Q&A for How to Repair a Book's Binding

Specialty on-line stores, including Amazon, will sell book binding supplies. Artist's supply or scapbook stores may also carry these supplies. Keep in mind that you may not always get everything in one place, and may have to shop around.

I do not recommend using everyday Scotch tape for repairing tears in pages. Look for archival tape made specifically for this. It has a paper-like feel to it, isn't shiny and is acid-free or pH-neutral. At a glance it may look like thin, see-through white tape, but it goes on clear and will last a long time.

Tyvek is great for this. Cut up a Tyvek envelope, and use the flexible, neutral PVA glue from the craft store. This makes a strong, permanent and attractive hinge. Use parchment paper to isolate the repair.

Yes! You'll use the same steps as described in the section about repairing a hinge. Just repeat the steps for both sides of the book.

Double sided tape is sticky on both sides. However, it doesn't tend to be really strong and, for a big book, might not be enough.

This will extend the life of any book but if that book is getting very heavy traffic, you're going to wear it out sooner than other books in any event.

Apply a clear-drying craft glue to the inside of the spine, and gently stick on the pages. Make sure they stay securely pressed together until the glue dries. The glue packaging should tell you how long it will take to dry.

Use rubber cement/glue and hold it in place with paperclips/clothespins/binder clips (depending on thickness of book section) while it dries.

The waxed paper protects the spine of the cover from sticking to the spine of the book block. Same for the cover and book block. It also helps to wick away any moisture so the pages won't wrinkle.

In this case, you probably won't be able to repair your book at home. Take it to a professional book binder and see fi they can fix it for you, but be prepared that it might be beyond fixing!

If you find these books to be valuable, I'd recommend taking them to a professional bookbinder or repair shop. If you're set on doing it yourself, I'd do some more research before using this method.

If the cover spine is damaged, you can try to repair and reinforce the spine before using the method above to attach the cover back to the text block.

The cost will depend on a lot of different factors. These include what exact prepares need to be done, how old the book is, what sort of materials are required, and how big the book is. It's best to take the book in to a professional book binder and ask for an estimate.

You may have to use a glue specifically designed for leather, but yes, these steps can work on leather-bound books.

I think, from looking at the video and reading other sites, that the wax paper is meant to prevent the glue from moving into the spine from the text block. When you open a book, the pages are glued/sewed together, but they are not firmly attached to the center of the spine. If you do this with a hardback book, the book would not open properly. That piece of wax paper keeps the bound pages from sticking to the spine as the adhesive dries.

I had that same problem, and found that using binding tape to stick the spine back together is quite successful. The one problem is that if your book has old parts of the spine sticking to the back of the cover the glue might peel off. In that case tape might work better.

No. Carpet tape is not archival and will deteriorate in short order. Elmer's glue is brittle when it dries and will crackle when you open the book. A good PVA is the best glue.

Technically you can use any type of glue you want. However, pH-neutral glue is preferable as it is less likely to contribute to staining or making the pages brittle as the book ages.

That really depends on what is wrong with the binding to begin with and what type of binding it is as different problems require slightly different solutions. Most repairs will end up using acid free glue at some point in the repair.

You are unlikely to be able to do this yourself. A conservator might be willing to do this but it can be hard to find one.

Firstly, repair the broken hinge as explained above. Tighten the gap between the hinge, then reattach the loose pages. Leave for a gap of 24 hours before proceeding to do the next repair.

You'll probably need access to spiral-binding machinery for that. If you don't have that, find a shop that provides such service. Your local library might be able to handle that. If you can't find the help, consider making a copy of the detached cover and binding that to the book.

Any white glue will work. Look for a "pH neutral" or "acid free" label.