Conservation Binding
While BookLab II does not offer single item book conservation treatment, we do work with libraries on special projects requiring standardized repairs and/or conservation rebinding.
We are currently involved in a project to rebind an extensive run of Spalding and other sports guides. These books from the late 19th and early 20th centuries were usually printed in 32 page signatures on poor quality paper and side stitched with metal staples and then wrapped with a paper cover. Today the text paper is often brittle and the side stitches rusted in place. This makes opening of the books difficult and often results in cracked or broken pages. In small batches of 20-30 books, BookLab II removes the staples, repairs any broken signature folds, hinges the original covers around the front and back signatures and then resews the books into a sewn boards binding. The result is a book protected by a hard cover that will open flat to the gutter fold, making the contents available to researchers.
If there are deteriorated materials in your collection suitable for a standardized treatment and batch processing please contact us to discuss how BookLab II might lend its technical ability to your project.
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