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Beginning in about 1850, papermakers began using wood
fiber to produce their paper. Wood fiber makes strong, consistent paper, but
it requires harsh chemicals to break the wood down into fibers suitable to
produce paper. As a result, residual chemicals remain in the
paper after it is produced. Until the 1980s, most paper production in the
world involved harsh acids that were left in the paper causing it to become
weak and brittle over
time. Most paper produced in the U.S. and in Western Europe
is now alkaline in nature and will last for several hundred years. All recycled paper is acid free.
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Automated Binding Software
Binders will
usually provide larger libraries with automated binding software to help
them process materials for binding. The two most common systems are ABLE and LARS. This software helps a library communicate
exactly what they want stamped on the spine of the volume, the color of the
cloth to use, the binding type to use, the color of the stamping, and it
helps provide records of what was sent for binding. The software saves time—and therefore costs—for
both the library and the bindery.
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Brittle Paper
Buckram
Buckram is a
special cloth specially designed for bookbinding. F-grade buckram is the cloth that is specified
in the library binding standard. It is an extremely strong material made from a
poly-cotton blend and given an acrylic coating to protect the cloth from
damage from water, dirt, and abrasion. Buckram comes 20 different colors.
Click here to see the colors available.
C-cloth
C-cloth is a
bookbinding cloth made from a poly-cotton blend and coated in acrylic
coating to protect the cloth from damage from water, dirt, and abrasion.
It is an extremely strong cloth, but is not as strong as F-grade buckram. It is used in library binding for economy type
products that are not expected to meet the library binding standard. It comes in a variety of colors.
Click here
to see the colors available.
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Collation
This is the process where the library binder checks through the volume being sent for
binding. They check to see if the volume is complete (especially for periodical bindings), to see if issues are in the correct
order, and to check to see what leaf attachment method is most appropriate. This is also the time when the customer’s
instructions are checked to make sure the volume is processed according to
their wishes. Finally, special needs are identified for the
volume, such as the need for a pocket or such.
Collection Condition Survey
This is a
statistical method of analyzing the condition of the materials housed in a
library’s collection. The questions asked as part of the survey and
the size of the sample are dependent on the informational needs of the
library. Generally, more than one survey is needed to gather
all the information needed to produce an effective preservation plan for a
library. Conducting a statistically valid survey is not
difficult, but it does require care to insure the data gathered are valid
and meaningful to the library’s planning efforts. Many preservation grants require that a
condition survey be conducted in the library before money is award for
preservation or digitization.
Conservation Treatment
Conservation
treatment is the process of hand binding a volume or restoring it by a
trained professional conservator who knows how to use special techniques and
non-damaging materials to preserve an item for many years. Conservation treatment is a labor intensive
process by highly trained and educated professionals, so it can be
expensive, but it is very effective especially for rare and valuable
materials.
Crash,Super or Spine Lining
The cloth or other material placed on the spine of a text block
designed both to consolidate the text block and to secure the case binding to the text block. Library binding uses a very strong, but
flexible spine lining material far superior to what publishers provide.
There are a wide variety
of custom made enclosures for books and other materials. These enclosures, or boxes, are made
using archival materials and are individually constructed to exactly fit the book or item.
There are economy boxes and high end boxes. Enclosures are generally used for materials
that are too damaged or brittle to be rebound, but do not warrant the cost of conservation
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Digital Preservation Libraries and individuals must have a preservation
plan for making sure their digital files will last for as long as they are needed. Because of
the rapid changes in technology, digital files can become obsolete in a very short time without
a plan to migrate the files forward to newer technology. Talk to your digitization provider
about your digital preservation needs. Digitization Digitization (sometimes call scanning) is the
process of reformatting a print item into an electronic format. After an item has been
digitized the digital file can be used to reprint out of print books, reprint brittle damaged
books, or it can be used to provide the text electronically from a web page for library patrons.
Double-Fan Adhesive
Binding
This method involves chopping or grinding the spine
off of the bound item producing loose sheets. The loose pages are then glued together using a
"double-fan" method. The double-fanning process insures that
"adhesive" is placed not only on the edge of each loose sheet, but also a little onto the
surface of each page. This method insures that a much larger surface
area of each sheet is adhered to the adjoining sheet. It is kind of like tipping all of the pages
together. The result is a much stronger binding. There have been some tremendous advances in
adhesives in recent years. Adhesives are stronger and more flexible than
ever before, making this binding method the preferred library binding method
for most materials.
