# Book restoration
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/book-restoration/212944
**Category:** Factual Questions
**Created:** [November 13, 2003, 1:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/book-restoration/212944 "2003-11-13T01:19:39Z")
**Posts on this page:** 3
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Princhester](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Princhester)
#### Post date: [November 13, 2003, 1:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/book-restoration/212944/1 "2003-11-13T01:19:39Z")
I recently purchased a 50 year old childrens book (of which I have particularly fond memories) for my son when he gets old enough to read.
It’s a hardback with a dust jacket. The jacket is very worn along the edges of the spine and with only a bit more wear will fall apart, it’s already worn through in many spots.
I’ve seen many botched amateur restoration attempts using ordinary sticky tape which goes yellow and leaves stains and falls off after a few years.
What would be the correct thing to do to reinforce the DJ so that it will last?
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### Author:  [@Reeder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reeder)
#### Post date: [November 13, 2003, 1:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/book-restoration/212944/2 "2003-11-13T01:30:26Z")
Is it necessary for the original dust jacket be used? Perhaps you could have it copied and reprinted. Then put the orginal away for safe keeping.
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### Author:  [@commasense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/commasense)
#### Post date: [November 13, 2003, 4:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/book-restoration/212944/3 "2003-11-13T04:03:31Z")
You might want to check out a libary supply place like [Highsmith](http://www.highsmith.com) and look for book jacket covers (like the ones libraries use). For less than $10 you can protect that dust jacket and 24 others.