Tips & Materials

Make sure all materials used are made for books.

• All glue, tape, and replacement paper must be acid free.

• Even the water you use to clean paint brushes should come from the water filter, so the pH is balanced.

Use caution with sharp tools while you're working and cut away from yourself whenever possible.

In mending, it often gets worse before it gets better. 

• Sometimes you'll need to peel off loose parts that you'll eventually tape over.

• Sometimes a barely-together book needs to be taken apart before it can be reassembled.

If you need extra guidance, it's perfectly fine to seek help.

• Feel free to ask a full-time staff member if you're stuck.

• Lots of online resources are available to provide extra guidance on mending. Some of these include:

  • Gaylord Mending Manual

  • Alaska State Library Conservation Training Manual

  • Demco How-To Videos

  • Indiana University Libraries Book Repair Manual

  • Dartmouth Library Simple Book Repair Manual