Double-Fold Test for Brittle Paper
An effective way to test to
see if paper is brittle is the double-fold test. This test involves folding a corner of a page
over on top of itself as if you were dog-earing the page. Crease the fold and then fold the paper
in the opposite direction on the same fold line. This constitutes one double-fold. Do this twice.
If, at any time during this process the corner breaks off, the paper is brittle. Generally speaking,
this test only needs to be performed on materials printed earlier than the 1950s. Avoid creasing the
page in such a way that text might be damaged if the corner breaks off, but if possible, fold the
corner so that the fold is at least
½ - ¾ inch from the tip of the corner. Generally, if a page can
pass a double-fold test the volume can withstand library binding or conservation treatment.
Endsheets or Endpapers
The first and last pages of a text block.
They are glued to the inside of the case binding to securely hold
the text block into the case. These are called pastedowns. The
free sheet remaining is called a flyleaf. Generally, the endsheets
are made of thicker, stronger paper to provide extra support.
In library binding, the endpapers also contain an alkaline buffer
to help further preserve the bound item.
Flat-back Binding
This is a binding method offered
by most library binders. In a flat-back binding the text block is not rounded
and backed, so it has no shoulders. The cover hinge is much wider than on a
rounded and backed book. Most binders offer flat-back bindings on their
economy products. Some binders offer this binding style on all of their
products. Many people find a flat-back unattractive. There has also been
some testing that shows flat-back bindings do not hold up as well over time
as rounded and backed bindings.
Graphic Covers
It is possible to have the graphic
information from the original cover scanned, printed in color, and laminated to produce a new cover for
the books. This is a very attractive binding option that preserves the information and the aesthetics
of the original binding. This is very good option for public libraries.
Inner Margin
This is the distance
from the edge of the text in a bound volume to the inside gutter of the book. Inner margin
is an important consideration when making binding decisions. If text runs through the gutter
of a book, it may be lost if the book has to be rebound.
Laminated Covers
In the past many binders offered
the ability to take original paperback covers, laminate them between paper and a plastic coating, and
incorporate that laminated cover into the new binding. Some binders still offer this service. Bridgeport
National Bindery will digitize the original cover, print a facsimile on archival paper using a high-quality
color printer, and will laminate the paper cover with a clear, strong plastic coating to protect it and add
strength to the cover.
Leaf Attachment
This term refers to how the
pages of the text block will be fastened together for the binding. Leaf attachment methods include
sew through the fold, double-fan adhesive binding, and oversewing. The leaf attachment method
employed by the publisher can effect what options are available for library rebinding, but do not
necessarily dictate what leaf attachment must be used.
A library binding standard has been used for many years in the binding industry.
The current standard is a joint standard approved by ANSI, NISO, and the Library Binding Institute (LBI).
The standard is called: ANSI/NISO Z39.78 - 2000(R2006) Library Binding. It is available electronically
for free online at: http://www.niso.org/standards/index.html. It is important to always check with your
library binder to see if they follow the standard.
Metadata is data about data. Metadata is the data that is used to organize
digital files so they can be accessed, searched, copied, migrated, and printed. There are several types
of metadata including structural metadata, which describes the digital file in computer language.
Preservation metadata, which provides the information needed to allow the file to be migrated to another
format or computer system in the future or to access it through an immolator. Descriptive metadata, which
is the indexing needed so a user can search the files for information they want. All digitization projects
involve creating metadata. Talk to your provider about what your metadata needs are before beginning a
digitization project.
Notching the Spine
Notching involves making several
small incisions (about 1/16” deep) in the spine edge of the loose sheets of paper making up the text block.
These incisions are about ½” apart. Notching creates more surface area for the adhesive to adhere to the
pages. The more surface area glued, the stronger the hold. Notching is especially helpful for stiff, or
heavily-coated, glossy paper as is found in some art and medical type journals, or in art books or other
books with many photographic illustrations such as coffee table books.
Oversewing
This used to be the standard leaf attachment
method used in all library binding. As with "double-fan adhesive" binding,
"oversewing" begins with removing the spine of the volume being bound. However, instead of then
gluing the pages together, they are sewn together using a large sewing machine. Oversewing works by side sewing
the pages together at about a 30 degree angle. A small stack of the loose leaves (about 1/16 of an inch (2 mm)
thick) is inserted into the oversewing machine and several needles stab through the pages leaving behind thread.
