Mr. Athena recently purchased a used book via teh Interwebz that arrived with a loose page. As in, the page has completely separated from the binding. He’s made good with the seller, who refunded his money and told him to keep the book.
So now we have a book with a loose page. It’s a large-format paperback, at least 9.5x11", and the binding has seen better days.
I realize it’s probably impossible to fix it well, but is there any good solution that would give it a few more years of use? I mean, better than just using some Scotch tape to tape it in. I’ve tried Googling, but the answers I’ve found have been more of the “Here’s how to completely rebind a paperback so it lasts forever” kind of thing, which we’re not interested in (we’d just buy a new copy if we really wanted it.) I just was wondering if there’s a cheap, easy solution that would bind these pages in place for a couple years.
For my own paperbound books, I tip in quick-and-dirty (okay, it’s actually very clean) with a glue stick or double-sided tape.
Glue stick: Usually on just one side of the loose page, I run the stick along the entire length of the inside (the “gutter”) edge and then attach it to the preceding or subsequent page. A wide margin gets a wider swath of glue, and sometimes glue on both sides of the loose page.
Double-sided tape: Buy the narrowest one available. As above, run it along the entire length of the inside edge of the loose page. With steady hands (this method doesn’t allow for re-positioning!) attach it to the prior or subsequent page. You can put the double sided tape on both sides of the page - sometimes that’s overkill and not a good idea. Sometimes it actually helps hold the entire book together, particularly with a larger book and/or heavier paper.
Of course, if the pages on either side are coming loose, they aren’t going to anchor the one you are trying to tip in.
In my experience, these methods usually hold up well enough for the limited use of an adult’s personal library.
And also for a library’s books if all you are aiming for is a few more circulations before it gets tossed (shhh … I didn’t tell you that).
I’ve done plenty of book repair for the public library I work for and my son’s school library. Tipping in is the best way - don’t use tape to put a loose page in. Glue, very carefully applied, is what you want to use.
I once reglued a section of loose picture plates in a book by ironing the spine to remelt the glue. I can’t say how good a repair it was though, I was only concerned about a repair that would last long enough for the book to be handed back to the library in one piece…
Good heavens, no! Never staples, they rust, and second, they are far too thick!
And never use sellotape, scotch tape or any other commerical product, either. Their glue is not approved for archive purpose, which means it will eventually change consistency and harm the paper (esp. if the paper is older, pre-acid-free).
Also, I would not use commercial glue stick - go over to your library and ask nicely if you can borrow their approved glue pot for 5 min., because they have special glue (or at least, should - some higher librarians are clueless, and some small libraries don’t have the funds for the right equipment).
For one page, or a block, tipping in is the right method.
However, a lot depends on the glue used, which is connected to the decade the book was made in the first place. Some of the glue from the 60s and 70s is now yellow, hard and brittle, so chances are high that more pages are going to come loose when you read it. If the glue is still transparent and flexible, you can keep going, but if it’s bad, you might end up binding the whole book new.
While it’s true that giving a book to the book binder for re-binding costs money that it might not be worth, you could also do it yourself if you get access to the right glue and equipment - either you have good contacts with your library, know a friendly retired book binder, or have a house for DIY work that has the equipment.
But if the glue is bad and breaking, it’s much more trouble to keep tipping in single pages all the damn time than take the 30 min. to do it properly once.
That only works for very specific types of glue, that do melt when heated. A lot of other glue is water-based and can do terrible things, and it would take an expert to tell them apart, so I would not recommend that.
I just had a similar situation happen to me except it was the entire binding of a rather thick book (similar to the dimensions in the OP) that fell apart completely after I bought the book used.
First you have to remove all the glue from the binding. I used a butter knife to scrape off the glue on mine.
Then on a table you get all the pages lined up and clamp them down so the book is compressed. There shouldn’t be any gaps between the pages.
I cut a strip of duck cloth the to fit the spine of the book. Then I used an acid free/photo safe rubber cement on the spine. Brush a thin layer on and put the strip of cloth on the spine. I applied another light layer of glue on the cloth once it was stuck on the book.
Don’t touch the book for at least 24 hours. Don’t even look at it. Once the glue is completely and utterly dried you can put the cover back on using the smallest amount of glue possible. Let it all dry and you’re good to go.
I came up with this method by combining what I remember from when I worked in a library and instructions for a few different websites. As others have said tape is a no-no and you want to make sure you get the right type of glue. A scrapbook supply shop will probably carry an appropriate adhesive.
It’s always sad with threads like this when the OP never comes back to give any indication at all if the answers given to their question were in any way helpful.
It is. But it’s an absolute boon to those of use who’ve been lurking and learning for the next time a much loved paperback starts to lose its pages. Thank you to the contributors.
