Q&A for How to Keep Books in Good Condition

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How do I take care of the spine of a book? What can I do to keep it intact if it is bent?

Community Answer

You should hold the book carefully to prevent a bent spine. If it is already bent, then there is nothing you can do. Bending it in different ways to make the spine retain its normal condition may make it worse.

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Question

Will putting a plastic cover on the book help to protect it?

Community Answer

Yes, it will help protect the cover from minor marks and very small spills, but it won't protect the pages.

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Question

Can I put books in a trolley or duffle bag for long time?

Community Answer

You can keep them there temporarily, as long as the conditions of the bag aren't damp, but if you want to keep them in good condition, I wouldn't recommend storing them like this for an extended period of time.

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Question

The media specialist wants me to cover the new hardcover books with the same thick sticky plastic I use for paperbacks. Is this correct?

Community Answer

Clear plastic adjustable book jackets that fit over the hardcover dust jacket are preferred.

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Question

Can I safely keep my books in a duffel bag for a long time?

Community Answer

You can keep them there temporarily, as long as the conditions of the bag aren't damp, but if you want to keep them in good condition, I wouldn't recommend storing them like this for an extended period of time.

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Question

How can I keep the corners from folding or getting dirty?

Community Answer

Use a slip of paper or a normal bookmark to prevent creasing. Be careful when turning pages so as to not rip them, and do not eat or drink anything while reading the book. Try to handle it with care, and don't let little ones touch it.

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Question

If the cover is bent, what can I do to flatten it again?

Community Answer

Use a hair straightener on low heat and carefully go over any imperfections. Make sure you don't have the heat too high, as this will discolor the book.

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Question

Will leaving my book in air conditioning cause my book pages to turn tan?

Torpi

Top Answerer

Not if the temperature is below 75 degrees Fahrenheit (23 C) and it's dry air that's being circulated. Libraries and archives keep their collections in air-conditioned rooms.

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Question

How do I remove stains, especially food stains, from the pages? How do I keep the books looking new?

Community Answer

Nothing can be done to fix the stained pages. But the stained covers can be polished using Colin or any liquid almirah polisher, or maybe a hand sanitizer, and then warming by keeping the books in sunlight for about half an hour.

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Question

I've noticed that the books in my library are drying out and becoming brittle. Is there some kind of a spray that can be applied to correct this or prevent further deterioration?

Community Answer

There's no spray for this. You need to find some way to correct the humidity where you keep your books - this can be fairly expensive to do correctly (cheap humidifiers go too far in the other direction). It's hard to say what exactly you need to do without more information about the environment you're keeping the books in. It would be a good idea to speak with a professional who conserves books.

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Question

I would like to store my books in a bookcase in an outside garage no controlled heat, is that advisable?

Community Answer

That depends on where you are. If you have very dry winters, or very humid summers, this is a bad idea. If you're lucky enough to live in a place where it's temperate year-round and humidity doesn't get above 65%, it'll be fine (as long as you can keep pests away).

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Question

Can I get a 1000+ pages book be cut into different parts and be bound?

Haley DiF

Community Answer

It is possible, but not recommended to do at home yourself. A professional bookbinder should be able to split apart a book.

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Question

I received an old Bible (printed before 1914) and plan to read it but I'm not sure how to care for it when I'm not reading it. Should I use a box or plastic baggie? I'm afraid the baggie will create mold.

Community Answer

Just keeping it on a bookshelf will be fine, unless your house is very humid (in which case a baggie or box wouldn't help anyway). Many libraries have books from the 1910s and even earlier out on the shelves with no trouble.

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Question

Some people say that if we keep books or bags down, it will decrease our knowledge? Is that really true or not ?

Community Answer

That's just a superstition. The only thing that matters is whether or not you read them.

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Question

How do I keep the book's spine from cracking?

Donagan

Top Answerer

Open the book very carefully and gently every time. And don't press down on the book when it's open.

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