Quick Book Repair

I am not a professional book conservator. This is just a quick look at a simple repair for minor rips to paperback books that have been loved to pieces. The book above is one example. It has been read so much the back cover came off, with a few pages still clinging to it.

Do not use masking tape, Scotch tape, duct tape, painter's tape, electrical tape or washi tape. These all have chemicals that will off-gas and make the paper even more fragile than it already is. If you want to pass this beloved favorite to future generations, use the tape shown below.

Now, I found this box buried in the back of desk drawer that I inherited along with my current job. I have no idea how old it is. However, I do know where to get it. Here or here are two good places. I bet if you look hard enough you can find others.

The tricky part about this tape comes from how thin it is. Threading it through the separator is annoying, but will help in the long run. Trust me.

Hard to see - since I was using a white table - but there is a piece of archival tape cut to size and placed half on the back of the book.

I realigned the cover and pressed the tape down firmly. I also run my fingernail or a bone folder over the tape to be certain it holds.

I added a second piece to the inside seam.

Then to be sure it holds tight, I added two more pieces to the outer cover. One overlaps the first piece, holding it on to the spine better. The last one overlaps that and reinforces the front cover. The front had not fallen off, but on a well-loved volume like this, it can't hurt to prepare for the worst.

There are some cool tutorials of more complex repairs on youtube. You may also be able to find someone near you who can fix trickier wear & tear. Happy reading!