# Do books still need dust jackets?

**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-books-still-need-dust-jackets/522060
**Category:** Factual Questions
**Created:** [December 21, 2009, 1:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-books-still-need-dust-jackets/522060 "2009-12-21T13:22:20Z")
**Posts on this page:** 4
**Page:** 2

<div class="post-metadata">

### Author: ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)
#### Post date: [December 21, 2009, 11:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-books-still-need-dust-jackets/522060/21 "2009-12-21T23:33:05Z")

</div>

> [@Exapno\_Mapcase](#):
>
> Why don’t you just tell them how wrong they all are and why your idea is so much better.

If only I had such influence. I’d be rich, I tell you, RICH!

---

<div class="post-metadata">

### Author: ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)
#### Post date: [December 21, 2009, 11:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-books-still-need-dust-jackets/522060/22 "2009-12-21T23:58:04Z")

</div>

> [@iamthewalrus\_3](#):
>
> Don’t people who collect books pretty much insist that the dust jacket is in pristine condition, too? I always thought that it was silly to print a flimsy, easily torn cover to protect the book, but then have people expect that the cover remain untouched as well.

Yes, and they even have books that have covers to protect the dustjacket.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

### Author: ![Anachronism](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e56c9b/32.png) [@Anachronism](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anachronism)
#### Post date: [December 22, 2009, 3:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-books-still-need-dust-jackets/522060/23 "2009-12-22T03:24:55Z")

</div>

A dust jacket also makes it easy to change the look of a cover if the publisher wants to market the book differently. I am not sure if it is common but I did hear an interview with an author who mentioned his book was ‘rejacketed’ after it became a movie.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

### Author: ![St.Anger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/5daacb/32.png) [@St.Anger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/St.Anger)
#### Post date: [December 22, 2009, 3:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-books-still-need-dust-jackets/522060/24 "2009-12-22T03:46:42Z")

</div>

> [@Airman\_Doors\_USAF](#):
>
> They haven’t given you a compelling reason. In contrast, I think the reasons expressed here are perfectly acceptable.

Wo-ho-HOOOOO there! Even a thread on dust jackets for books can start a flame war on the SDMB.

[Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-books-still-need-dust-jackets/522060.md?page=1)