Library Bookbinding Part 12

(For arguments in favor of this see Chapter 8, p. 131.)

LEATHER VS. CLOTH

Notwithstanding that he is repeating himself, the writer wishes to emphasize one point. It may almost be made a general rule, though like other rules, it will not work well at all times. Never bind a seldom used book in leather, or a much used one in cloth.

CHEAP EDITIONS

Money may be saved by replacing books which need rebinding with good editions cheaper than the cost of binding. (See (_f_), page 129.)

PROPER CARE

The life of the book in the library may be prolonged in several ways.

1. In opening the leaves of uncut books at the top the paper knife should be carried to the back of the book, using a dull knife that is thin, long and tapering.

2. Many books should be carefully opened before being placed on the shelves. This is done by resting the book on its back and dropping the covers on the table. Taking a few leaves at a time first at the front and then at the back, press them down carefully until the middle of the book is reached. If this be done there is little chance that the back of the book will be broken if the book is suddenly opened.

3. Books should not be pressed tightly together on the shelves.

4. They should not be piled on other books resting on their fore-edge.

5. They should not be pulled from the shelves by the head bands.

6. They should be dusted frequently.

7. They should be kept upright on the shelves instead of half-fallen over.

8. In every way they should be handled as if they were books, not bricks.

CHAPTER VIII

PREPARING FOR THE BINDERY

To decide properly what books should be rebound and how they should be rebound is not a simple matter nor one which should be left to an inexperienced or uneducated a.s.sistant. In addition to a good working knowledge of materials and processes the a.s.sistant in charge of this work should have a general knowledge of books--paper, editions, prices, literary value, timeliness, etc.--and good judgment in deciding whether a book should be bound or whether it should be mended, recased, wrapped in paper, recovered, or thrown away. The binding, therefore, should be in the hands of an a.s.sistant who understands the demands of this department of library service, and for economy's sake as well as for the sake of efficiency it should not be s.h.i.+fted from one person to another.

Mr. Dana has shown in his "Notes on bookbinding for libraries" how essential it is that binding a.s.sistants should know books. Credit for much of what here appears in support of that viewpoint is due him and is herewith acknowledged.

In considering the binding of fiction and juvenile books the following are some of the questions which the binding a.s.sistant must ask and decide before determining whether a book is to go to the shelves in a new dress, or to the junk-man as waste paper:

(_a_) Is the book in such poor condition that it cannot be rebound or recased? If so, it must be discarded. While this decision is generally easy to make, it is sometimes made difficult by books which are in too good condition to throw away and in too poor condition to rebind. In such cases the decision must depend on the popularity of the book. If very popular, it may be wise to rebind it, for it must be remembered that good library binders can accomplish wonders with books that are in poor condition.

Sometimes the question arises whether the book is in poor enough condition to need rebinding. Perhaps it will survive a few more issues just as it stands. If the book is a trifle shaky in its covers, the decision should be to rebind. The binder can do a better job at this time than he can when the book becomes more worn, and the life of the book will be prolonged by prompt binding. If the a.s.sistant decides not to rebind it, the book will be issued only a few more times before it will have to be withdrawn from circulation and sent to the repair room again. The result is a greater loss of time with no actual gain in wear.

(_b_) Is the book much read? If it is an old one that is evidently popular, it is reasonable to suppose that it is the policy of the library to supply the demand for this book, and the book will be rebound as a matter of course. A decision about new books which are popular is harder to make because it is fair to ask:

(_c_) Is the demand falling off? It is here that the a.s.sistant must show good judgment. It may be that the book can be rebound easily with profit, if there is a sufficient demand to keep all the copies in circulation. It may be that the book is waning in popularity and that other copies in the library are ample to supply present demands. If they are, the copy in hand should be canceled, since the cost of binding will then be saved. But the a.s.sistant should ascertain the condition of the remaining copies. Let us take the case of a novel which has been withdrawn from circulation because it needs rebinding. The a.s.sistant looks at the record of circulation on the book card or pocket and discovers that last year the book was issued four times a month, while now it is issued only twice a month. He finds also that there are four other copies. These four copies should be sufficient to meet present demands, and the book in hand may be withdrawn. But suppose that further investigation shows that two of the four copies are in very poor condition and cannot be rebound. If he withdraws the one in hand, only two good copies will remain, and perhaps these are not sufficient to supply the demand. On the other hand, it is possible that they are sufficient to supply the demand. In any event, the situation is one which requires a knowledge of the book itself, its popularity with the public, and general good judgment. The question may be summed up in this way:

1. It is cheaper to rebind a book than it is to discard it and later be obliged to buy a new copy.

2. It is cheaper to discard a book when it seems a.s.sured that the book's popularity is over, than to bind it and have it remain for years unused.