Another small stack of loose leaves is placed on top of the sewn one and the needles sew through those pages
linking the first stack to the second. This process continues until the entire book is sewn together. Oversewing
produces a very strong leaf attachment, and before the days of effective adhesive binding there was no other option
for sewing loose pages together. This leaf attachment method has its drawbacks as well. Because the pages are
sewn together from the side, the bound text block is stiff and does not open very well. This leaf attachment
method can produce a book that is difficult to read and nearly impossible to photocopy from if the text block does
not have a large inner margin. Oversewing requires about 3/8 of an inch of margin for the sewing alone. This loss,
added to the limited openability, is the reason you need plenty of margin when choosing oversewing as a leaf
attachment option. Because of the limited openability, this leaf attachment method should never be used with brittle
or weak paper. The advantages to oversewing are that it is a strong leaf attachment that very rarely fails, and it
works very well on glossy paper that cannot easily be double-fan adhesive bound.
Preservation
Plan
Simply stated, this is a library’s
strategy for addressing the immediate and long term preservation needs of its collections. An effective
preservation plan includes identifying what preservation needs exists, what resources are available to
commit towards preservation, and what long term plans are in place for meeting the needs unable to be
addressed by current resources. It is impossible to have a good preservation plan without careful and
thorough assessment including a collection condition survey.
Publisher Binding
A binding placed on a volume by the publisher.
Generally, these bindings are produced as quickly and as inexpensively as possible, and do not provide a great deal
of strength and support for the book. Some publishers provide stronger bindings than others. Understanding how
publisher bindings—especially publisher paper bindings—hold up to use in a library has important implications for
preservation planning.
Rounding and Backing
This is the process of shaping a text block so that it has its traditional look of a rounded back with flared shoulders. Traditionally, rounding and backing was made necessary because the thickness of the thread used to sew the text block together caused the spine to swell. The rounded shape of the spine and the flared shoulders compensated for this swell. Whether or not rounding and backing is needed in library binding is a hotly debated issue. Bridgeport National Bindery rounds and backs whenever possible because we like the aesthetics and we believe it will help the binding withstand use.
Saddle-Stitch
When a publication is made up of one signature that
is stapled through the fold it is called saddle-stitched. In most modern publications,
saddle-stitching involves two or three staples to hold the signature together. Saddle-stitching
is common in pamphlets and many magazines such at Time, Newsweek, and People. Saddle-sewn
journals or individual titles can be bound by a library binder without their having to chop
off the spine. This is called sewing through the fold.
Save Original Sewing (Recase)
This method applies to publisher
bound books with sewn text blocks. It involves removing old "adhesive" and linings from the spine of
the text block, attaching new endsheets, and then producing a new case for the book. The advantage to
this leaf attachment method is that it preserves the original sewing and flexibility of the text block.
It also prevents any loss of inner margin. This technique is particularly useful for art books or
coffee-table books with glossy paper and images that run through the gutter. This method can only
be used when the text block is in good condition. It cannot be used if the text block is split or
if the sewing is broken. For this reason, if you desire to use this leaf attachment method, it is wise
to send volumes to the binder before they become too damaged to allow the original sewing to be saved.
Many binders will tip endsheets to the text block. However, the preferred method is to have endsheets
sewn on to the text block.
Sew Through the
Fold
This "leaf attachment" method primarily
refers to sewing periodical bindings. This method generally employs a large sewing machine (though it can be
done by hand) that sews the issues of a periodical together through the fold of each issue. This method only
works when the individual periodical issues are "saddle-sewn" like many popular magazines are such as Time,
Newsweek, or People. This is a very good leaf attachment method when binding materials that can accommodate it.
The advantages are that the bound volume opens flat, is held together by strong string rather than glue, and no
inner margin is lost.
Spine Stamping
Binders can stamp title, author, call
number, or other information on the spine of volumes you have bound.
Most offer stamping in white, gold, or black foil. This information is communicated on a binding ticket or
through the automated library binding software.
Text Block
The pages of a bound volume make up the text block. There are many ways of producing a text block ranging from sewing signatures together to make the text block, to gluing individual sheets together to make up the text of the volume. How a text block was prepared by the publisher impacts how a library binder can rebind the volume.
Trimming
Most binders will trim the top, bottom, and fore edge of a volume as part of the binding process. This produced an attractive square volume with clean edges. It makes the bound volume look nicer and it is easier for the binder to process. Most binders will not trim the edge of a volume if text is going to be damaged. They will also give the customer the option to determine if they do or do not want their volumes trimmed.
Type II Covering Material
Type II is a bookbinding material made from a
thick, strong, coated paper with cross linked fibers to add strengthen. The coating helps protect the materials
from damage from water, dirt, and abrasion. While strong, this material is not as strong as many bookbinding cloths.
It is used in library binding for economy type products that are not expected to meet the library binding standard.
It comes in several colors. Click here to see the colors available.
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