Books

The do's and don'ts of repair and labelling

Inappropriate labelling and repair methods can damage and devalue books. The following guidelines may help to prevent such damage.

If books are damaged, be aware that some repairs can cause further damage. For this reason it is recommended that you do not use sticky tapes of any kind.

These tapes go through a number of stages when they deteriorate. Firstly, the adhesive becomes very sticky and will be absorbed easily into paper, bookcloths and leather. In the next stage the adhesive changes chemically, and begins to yellow and eventually turns a dark orange. At this stage, the adhesive is almost totally insoluble and the stains cannot be removed. Once the adhesive becomes insoluble, the tape usually falls away, so the repair has failed and you still have the damage. In addition to the original damages, the paper is now badly stained as well.

This damaged dust jacket was repaired with sticky tape which has discoloured and stained the paper. Photograph courtesy of Vicki Humphrey

Don't attempt to mend torn pages or damaged covers, unless you have good-quality materials and are confident that the methods you use will not cause damage in the future. Talk to a conservator if you're not certain that you're doing the right thing, or if you want information about training courses.

If the boards have come off one of your books, don't try to reattach them with sticky tape. It is better to place the book, with its cover, in a wrapper or a phase box until it can be repaired properly. The book can still be used, but it is protected properly until it is treated.

Ball-point pens or other ink pens and markers should not be used to label books. Many of these inks, particularly felt tip pen inks, can spread and cause unsightly staining. If you need to handwrite a label, it is best to use a permanent ink—such as Indian ink.

This photograph shows the damage that can be done by leaving paper clips on paper for a length of time. Photograph courtesy of Vicki Humphrey

If you use rubber stamps or embossing stamps regularly for labelling your books, be careful about where you place the stamp. Many books have important images and printed plates, and these can be ruined if a stamp is placed over the image or over part of it.

Paper clips, even plastic ones, can damage and distort paper. They should not be used for attaching labels or marking your place. Metal paper clips rust over time and stain paper.