(_d_) If the book is much used, is it a book that the library wishes to circulate? Every library has certain books on its shelves of which those in authority somewhat disapprove, but which are very popular and not poor enough to be done away with altogether. It is sometimes the policy to supply only partially the demand for such books; sometimes to discard them entirely when worn out. The good binding a.s.sistant will remember the t.i.tles of these books and use good judgment in dealing with them when they come into his hands.

(_e_) If the book is not much read, is it a standard work? For example, in the case of a work of Anthony Trollope the a.s.sistant discovers that it was issued only once during the last year and that it is the only copy in the library. If he does not "know books," he will be led to believe that the book has no value and will cancel it. In a large library an action of this sort would be unwise; in a small library the decision would depend upon the particular t.i.tle. Most libraries keep a book of this particular cla.s.s in order to supply the occasional demand for it. There are many books not written by men with the reputation of Anthony Trollope which, nevertheless, have intrinsic worth and have a small circle of admirers. They may not have great merit, but on no account should the library be without them. As examples of books of this kind we may take Mrs. Brush's "Colonel's opera cloak" and Theodore Winthrop's "John Brent."

(_f_) Can the book be replaced with a good reprint which will wear as long as a new binding and cost less? While there are not many cases in which this can be done, the a.s.sistant should watch for them. The most noteworthy reprints which will meet these requirements are the volumes in Everyman's Library. In the original Everyman's edition these were entirely unsuited for library use, but in 1910 they were all put into a strong library binding. In the cloth edition they sell for thirty-five cents a volume and can easily be issued from forty to fifty times before being discarded. This makes the cost for each issue as small as can be obtained by binding higher-priced editions.

The following case, which actually happened, ill.u.s.trates the point, although the books are not fiction. Grote's "History of Greece," in twelve volumes, was in bad condition; several of the cloth backs were torn and the sewing of all the volumes was loose. It was decided to send the books to be rebound at a cost of $5.40. Before doing so, the list of Everyman's Library was consulted and it was found that the work could be obtained in that form in twelve volumes at a cost of $4.20, a clear saving of $1.20, or over 20 per cent. The work was seldom used, yet it was necessary to have the set on the shelves; the Everyman's edition answered every purpose, and will undoubtedly last as long as the rebound set would have done. Unfortunately, owing to copyright provisions, comparatively few of the books which are constantly wearing out can be obtained in this edition.

(_g_) Is it an old edition, with poor paper and poor type? A book of this sort should never be rebound but should be discarded and a new copy purchased even if the cost of a new copy be much greater than that of rebinding.

(_h_) If the book is the only copy in the library and is read not oftener than once in ten years, should it be kept because it is important historically? Good examples of this cla.s.s of unused books are the works of Charles Brockden Brown. They are not interesting at the present time, but when first published were much read. Every student of American literature should read them, and they should be on the shelves of all except the small libraries. Here again good judgment is called for on the part of the a.s.sistant.

(_i_) Is the book used so seldom that it can be recased or recovered by the library? The process of recasing (described on page 184) can be used in the case of small-sized books which have covers showing little evidence of wear, and which do not receive hard usage. The process of recovering (described on page 185) can be used on leather-bound books which have cracked at the joints. In either case the sewing must be perfectly sound.

(_j_) Finally, let us suppose that we have asked all the foregoing questions and are still undecided what to do. There will be very few cases of the kind. Perhaps the best solution is to wrap the book in paper, letter it with author, t.i.tle and call number, and transfer it from the fiction shelves to the regular literature shelves. It may stay there for years unused and yet be at hand when finally called for.

With books other than fiction and juvenile many of the same questions must be asked. In addition, however, it is sometimes necessary to ask the following:

(_a_) Are there later editions which are more valuable? This question will arise with frequency especially in the case of scientific, technical and reference books, and careful judgment must be exercised in making decisions. It often happens that a later edition of a technical book has little more value than the one which precedes it; frequently it entirely supersedes the earlier edition. In the one case the book can be rebound with profit, in the other it is best to discard it and buy the latest edition. Some libraries keep all the editions of a book for historical purposes; but most libraries, especially the smaller ones, will do better to discard older editions when they are superseded by later ones. Sometimes a book has no later edition, but its place has been entirely taken by the work of other authors. In such cases it should be remembered that an out-of-date technical book in the hands of an inexperienced person frequently causes more harm than good. It may cost more to buy a new book than to rebind an old one; yet this is exactly what should be done in every such case if the funds of the library permit.

(_b_) May not the library be better off without either the book or a subst.i.tute? In the past librarians have hesitated to discard any book which has once been placed on the shelves. They have believed that all printed matter has value and that a book which belongs to the library is sacred and must on no account be destroyed. It is difficult to defend such an att.i.tude. If we admit for the time being that the librarian never makes mistakes in acquiring books, still it is sure to happen that many books will outlive their usefulness, except as a part of the history or bibliography of the subject. Why should they be kept on the shelves when they are not used and ought not to be used? It cannot, of course, be admitted that the librarian makes no mistakes in acquiring books; every library in the country will show examples of poor selection. Why, after a mistake has been made, refuse to admit it? If the original purchase (or acceptance of a gift) was a mistake, to keep the book on the shelves simply perpetuates the mistake and adds to the expense of maintenance. It is no crime to discard a book. On the contrary, in many cases, it is the only sensible thing to do. In doubtful cases, however, the book should be kept.

