



Produced by Hazel Batey and the Online Distributed
Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This file was
produced from images generously made available by The
Internet Archive/American Libraries.)









LIBRARY BOOKBINDING




    Library Bookbinding


    by Arthur L. Bailey
    _Librarian Wilmington_ (_Delaware_) _Institute Free Library_

    Illustration

    THE H. W. WILSON COMPANY
    White Plains, N. Y., and New York City
    1916




    Published May, 1916


    Copyright, 1916
    By The H. W. Wilson Company




PREFACE


It has been the purpose of the writer in these chapters on library
bookbinding to set forth as clearly as possible the best information
relating to processes, materials, routine and various other lesser
matters pertaining to bookbinding which must be taken into consideration
by librarians, or by assistants in charge of binding departments.
Although much of this information exists elsewhere in printed form, it
is scattered through various books and articles. In some respects,
therefore, this book is a gathering together of scattered material. It
is hoped, however, that there is enough new material to make the book of
interest to those who deal daily with binding problems, and that the
book as a whole may help to solve some of the questions relating to
binding in libraries both large and small.

Most books on binding and all books on library binding have devoted some
space to paper, its composition, manufacture, finish and use. As the
subject is so fully dealt with elsewhere it has not been included here.
Those who are interested will find full information in the technical
books on paper, in Mr. Dana's "Notes on book binding for libraries," and
in Messrs. Coutts and Stephen's "Manual of library binding." There is
also an excellent article on wood pulp paper in the Scientific American
of October 4, 1913.

Nor has it seemed desirable to include chapters on commercial binding
nor on historical bindings. Both of these subjects are treated
adequately in Coutts and Stephen's "Manual." The present writer has
limited his discussion to matters dealing directly with the binding of
books for libraries.

In one or two cases the same subject has been treated in two different
chapters because the subject matter belonged in both places, and in
neither case would the discussion be complete without it.

A. L. B.

December 9, 1915.




TABLE OF CONTENTS


    Chapter I. Introduction                                3

            II. Selection of a binder                      9

           III. Processes                                 13

            IV. Materials                                 51

             V. Specifications                            87

            VI. Binding before purchase and reinforcing  103

           VII. Cost                                     115

          VIII. Preparing for the bindery                125

            IX. Binding records and routine              149

             X. Repairing, recasing, recovering etc.     165

            XI. Magazine binders                         199

           XII. Pamphlets                                205

          XIII. Bindery in the library building          209

    Appendix A. Specifications of the U. S. Bureau
                of Standards for book cloths             217

             B. Reading list on binding                  221

             C. List of technical terms                  225

                Index                                    245




LIBRARY BOOKBINDING




LIBRARY BOOKBINDING

CHAPTER I

INTRODUCTION


An examination of the annual reports of libraries in the United States
shows that from four to eight per cent of the total income is spent for
binding; the amounts ranging from $2,000 to over $40,000 a year for this
one item. It must be admitted that these are large sums and that a
knowledge of binding materials and processes is necessary in order to
spend this money wisely. In many libraries the appropriation for books
includes binding and periodicals. It is evident, therefore, that every
dollar saved on binding can be devoted to the purchase of books. And
what librarian does not desire more money for new books?

In spite of the importance of the subject a great deal of ignorance has
prevailed in years past, and far too many librarians of the present day
fail to realize that here is one place where money can be easily wasted.
Possibly one reason for the ignorance about binding is that, except in a
minor degree, it does not directly affect the public, for librarians
are quick to make changes which will increase the interest of the public
in the library. Another reason is that experiments are necessary; and
since it takes time to draw conclusions from experiments, definite rules
have not been formulated.

In fact, experiments are still being tried. But while in the past they
were along the line of making books stronger, the experiments of the
present are rather along the line of adapting different methods to
different books, according to the paper on which they