Q&A for How to Repair a Paperback Book

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Question

How do I fix a crease on the cover of a book?

Community Answer

Place heavy things on top of the book for a while; the crease should come out or lessen in severity.

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Question

Will this work with hardcover books too?

Community Answer

Repairing loose or torn pages will be the same for hardcover books. You should also be able repair a loose hardback cover in the same way. However, hardback books present other issues that need repairing, such as spine replacements, that are not common with paperback books.

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Question

Is rubber cement or Elmer's glue better to use for conserving a book?

Community Answer

You should not ever use rubber cement, so Elmer's glue will be a better choice. However, if you're working with particularly brittle pages use an archival glue for best results.

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Question

Where can I buy a clear plastic book cover?

Community Answer

You should be able to find plastic book covers at any of several different retail stores. Try a local Target, Walmart, or bookstore. You can also try shopping for them online.

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Question

What kind of glue should I use?

Community Answer

Use an acid-free glue like Elmer's, those glues dry clear. In other words, most school glues work best. To ensure best results, use archival glue.

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Question

Can I attach a broken book cover that is totally torn off from the book? Can I use a rubber band?

Community Answer

Use archival fabric tape to reattach a torn cover. Using archival fabric tape will be easier.

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Question

What should I do with a book that I no longer have the cover for? How do I make a new cover?

Community Answer

Glue the front and back pages together with a fabric, card, or paper cover over the spine (don't glue this to the spine - just to the rear quarter of each of the front and back pages). Then secure thick pieces of cardboard to the front and back pages and, if you like, add another covering over the spine, this time connecting the two pieces of cardboard (again, do not glue this to the spine, or the first piece of paper/fabric covering the spine).

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Question

Can I use the melted glue from a glue gun to repair a break on the paperback book binding?

Community Answer

You probably could, but it would require a lot more work, make future repair more difficult, and it would be likely to yield sub-par results without a specialized book-binding machine. I'd strongly recommend sticking to PVA; try to find a brand that is acid-free if you want to avoid the pages deteriorating.

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Question

How can I repair a paperback book that is in two pieces?

Community Answer

The easiest way to do that is probably to follow the instructions on attaching a new cover. Naturally, if its a rare or valuable book, it's better to just leave it alone or have it repaired by an expert.

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Question

Do I use the same procedure to fix many loose pages as if only a few pages are loose on a paperback book?

Community Answer

It depends––most of the time, yes. However, you may want to do only a few pages at a time so as not to get the book too wet. If there are more loose pages than there are pages that are staying in the book, you may wish to consider rebinding (or just buy a new copy).

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Question

How do I fix a scratched cover of a paperback book?

Community Answer

Use a soft cloth or brush to remove dirt or dust. For scratches on plastic, try using a commercial plastic polish. You can rub a bit of polish onto scratches with a soft cloth.

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Question

The cover has come off and the pages have come loose. What would work better: tape or glue? If glue, what is the best to use? If tape, would it be two-sided or something else?

Community Answer

You can use glue to reattach the cover to the spine, and then acid-free tape to attach both covers to the pages they face. These are taped together with the tape visible to the reader, half on the cover and half on the page. If you want your repair to be invisible, you can just use glue. Follow the directions for acid-free wood glue. Use a rubber band and/or clamp to keep the book together for at least 24 hours.

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