Books

Supporting books when they are on display

Many books need support while being read, and all books should have support when they are on display. Severe damage can result from books being forced to open out flat; and the risks are greater for old, fragile and tight bindings.

There are a number of versatile and effective book supports which are easily and cheaply made.

Pillow support or cradle

The materials required for this support are polyester/cotton fabric, Dacron polyester wadding, sewing thread and Velcro.

The support is made first as a flat pillow. The dimensions will be determined by the size and the weight of the book to be supported. For example, an A4-volume can be well supported by a pillow of 1000mm x 350mm.

To turn the pillow into a cradle, the ends are rolled towards the centre—leaving a padded area between the rolls to support the spine of the book. The width of this central area depends on the width of the book's spine.

Click here to see Diagram

Velcro is stitched to the cradle to fix the two rolled sections in place at the correct angle to support the book for reading and/or display.

Stands for closed books

A simple stand for closed books can be made:

• using acid-free mount board for light- to medium-weight books;

• by measuring and determining the required dimensions; and

• scoring the board where it is to be folded and folding it. The folds, once set at the angle you require, can be set in place by attaching gummed, linen tape to the mount board.

Click here to see Diagram

Diagrams reproduced from the Canadian Conservation Institute Note No. 11/8.

A more rigid material, such as Perspex, an acrylic sheet, can be used for larger, heavier books. The acrylic can be bent to the required shape. Most acrylic sheet suppliers can do this if you supply them with the dimensions you require and, if possible, a diagram of what you want.

Supports for open books

When displaying books open at the title page, or first or last sections of the text, support should be provided for the cover. This reduces the compression on the spine, and minimises the risk of damage to the book.

A suitable support can be constructed from acid-free mount board, folded and reinforced as described for the closed-book stand. Again the dimensions are determined by the dimensions of the book: care must be taken to make the spine strip of the book support narrower than the spine of the book.

Click here to see Diagram

Diagrams reproduced from the Canadian Conservation Institute Note No. 11/8.

The Mylar strip is very unobtrusive. In this photograph you can only see the Mylar because it is reflecting the lighter patches at the head and tail of the book. Photograph courtesy of Vicki Humphrey

With some books, there will be a tendency for the leaves of the book to open and stand up. This can be prevented by placing a narrow strip of Mylar around the textblock. The Mylar can be joined end-to-end using a small piece of double-sided tape. The tape must not touch the book. It should be placed between the two ends of the Mylar.

A different type of support is needed if the book is quite thick and is to be opened in the middle or if the book is tightly bound and will not open well. Again, this support can be made from acid-free mount board or acrylic sheeting. It presents the book in a V-shaped cavity in which the book rests open at an angle of about 100º—rather than flat at 180º.

Display cases

Books are often displayed in cases. Remember, while display cases are a useful method of protecting objects from the harmful effects of the environment and secure from theft and vandalism, books will still need to be supported in a case.

If you are considering using a display case, think about the materials from which it is made. Placing valuable items in cases made from materials that are potentially harmful locks them into a harmful microclimate.

Polishing the top of the display can cause electricity to build up which can make book pages fly open—or snap together. You can prevent this happening by:

• securing the pages with Mylar strips as described in the section Supports for open books; and

• ensuring there is sufficient space between the top of the book and the top of the display case—250mm is a good distance.

Books should not be displayed vertically with their covers open, because the weight of the paper in the textblock will cause distortion. The binding structure may even collapse.