In-House Treatment Definitions:

Pamphlet Binders: This protects pamphlets and other small books from getting lost or damaged on the shelf or while circulating. There are two types: Side-sewn and Center-sewn. Side-sewn pamphlets are those which consist of loose pages, either held together by staples, adhesive, or some other system. Center-sewn have one or more folded sheets of paper, often stapled together, where the thread can pass through capturing all the pages. Staples are removed before binding so that they will not rust and damage the paper. Pamphlet binders can also have pockets to protect folded items such as maps and sheet music which can accompany some items. Both paperbound books and pamphlets which are under 1/4" are treated in this manner.

Coptic Bindings: Adhesive bound paper cover books over 1/4" thick and over 9" tall but less than 2 pounds have their covers removed and the original adhesive binding is removed by the guillotine. The fan gluing machine is used to double-fan adhesive bind the volume, which creates a very flexible and durable binding. The covers are then reinforced and reattached. The final product looks almost like the original, except the covers are thicker and the spine springs away when opened, letting the book lie flat for reading or photocopying. The coptic is an improved version of the catalog bind.

Reinforced Covers: Paperbound volumes which are sewn, where the cover may have some artifactual or intellectual significance to the whole, will have the covers stiffened from the inside. A piece of blue grey pressboard is attached to the inside of the cover to prevent the original covers from being torn or bent. A thin piece of tissue is used to help hold the original cover in place as well.

Cloth Spine Reback (Spine Repair): This is the most common repair needed on library books. The spine is one of the most delicate areas of a book. It is not reinforced in any significant way, yet most people pull a book from the shelf by the spine. This causes the cloth on either side of the spine to rip. For a spine rebacking, the damaged cloth is removed and new cloth is added in its place. If possible, the original spine is replaced on the new, so to preserve the title on the spine of the volume.

Hinge Repairs: If the spine is not repaired in a timely fashion, the covers will be the next part of the book to fall apart. If the covers of a volume are loose, a piece of flannel cloth is attached to the spine of the textblock (the pages of the book) and then the covers are attached to this cloth. Then a reback is normally performed, actually making the book stronger than it was originally. This repair cannot be seen, since the flannel is attached underneath the endsheets. For this reason, it is also called an "internal hinge."

Leather Bindings: Leather bound books present certain difficulties for the conservator. Leather, although one of the strongest binding materials available, can disintegrate over time if not properly cared for. Also, it is a very expensive and time consuming material to work with. Many libraries, Dartmouth included, are electing not to repair leather bound items with new leather. Rather, thin Japanese tissues, dyed to the color of the leather, are used to reattach the covers. Over time with normal usage patterns, these tissue repairs can actually outlast a comparable repair done in leather.

Protective Enclosures: For older, more fragile volumes, where repair is not necessary or not possible at the present time, a box can be constructed to hold the item. The box can be very elaborate (such as for presentation volumes in a special collections library) or very simple and plain looking (for general stacks volumes or when the enclosure will be used for a set period of time when a proper repair can be conducted, such as for items on reserve). Examples include clamshell boxes (or traycases), phaseboxes, matchboxes, and temporary tyvek four-flap enclosures, in order from most complex to easiest to make.

Portfolios: Books consisting of loose items, such as a music score, can be placed in a four-flap portfolio to keep all the parts together. Each item is labeled to keep it from becoming separated from the rest.

Commercial Bind Treatment Definitions:

Commercial Bind Monographs

Preservation Services prepares items for commercial binding by examining the leaf attachment or original method of binding. Staff input spine information into a vendor provided database (ABLE) and that information is sent along with the volumes to our commercial binder, Acme Bookbinding on a bi-weekly basis. Once at Acme, the following procedures are followed depending on the option selected by Preservation staff or bibliographers.

Adhesive bound: The commercial binder trims the inner edge to remove the old glue and free the pages, fans the pages to allow glue to penetrate further into the edge for better adhesion, and binds the volume with boards and cloth.

Sewn Binding: The commercial binder retains the sewing and adds boards and cloth covering.

Copy Cover: The covers of softbound books under 9" tall are removed by the commercial binder and color photocopied on special paper. The book is then bound into the photocopied cover, thus retaining the original appearance of the book.

Pocketbook: Maps, music parts, and similar material may be enclosed in a pocketbook (a buckram covered portfolio).

Theses: Theses for our collection and for the graduate are bound in Dartmouth green with gold lettering. Only theses completed for a Dartmouth degree may be bound.

Phase Box: Material too brittle to be repaired or rebound may be enclosed in a box for protection.

Rebind: Hardbound books which have split into two or more pieces are rebound.

Commercial Bind Serials

Preservation Services prepares materials for commercial binding by checking to see that no issues or pages are missing and the issues are in correct order for binding. Staff input the spine information into a vendor provided database (ABLE) and send that information along with the volumes to our commercial binder, Acme Bookbinding, on a bi-weekly basis. Once at Acme, the following proceedures are carried out, depending upon the option selected by Preservation staff or bibliographers.

Custom Collation: Covers &/or ads at front and back of each issue are removed; custom placement of title page contents, index, and supplements; issues checked for correct sequence Leaf attachment: bindery selects or reviews the method of leaf attachment, either sewing through-the-fold by machine or hand, double-fan adhesive with spine notching, or oversewing. Cover material: Group F buckram (Heavy, thick covering).

Standard: This option is often chosen for very heavy, very thick, or high use pieces.

Collation: issues checked for correct sequence (library responsible for all other collation activities) Leaf attachment: Acme selects or reviews the method of leaf attachment, either sewing through-the-fold by machine or hand, double-fan adhesive with spine notching, or oversewing. Cover material: Group F buckram (Heavy, thick covering).

Budget Collation: no collation, volume is bound as received (library responsible for all collation activities) Leaf attachment: double-fan adhesive with spine notching Cover material: C-grade book cloth (Light-weight cloth).

Lumbind: Generally selected as a temporary binding when issues are missing but may be added later and/or the volume is expected to receive very light use. Collation: no collation, volume is bound as received (library responsible for all collation activities) Leaf attachment: double-fan adhesive - no spine notching Cover material: C-grade book cloth (lightweight cloth).

Questions? - Contact Maxine Cameron (6-0539) or Wendy Wolfe (6-2483).