Hard-backerizing a paperback?

R

Rusty Toyota

Joined
May 26, 2007
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I guess it's not that big of an issue now, they're beyond help. But one of the first things I learned in college is that they use bad books, content and construction.

I've been having problems keeping my books in shape because even though they're reasonably thick the pages are super thin and the whole book is kind of floppy. Needless to say my covers have creases all over them.


So is there any way to protect these books?
 
Rusty Toyota said:
I learned in college is that they use bad books, content and construction.
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If you will go to a used book store or to a yard sale or flea market and look at some paperback books that are 20+ years old, you will see that most exhibit noticeable yellowing of the paper and fading of the print. You may notice embrittlement of the paper and failing of th binding, loose pages, etc. Most paperback books are just not made to last. The materials used doom them from the day they are made. They are disposable.
 
Gollnick said:
They are disposable.
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Yep, paperbacks are designed and made to last only as long as it takes them to serve their purpose. Just go online and price common books available in hardcover and paperback, you'll see the difference in price IMMEDIATELY.

I used to work for one of the larger textbook publishing companies and there is a very definite line drawn in lifespan of college texts. One of the "big three" was sued a number of years ago for deliberately using inferior glue on their bindings causing the books to become useless in very short time! For the college market, price point is a huge issue and professors will often choose books based on cost to the students rather than what is the "best" book for the course, especially in undergrad intro courses. Publishers, in order to meet those price points will switch to paperback, thinner paper, lower quality printing, etc. It's a very interesting market with lots more involved than most people realize.

There is a company that hard-binds paperback books for use in schools as reading books so they can survive years of use. I can't remember their name, tho. What they do is actually cut the book off just inside the binding glue and re-bind with a better material and fabric-covered hard binding. REALLY tough. You could try and reproduce that procedure if the books were that important. If you're just trying to save them so you can get the best resale value, leave the book in your room, don't carry it around, take care not to damage it is your only real hope.

J-
 
I have had some success making book jackets out of corrugated cardboard. You just have to cut the cardboard to fit around the flimsy outer cover and secure it with duct tape. It significantly strengthens the book. I was able to keep my paperbacks' covers from bending and the pages from getting squashed by doing this. Best of all, it's very cheap and easy to do. I highly recommend it for those thick paperbacks with flimsy covers.
 
Most older paperbacks are printed on acidic pulp paper that yellows and gets brittle as it ages.
You might try Bookkeeper deacidifying spray. It is definitely not perfect but its better than nothing. You can buy it at Museum Conservation supply houses, just google it.
There are other much more effective ways of deacidifying books but they are larger scale and much more expensive.
If its a book you really love then perhaps you could scan/pdf it and print off a new copy on high quality acid free paper. Use the new copy and store the original in an archival quality storage sleeve or box.
Heres an appropriate article on storage/ handling etc.
Caring For Your Treasures-CARING FOR YOUR BOOKS
http://aic.stanford.edu/library/online/brochures/books.html
Also google Cool online for conservation articles.
Once upon a time I used to be a Conservator...
 
I have some old paperback books, from the fifties and sixties, I believe, that are still in very good condition for their ages. Here's one, Karl Popper's 'Objective Knowledge.' Someone, the original owner, perhaps, has taken this book and the others I bought from the second hand store and applied an adhesive-like, clear permanent cover to the outer surfaces. It makes the outer surface of the books more impervious to the elements and also makes the covers more solid and able to stand abuse and handling. The adhesive material covers the whole outside of the book and wraps over into the inside of the outer cover. If I remeber correctly, Gaylord or Brodart book repair/supply ahs these things in stock. I'll check it out for you.
 
Yeah, I was right. Gaylord book supply and repair has the stuff. It's an adhesive vinyl lminate, with a grid pattern on the peel away backing, to make measuring and cutting easier. Check Gaylord Brothers, www.gaylord.com. They're offering this stuff on a 20% price off deal right now. To give you an idea of cost, a 8" X 200" roll is $7.96. Not too bad.
 
Also, you could try using a three ring binder, marking the holes for the rings and then using a drill bit to drill the holes, maybe?
 
we call it sticky back plastic here, its commonly used to cover school books so they take the wear and tear.
 
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