Repairing a Book's Binding

Use "Japanese Paper" To Repair Binding

First of all NEVER use tape to repair a book. Tape does not age well. It becomes brittle, yellow, leaves a deep stain on the paper, and often the paper gets torn at the edge of the tape. The best way is to buy a white paper, called "Japanese paper" - because it is thin and strong.

Cut some strips one inch wide and as long as the book's page. Use white glue, the very common one which can be thinned with water. Spread glue on the strip of paper with a paint brush (1/2 inch wide). Use a very thin coat of glue (thinned with a little water if glue is too "sticky") and use it as you would use tape.

This is the simplest way to repair a book but it all depends on how much the book is damaged. It would take a whole book to explain in detail how to do this, from the first step to the last one, as all of this is part of book binding.

By Olga from Miallet, France

Use Glue Sticks for Old Book Repair

I took pity on an old book that I had ordered from the downtown library and glued the binding of the spine back on (so it wouldn't come off while I was reading it!). Glue sticks are great for that job - also works to glue paperbacks back into their spines - all without mess.

By Pamela Ruth M.