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October 27, 2014 by Travis Jonker

Too Big for Their Britches: Books That Can’t Keep Their Covers On

October 27, 2014 by Travis Jonker   5 comments

If you’re around books a lot, you know there are certain titles that just have a hard time keeping it together. I’ve found that the worst offenders have:

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  • High page counts
  • Glossy pages
  • Large trim sizes

Which kinds of books have all of these? Your Guinness, your Ripley’s, your LEGO.

Add in frequent circulation and you have a perfect spine-breaking storm. Pictured above is The Smart-O-Pedia – a great book that has reached its breaking point more than once.

How do you handle this? Take preventative measures? A particular binding that’s unbreakable? Book acupuncture?

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About Travis Jonker

Travis Jonker is an elementary school librarian in Michigan. He writes reviews (and the occasional article or two) for School Library Journal and is a member of the 2014 Caldecott committee. You can email Travis at scopenotes@gmail.com, or follow him on Twitter: @100scopenotes.

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Stacy Dillon says

    October 27, 2014 at 5:27 pm

    Pre tape it and then post tape it. Then tape it again!

  2. Rosalyn says

    October 27, 2014 at 7:47 pm

    I’m 70 now, retired librarian, and started as a library page when nearly 14. After school I shelved books and then moved into the workroom to mend. Do you all still mend the way we did? That book above should have all surfaces that shouldn’t be exposed brushed with white glue, and then the secret is waxed paper tight up into the binding so no glue touches where it shouldn’t. Close book tight with rubber bands and wait until “after school” the next day. Then do all the preventive taping you want.

  3. Betty says

    October 28, 2014 at 11:40 am

    Bound to Stay Bound! If they come apart, they will replace for free!

  4. JENNY BLAYLOCK says

    October 29, 2014 at 11:12 am

    We still mend books as much as possible! Glue and tape still work great and I love the book mending glue. It makes many a book just like new. Hate the spiral bound books. We avoid them.

  5. Sara Ralph says

    October 29, 2014 at 8:53 pm

    Really good glue from Demco has helped with this problem.

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