Caring For Your Antiques and Collectibles: Taking Care of Your Books
- August 16, 2010
- by: Wade Cook
- Antiques
Books are some of many people’s favorite treasures, whether the family Bible or just your favorite hardbacks. Just remember that books can easily be damaged… or worse. Here are some of the best tips for keeping your books in the best possible condition.
- Keep them clean: Many people store their books in glass-front cases for a good reason; dirt, the oil from hands, dust particles, all of these are the enemies of books. Dust particles do damage to all fabrics, leather, etc. because it can literally cut into them. (That is why you want to vacuum your carpets regularly, too).
- Keep books in an environment that is moderately low in humidity and at a comfortable temperature: Mold is a primary enemy of good books. Moderate humidity keeps down the growth of mold. That is not very low humidity, however; very low humidity can cause paper to become brittle. Fluctuations in humidity can also contribute to the chemical reaction that deteriorates. Keep the temperature at around 72 to 75 degrees, and the humidity at around fifty percent.
- Keep books out of direct sunlight: Sunlight can fade anything, including your books. It can also cause the deterioration of bindings and paper.
- Keep books in a safe place: A safe place for books does not include the basement, attic, or unheated spaces of any kind. Also keep them away from places in your house like heat registers, fireplaces, radiators or even hot lights.
- Never pull your books off the shelves by using a finger on the top of the spine: This can literally pull off a portion of the top of the spine.
- Never put undue pressure on your books: Don’t force a book flat, ‘break’ the spine or leave items between the pages. Yes, that includes newspaper clippings, pressed flowers, four leaf clovers or even paper bookmarks. And never use a rubber band around a book, even if it has loose pages.
- Keep your books standing upright: Unless your book is a huge atlas or coffee-table-sized book, stand it upright on a book shelf.
- Don’t pack books in too tightly on a shelf: Books are organic things and need a bit of air circulation. Certainly, don’t pack them in so tightly they are hard to remove from the shelf.
- Clean your books yearly: Carefully dust your books every year, taking time to check for things like damage, mold, or even the possibility of insects.
- Avoid ‘do-it-yourself’ type repairs: Never use tape on a book, for example. If your book is an heirloom or personal treasure, let an expert repair it for you.
- Never, ever, oil a leather book: This has been recommended before, but don’t do it. The residue can become sticky. Don’t.
The Library of Congress has more good tips for caring for books right here: http://www.loc.gov/preserv/care/books.html
#5. It would have been helpful if instructions were given for how to remove a book from a shelf.