ARRANGEMENT

If the final decision is to bind the book the next step is to arrange the book in the way in which it should be bound. The question of collation is one on which there has been a difference of opinion. Some librarians have claimed that it is best to collate books at the library in order to prevent imperfect books being bound, since it is always disappointing to discover, after a book has been bound, that it is incomplete. In the great majority of cases, however, collation is a waste of time, since good binders refuse to bind imperfect volumes. In the case of very valuable books, especially those with many plates, and even in the case of less valuable books which have many ill.u.s.trations not paged-in, it may be best to collate at the library since it is obviously unfair to the binder to expect him to be responsible for anything except the main paging. Fiction or juvenile books may sometimes be bound when one or two pages are missing. Juvenile books, especially, often go to the bindery with missing pages. Many times these missing pages are not especially important and in these cases it seems more economical to bind the book than to buy a new copy. If the number of missing pages is not too great they may be typewritten from other copies. Books other than fiction or juvenile should seldom be bound in an imperfect condition.

Another exception to the rule of sending books uncollated is in the case of popular periodicals, such as Scribner's, Harper's, Century, etc., where the library has only one copy which it binds. Since periodicals frequently become torn and mutilated and must be replaced it will save delay in having the volumes bound, if the collation is done at the library.

But while collation is generally unnecessary, arrangement in proper order is essential. In dealing with periodicals this is not always an easy task. They should first be examined to see that all the numbers are in hand, and that there is a t.i.tle-page and an index. It would seem as if there were little chance to go astray in doing this, yet the vagaries of periodicals are innumerable and nothing must be taken for granted. If only five monthly numbers are found when there should be six to complete the volume, it is not best to conclude hastily that it is incomplete.

Sometimes the cover indicates that two numbers are published in one. If it is not so indicated one must look at the paging. If the paging is consecutive, and there is a t.i.tle-page and index, it is safe to a.s.sume that the volume is complete, even if a number is apparently missing.

The general rule for arranging periodicals is: Place t.i.tle page at the beginning, followed by table of contents, text, and index at the end.

Periodicals in English are generally easy to arrange, though even in this case one must know whether the periodical in hand is in the habit of publis.h.i.+ng supplements which are paged separately, but which are called for by the table of contents. If such supplements are omitted the volume is incomplete. An example of a periodical of this cla.s.s was the Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, before it changed to its method of issuing each number as a separate volume.

Many volumes of English periodicals such as All the Year Round, Household Words, etc., have been bound without the Christmas supplements, which those periodicals always issued. A few periodicals in English have two or more sets of pagings either in each number, or in some of the numbers and not in others. When the numbers are taken apart and the proper pagings grouped together, the table of contents will generally indicate how these should be arranged. But if not, it is usually readily apparent which is the main paging and which the minor paging or pagings.

Though rarely found in periodicals printed in English, this exasperating condition of affairs frequently exists in foreign periodicals. The Germans are especially fond of printing several different parts in the same number. Frequently a long monograph will begin in the first number of a volume and extend through two or more volumes. When completed it may or may not have a special t.i.tle-page and index of its own. Perhaps the table of contents of the last volume in which part of it has appeared will call for it as a supplement to that volume. Perhaps it does not. In any event the paging must be removed from the first and succeeding volumes until the monograph is finally complete. If it is not called for by any regular t.i.tle-page or table of contents, it may be bound separately. Sometimes a periodical will appear in two or more parts each month, each part covering some phase of the larger subject indicated by the general t.i.tle of the periodical. These parts will be paged separately and numbered differently but will have the same kind of cover, and care must be used to keep the proper parts together.

Peculiarities and irregularities of this sort make periodicals veritable puzzles, some of which it may take months to solve.

In arranging periodicals, front covers having a different color from the text must be kept to facilitate use.

Advertis.e.m.e.nts as a rule should not be bound. Since they are a part of the history of the times, it is desirable for a few of the largest libraries to bind the advertising pages of one or two numbers a year in each periodical. Other libraries should throw them away. It is not necessary to remove them entirely before sending the volumes to the bindery; tearing down two or three inches on pages which are to be discarded is sufficient indication to the binder that they are not to be bound.

Several magazines, such as McClure's and Everybody's, have, for several years, made a practice of leaving articles unfinished in the main paging and continuing them on advertising pages. This is an annoying practice since great care must be taken to see that all text matter is complete, even if it becomes necessary to bind all advertising pages.