Protect your books so they can be enjoyed
Some damage is irreversible, could ruin your treasured read
There is that special book in your collection but it smells mouldy or has ripped pages. It’s too precious to throw out, so is there any way to salvage it?
Wendy Robicheau knows. She’s an archivist with the Esther Clark Wright Archives at Acadia University in Wolfville. When she looks at books, she does so with the idea of long-term preservation.
Most people do not have books for preservation, as they want to use, read or display them, she said. Their aim is probably not to ensure those books are in good condition for more than 100 years. Regardless, many of the tips and strategies work well with our own home book collections.
FORGET FABRIC SOFTENER SHEETS
One reader had heard that by putting a dryer sheet, like Bounce, between the pages, it would take away the musty smells of books. Robicheau advises against this.
Bounce sheets, she says, contain chemicals that will leech out and into the pressed pages.
“I see this as harmful to the paper and, if you put a sheet between each page, the book will double in size, putting stress on the spine,” Robicheau explained. “I suspect paperbacks will not survive this process. Besides, do you want your book to absorb the Bounce sheet smell?”
KITTY LITTER TRICKS
Smells in books can be absorbed with kitty litter, said Robicheau. It’s not an overnight process, so be prepared to lose access to that book for six months at least.
Let the book fall open, if possible, and put it on a tray inside a plastic bag. Spread the kitty litter around in the bag, but not on or over the book. Seal the bag. Leave it undisturbed for a few months. Check it. Repeat this process if you are still offended by any smell, suggested Robicheau.
OTHER TRICKS TO TRY
Sunshine and fresh air does wonders for books, said Robicheau. A light breeze and low humidity are best for this process.
Put the book on a flat surface, off the ground. Let the book fall open, if possible. Allow the breeze to blow over the pages. This will blow off light smells easily; heavy smells like mildew might take a few days.
SALVAGING WET BOOKS
Wet and damp are two different things, noted Robicheau.
If the book is merely damp, use the sunshine and breeze method for air drying. Or, if the spine is strong enough, open it over the clothesline to breathe.
If the book is wet, try to sop up as much water as possible without squeezing. Put it in the freezer to freeze dry. To do this, let the book fall open, if possible, on a tray that you put in the freezer. Check on the book after a short time because you don’t want to freeze the book. Take it out of the freezer and allow the air to evaporate off the rest of the water. Depending on how wet the pages are, you might need to try this a few times. But remember, the book will likely have wrinkled, torn, and stuck pages, she cautioned.
MOULD AND MILDEW
Mould cannot be neutralized, especially black mould, said Robicheau. If you find a mouldy book, she said to put on gloves and remove the book as soon as possible. That mould will spread to other books.
Mildew is smelly, but not harmful. It can spread between books, but that is usually because the books are all kept together. Neutralize the smell using one of the methods above.
MENDING RIPPED PAGES
Robicheau’s rule is to leave a ripped page alone. All tapes will have some harmful elements that damage the page.
Robicheau also suggested trying book tape — never scotch tape as this will dry up and fall off, leaving damaging elements.
“I also do not use elastics on anything,” she noted. “The rubber dries up and leaves behind damaging elements. I do not use staples as fasteners to pages. Not only do staples rip, they rust.”
KEEPING OUR BOOKS SAFE
Don’t put your treasured books or albums on the bottom shelf. Normally, three inches off the floor is sufficient under normal circumstances; however, if you live in a flood zone then she suggested keeping them all in rubber totes.
Watch for signs of water leakage near the walls, floors and ceilings.
Libraries help prevent fire from spreading through the stacks by pushing the books on the shelves back by an inch or a half-inch. In this way, the fire cannot jump up between the shelves, grabbing the book spines.
Although compressing books together on a shelf is not good for preservation, it is good for fire. When you look at a compressed shelf of books after a fire, only the edges are singed and the inside of each book is unburnt. Fire needs oxygen and compressed books provide little fuel, explained Robicheau.