct, Packing, or any other type except for a special acid free tape called Filmoplast. Because tape it very bad for books and it leaves acid markings on all of the pages that it comes in contact with. For more information on the acid free tape, go to www.talas-nyc.com and do a search for Filmoplast.
  Books should not be kept or stored in a air tight plastic wrapping, due to the fact that boards and cover materials can become musty and end up having and odor.

We would be more than happy to answer any additional questions on:

1. The points listed above.
2. The prevention of book damage.
3. Simple repairs that can be done at home.
4. Price quotes for any books that you would like to have repaired.
5. The options available to you for different book repair jobs.